Chamber and committees

The review is currently being considered by the NHS Board Chief Executives prior to consideration by Scottish Government ministers. The recommendations of the review group would allow for the current costs of running the chamber in NHS Orkney for NHS Scotland and European Economic Area (EEA) patients to be covered by the nationally designated service which is funded collectively by all NHS boards in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04699 on 16 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The National Services Advisory Group has accepted the recommendations of the review and this is now under consideration by the NHS Board Chief Executives Group which has asked for additional supplementary work to be undertaken prior to reaching a conclusion on the recommendation. I expect to receive the review report and to make a final decision by the end of the financial year.

Applications for a swimming coaching licence require a recognised teaching and or coaching qualification (UKCC qualification or equivalent).

Licensing of teachers and coaches is not mandatory at the moment, I understand the UK government intend to introduce licensing and registration through the UK Action Plan for Coaching by 2012.

This is a matter for sportscoach UK, British Swimming (and its home country members) and key stakeholders to decide when considering the introduction of the licensing scheme.

Licensing of teachers and coaches is not mandatory at the moment and the choice of qualifications to become a swimming teacher is a matter for the providers of these qualifications and the individuals concerned.

One of the key actions identified within the Scottish Government’s “2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland” is to minimise the costs and risks associated with offshore renewables. This programme has been established to do exactly that.

Therefore the majority of this programme will be used to enable cost and risk reduction and accelerate the deployment of offshore renewables.

When a case is passed to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals to hold a public inquiry a reporter, appointed by Scottish ministers, will consider all the relevant policy and evidence presented to him or her and in accordance with the terms of his or her appointment to the case.

The Scoping Report concludes a technical and scientific exercise to identify strategic search areas for offshore wind energy around Scotland. Statutory bodies, non-statutory bodies, community groups and other marine stakeholder organisations relevant to the areas identified in the Scoping Report will be consulted during the development of Regional Locational Guidance and the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The outcome of the Plan Review process will be an updated set of areas where offshore wind energy should develop around Scotland.

The publication of the Scoping Report will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidance. Together, these documents mark the start of the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. This review will take place over a two year period where further strategic environmental assessment (SEA), habitats regulations appraisal (HRA), socio-economic assessment work will be undertaken as well as consultation with both statutory consultees and the public.