- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified the species of the beaver populations found in Tayside.
Answer
Work is ongoing through the laboratories of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to establish the species and form of the beaver which has been captured but the results of this work are not available yet.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it or its officials have had with the Crown Estate concerning the basis for its concerns regarding minimum spacing between marine energy developments.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37939 on 22 December 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been carried out of the implications for the marine energy sector of the Crown Estate’s concerns regarding minimum spacing between developments.
Answer
Very little is known at present about the ways in which marine renewables developments within a particular zone or region will interact. These are among a range of important issues which the Scottish Government, the Crown Estate Commissioners, technology developers and other key stakeholders are dealing with through the work of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Delivery Group. Future licensing of marine renewables activities will take account of the interaction between those activities and their environment.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Estate sought advice from Marine Scotland on the environmental implications of introducing a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth and, if so, what advice it received.
Answer
The Crown Estate Commissioners have not sought advice from Marine Scotland on this matter.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought advice from Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the economic development implications of introducing a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth and, if so, what advice it has received.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not sought any such advice.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has undertaken of the rationale for the Crown Estate’s decision to introduce a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37930 on 22 December 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Renewables and marine renewables developers concerning the potential impact of the Crown Estate’s decision to introduce a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had some informal discussion with marine renewables developers concerning the Crown Estate Commissioners approach to new leases for wave and tidal energy in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters strategic area. We discussed this issue with Scottish Renewables prior to the publication of their paper on Driving the Low Carbon Economy “ Wave and Tidal Energy.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought the advice of Marine Scotland on the environmental implications of introducing a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth and, if so, what advice it has received.
Answer
Marine Scotland is part of the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision of the Crown Estate to introduce a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth.
Answer
The Scottish Government''s recent consultation paper Securing the Benefits of Scotland''s Next Energy Revolution argued that the Crown Estate Commissioners in Scotland should be more accountable to the people of Scotland and maximise the economic impact from our unique renewables resource. In this particular case, the Scottish Government is fully aware of the decisions taken by the Crown Estate Commissioners. It is not the case that the Crown Estate Commissioners have imposed a moratorium on development activity, but they have indicated that they are taking a cautionary approach at the present time on the award of any additional leases. This approach is driven by the need to gain a greater understanding of key development issues. The Scottish Government supports a marine planning approach which encourages development in the most appropriate locations and minimises cumulative impacts, while not ruling out projects in areas that will not adversely impact on existing leaseholders, or the environment. The Scottish Government would wish the Crown Estate Commissioners to consider all mechanisms and options to enable leases for wave and tidal developments to proceed consistent with the long-term opportunities for the area.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Scottish Renewables and marine renewables developers concerning the potential impact of the Crown Estate’s decision to introduce a moratorium on new leases for wave and tidal energy developments in Orkney waters and the Pentland Firth.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not received any formal representations from Scottish Renewables and marine renewables developers concerning the potential impact of the Crown Estate Commissioners approach to new leases for wave and tidal energy in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters strategic area. However, it is aware of the fact that Scottish Renewables has covered this issue in the recommendations set out in its recent Driving the Low Carbon Economy “ Wave and Tidal Energy paper.
