Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-34390

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of farmed (a) salmon, (b) whitefish and (c) shellfish were produced in Scotland in each of the last five years and how many tonnes were destined for markets in (i) Scotland, (ii) Europe excluding Scotland and (iii) North America in each case.

Production statistics for Scottish finfish and shellfish are published by Marine Scotland Science at the following site:

http://www.frs-scotland.gov.uk/Delivery/standaloneCM.aspx?contentid=770.

The Scottish Government does not hold centrally information on the tonnage of each product which went to Scotland, Europe excluding Scotland, or North America. This information can be sought from the relevant producer organisation or from Business and Trade Statistics:

http://www.worldtradestats.com/.

Question reference: S3W-34213

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make changes to its carbon management plan in the next 12 months.

Question reference: S3W-34211

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take additional action to increase the energy efficiency of its estate in addition to the measures outlined in its carbon management plan.

Question reference: S3W-34214

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the buildings comprising its estate, broken down by Energy Performance Certificate bracket A to G.

The Scottish Government has gone beyond the minimum requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and has produced energy performance certificates (EPCs) for 16 of the larger buildings on its core estate. The ratings generated are:

Building	EPC Rating
Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow	C
Cameron House, Albany Street, Oban	F
Freshwater Laboratory, Faskally, Pitlochry	F
Highlander House, 58 Waterloo Street, Glasgow	D
Leith File Store, 139 Leith Walk, Edinburgh	E
Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness	D
Rex House, 75 Bothwell Street, Hamilton	E
Southlands, Reidhaven Street, Elgin	E
St James House, 25 St James Street, Paisley	D
Strathbeg, 3A Clarence Street, Thurso	F
Strathearn House, Lamberkine Drive, Perth	C
Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall,	G
Thainstone Court, Inverurie	F
Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh	E
Tweedbank, Cotgreen Road, Galashiels	F
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh	D

In addition, EPCs are being produced in respect of St Andrew''s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh and Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh.

Question reference: S3W-34212

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made changes to its carbon management plan in the last 12 months.

Question reference: S3W-34210

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take additional action to reduce the amount of (a) energy derived from fossil fuels and (b) electricity used on its estate, in addition to the measures outlined in its carbon management plan.

Since the Scottish Government''s Carbon Management Plan was prepared in 2009 the creation of Marine Scotland has significantly increased the estate portfolio. A report on progress on the existing plan will be produced by autumn of this year with a revised plan available during spring 2011.

Work has continued to identify and implement additional projects aimed at reducing demand on electricity and fossil fuel derived energy. These include:

A pilot to assess the suitability of server-based computing technology which consumes around 75% less electricity than the most efficient of the PC units currently in use across the estate. With minimal moving parts, no data storage, reduce power consumption and longer life expectancy, this technology should also provide benefits in relation to labour costs and waste.

Improvements in existing power management features on PCs are also being explored further in an effort to reduce the amount of time taken to revert to lower power states.

A programme to install automated meter reading equipment across the estate to ensure appropriate and relevant data is readily available to better inform future discussions on targeting energy reduction measures.

At Saughton House in Edinburgh solar thermal panels have been installed to displace around 6,000 kWh of the annual heating demand from the domestic hot water system.

Sixty desktop videoconferencing units are soon to be distributed to individual business areas to reduce the need for business travel.

Question reference: S3W-33927

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, where funding for organisations receiving financial support for undertaking waste reduction, landfill diversion or recycling programmes has been reduced in the last 12 months, where this funding has been or will be redirected.

Question reference: S3W-33926

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether organisations receiving financial support for undertaking waste reduction, landfill diversion or recycling programmes and that have had their funding reduced by the Scottish Government in the last 12 months will be offered a chance to appeal against any such reductions.

The Zero Waste Scotland Programme funds a large number of projects that contribute to waste reduction and recycling targets. In the last year it has funded projects to tackle food waste and construction waste and it has provided funding support for third sector organisations and provided technical support to local authorities.

All projects are funded on a competitive application basis, with funding decisions made by assessment panels based on ability to deliver and value for money. Applicants who are refused funding have a right to appeal any decision. Successful projects are funded on a contractual basis with performance assessed against agreed milestones. Funding may be reduced where milestones are not met, for a variety of reasons.

There is no right to appeal against funding reductions once projects are up and running, but any reductions are only made following detailed discussions with projects.

Question reference: S3W-33897

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many organisations receiving financial support for undertaking waste reduction, landfill diversion or recycling programmes have had their funding reduced by the Scottish Government in the last 12 months and by what amount the funding was reduced in comparison with the total cost of each programme.

In the last 12 months, three projects have had their funding reduced by Zero Waste Scotland, all from the INCREASE III programme, which invests in Third Sector resource efficiency projects.

These are:

Friends of the Earth Scotland “ Funding reduced by £93,728.24 against an original contracted total of £203,198.44, a reduction of 46%;

Instant Neighbour “ Funding reduced by £66,329.06 against an original contracted total of £138,525, a reduction of 47%, and

Edinburgh Community Backgreens Initiative “ Funding reduced by £4,310.64 against an original contracted total of £32,490, a reduction of 13%.

The total funding reduction across these three projects is £164,367.94 “ against total committed funding to date through the INCREASE III Programme of £4.9 million “ 3% of the total committed. This is all being reallocated within the INCREASE III programme.

Question reference: S3W-33833

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 2009-10 by Skills Development Scotland on IT purchases; what proportion of this expenditure was on replacing old equipment; what the nature and age is of the equipment replaced, and what the reasons were for its replacement.