- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways the WATERS fund will differ from the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme in terms of (a) project eligibility, (b) applicant eligibility, (c) the type of support available, (d) the distribution of payments and (e) the expected number of successful applicants.
Answer
The eligibility criteria under WATERS are broadly similar to those which applied under WATES. The key difference with respect to projects is that there is no requirement to locate at EMEC, or to connect directly to the relevant local distribution network. Meanwhile, WATERS has also ruled out from its current call applications for collaborative projects, as these have the option to respond to a separate call from the Technology Strategy Board.
While capital intervention under WATES was capped at 40%, WATERS will be able to award grants ranging from 25% to 50% of eligible costs, depending on both the nature of the application and the size of the applicant. Unlike WATES, there will be no revenue payments available through the WATERS fund.
Payments under WATERS will be made quarterly in arrears, based upon actual expenditure against pre-defined eligible costs. This is similar to the system of payments under WATES, which have been issued in arrears subject to the achievement of key agreed milestones. The expectation is that projects receiving support through WATERS will typically be of 18 to 24 month duration.
One area where WATES and WATERS are entirely in sync is that neither fund opened with a view on the expected number of successful applicants.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the £12 million WATERS fund will be made up of unallocated, unclaimed or withdrawn funds from the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme and, in the case of unclaimed or withdrawn funds, what are the values of these funds and to whom were they originally allocated.
Answer
The WATERS fund will comprise £10 million in new funding, plus a further £1.8 million representing funds which were originally allocated to AWS Ocean Energy Ltd prior to being withdrawn last year.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it will play in managing and administering the WATERS fund.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise will lead on the management and administration of the WATERS fund, working closely with the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has distributed in the form of grants to support marine renewable research and development in each of the last seven years.
Answer
The first research and development grants to marine projects and developers were awarded in February 2007, under the Wave and Tidal Energy Scheme (WATES). Payments under the scheme have been as follows (based on financial years):
| 2007-08: | £1,204,355 |
| 2008-09: | £573,752 |
| 2009-10: | £888,462 |
| Total: | £2,666,569 |
In addition to this, the Scottish Government has also released over £2.5 million during the last two years to help develop the infrastructure needed to accommodate WATES projects located at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it intends to distribute in the form of grants to support marine renewable research and development in 2010-11.
Answer
As things stand, we expect to pay a further £4.8 million during 2010-11 in support of the remaining WATES projects.
We will also be transferring to Scottish Enterprise the funds which will deliver our £12 million Wave and Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support fund (WATERS). Grants from this fund in response to the current call for applications will be announced by the end of June.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide detailed information on awards made under the Rural Priorities scheme since its inception, including location and work undertaken, broken down by Regional Proposal Assessment Committee region.
Answer
Details of committed awards under the Rural Priorities scheme are published on the Scottish Government website. Over £260 million has been committed to date with the seventh approval round commencing this month.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Land Managers Options mechanism were received in 2009 and how many have been (a) approved and (b) rejected, broken down by (i) option and (ii) size of allowance allocated, also expressed as percentages.
Answer
The following table shows the number of Land Managers Option (LMO) applications received in 2009 by option. LMO is non-competitive and there is no approval process so applicants are eligible for payment if they apply and comply with the rules. The maximum allowance available to a beneficiary is calculated according to the land in their single application form (SAF). A beneficiary can choose LMO options in addition to any existing Land Management Contract Menu Scheme (LMCMS) and LMO commitments up to the level of that allowance. Hence an allowance is not available at option level. The total number of 2009 LMO applicants was 7,999 whose maximum allowances totalled £24.72 million of which 39.97% was taken up.
| LMO 2009 Option | Number of Applications | Value of Applications |
| Axis 1 |
| Skills Development (Training) | 920 | £379,621.65 |
| Business Audit | 59 | £8,061.80 |
| Nutrient Management Plan | 70 | £13,926.04 |
| Modernisation through electronic data management - agriculture | 899 | £738,536.52 |
| Management of genetically appropriate tree stocks for seed production | 1 | £2,222.00 |
| Modernisation through electronic data management - forestry | 16 | £13,026.10 |
| Sustainable Forestry Management - Access Routes | 133 | £468,712.44 |
| Membership of Quality Assurance Schemes | 5,880 | £532,822.15 |
| Axis 2 |
| Wild Birdseed Mix/Unharvested Crop | 266 | £156,828.75 |
| Improving Rush Pastures | 571 | £411,615.00 |
| Summer Cattle Grazing | 108 | £42,097.41 |
| Management of Moorland Grazing | 32 | £34,757.03 |
| Management of Linear Features | 257 | £50,777.49 |
| Management of Grass Margins and Beetlebanks in arable fields | 66 | £34,570.27 |
| Biodiversity Cropping on In-Bye | 13 | £1,404.35 |
| Management of Conservation Headlands | 14 | £2,918.14 |
| Retention of Winter Stubbles | 175 | £144,331.20 |
| Small Scale Woodland Creation | 135 | £204,450.00 |
| Management of Small Woodlands | 57 | £19,485.96 |
| Animal Welfare Programme | 106 | £142,505.43 |
| Axis 3 |
| Improving Access | 163 | £306,695.88 |
| Management of Archaeological and Historic Sites | 24 | £22,222.08 |
| Management of Vernacular Rural Buildings | 1,283 | £2,416,943.96 |
| Total* | 11,248 | £6,148,531.64 |
Notes:
*More than number of applicants as multiple options chosen.
A Total Allowance is available to each applicant for their total LMO and ongoing LMCMS commitments.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Land Managers Options mechanism received in 2008 were paid out in 2009, broken down by (a) option and (b) size of allowance allocated, also expressed as percentages.
Answer
The following table shows the number of Land Managers Option (LMO) applications received in 2008 and paid in 2009 (the remainder of the payments are still being made, in 2010) by option. LMO is non-competitive and there is no approval process so applicants are eligible for payment if they apply and comply with the rules. The maximum allowance available to a beneficiary is calculated according to the land in their single application form (SAF). A beneficiary can choose LMO options in addition to any existing Land Management Contract Menu Scheme (LMCMS) and LMO commitments up to the level of that allowance. Hence an allowance is not available at option level. The total number of 2008 LMO applicants was 3,941 whose maximum allowances totalled £12.17 million of which 60.7% was taken up.
| LMO 2008 Option | Number of Applications Per Option | Paid in 2009 |
| Axis 1 |
| Skills Development (Training) | 1,055 | £8,258.38 |
| Business Audit | 109 | £272.90 |
| Nutrient Management Plan | 65 | £748.60 |
| Modernisation through electronic data management - agriculture | 878 | £40,987.44 |
| Management of genetically appropriate tree stocks for seed production | 1 | £0.00 |
| Modernisation through electronic data management - forestry | 13 | £508.53 |
| Sustainable Forestry Management - Access Routes | 39 | £3,088.75 |
| Membership of Quality Assurance Schemes | 496 | £2,915.32 |
| Axis 2 |
| Wild Birdseed Mix/Unharvested Crop | 181 | £47,127.21 |
| Improving Rush Pastures | 374 | £196,200.41 |
| Summer Cattle Grazing | 84 | £17,048.98 |
| Management of Moorland Grazing | 20 | £12,912.96 |
| Management of Linear Features | 168 | £23,261.06 |
| Management of Grass Margins and Beetlebanks in arable fields | 38 | £17,320.66 |
| Biodiversity Cropping on In-Bye | 7 | £712.14 |
| Management of Conservation Headlands | 9 | £547.32 |
| Retention of Winter Stubbles | 106 | £63,636.14 |
| Small Scale Woodland Creation | 150 | £111,186.06 |
| Management of Small Woodlands | 31 | £1,415.30 |
| Axis 3 |
| Improving Access | 116 | £31,782.92 |
| Management of Archaeological and Historic Sites | 27 | £1,816.00 |
| Management of Vernacular Rural Buildings | 1,141 | £156,291.08 |
| Total* | 5,108 | £738,038.16 |
Note: *More than number of applicants as multiple options chosen.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Energy Saving Scotland home loan applications have been approved in each month since March 2009.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32380 on 23 March 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: Friday, 12 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 25 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of domestic properties have microgeneration technologies installed.
Answer
The Scottish Government gathers data on the number of domestic installations supported by Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grants and home loans. These figures in total are as follows:
| Programme | No. of Installations Supported |
| Home renewables grants | 4,619 |
| Home loans | 81 |
Outwith these schemes, information on domestic microgeneration installations is not held centrally.
