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-32372

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 20 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16666 by Jim Mather on 22 October 2008, what assessment it has made of the impact of any changes introduced since 1 January 2009 to the accreditation standards for installers of microgeneration equipment on the (a) cost of accreditation, (b) numbers of installers achieving accreditation and (c) number of rejections.

Question reference: S3W-32081

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the strategic environmental assessment for offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters will spatially identify areas for development, including areas (a) requiring significant protection from development and (b) of search where development is likely to be acceptable, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment will assess the likely impact upon the environment of offshore wind developments (including cumulative effects from more than one development, and from other types of developments) and identify three types of spatial areas. These will be:

(a) Areas excluded from development.

(b) Areas which have considerable environmental constraints and/or conflicts of use with potential offshore wind energy development.

The Environment Report will categorise spatial areas into these three types.

Question reference: S3W-32075

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that the environmental report from the strategic environmental assessment for offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters will be published.

Question reference: S3W-32072

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a marine spatial plan for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters.

The marine spatial plan for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters is being developed in three stages. Stage 1, which sets out the existing relevant data on these waters as well as the framework for the final plan, will be published in April 2010, alongside draft regional locational guidance. Stage 2, which consists of gathering further information will take place during 2010 and stage 3; the preparation and publication of the final draft of the plan is due for completion in 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32073

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities there will be for public and stakeholder participation in the preparation of the marine spatial plan for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters.

Question reference: S3W-32070

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the (a) Marine Energy Group, (b) Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group and (c) Marine Strategic Studies Forum.

The membership of the Marine Energy Group consisted of representatives from the following:

Scottish Renewables Forum

The Crown Estate

Scottish Government Energy

Marine Scotland

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Development International

Scottish Renewables Forum and other representatives from the renewables industry

Energy industry

University of Edinburgh.

The membership of the Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group consists of representatives from the following:

Marine Scotland

Scottish Government Energy

Scottish Natural Heritage

The Crown Estate

Highland Council

Western Isles Council

Orkney Islands Council

Scottish Enterprise

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Scottish Renewables Forum.

The membership of the Marine Strategic Studies Forum consists of representatives from the following:

Fishing Industry

the Chamber of Shipping

Northern Lighthouse Board

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

Ministry of Defence

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Department of Environment and Climate Change

British Ports Association

Historic Scotland

Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group.

Question reference: S3W-32071

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the (a) Marine Energy Group, (b) Marine Strategic Studies Forum and (c) Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group has met since its inception.

The Marine Energy Group has met on:

January 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

July 2009

September 2009

December 2009

February 2010.

The Marine Strategic Studies Forum has met on:

April 2009.

In addition papers have been circulated for comment regularly.

The Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group has met on:

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

March 2009

August 2009.

Representatives from the Marine Strategic Studies Forum and the Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group have also been included in Offshore Wind Strategic Environmental Assessment workshops in February 2010 and related sectoral discussions. Similarly they will be invited to take part in workshops to discuss Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group initiatives on marine planning, including the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters Marine Spatial Plan, and simplified licensing.

Question reference: S3W-32079

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the habitats regulations apply to its plan to develop offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters and, if so, what consideration will be given to the implications for Natura 2000 sites.

The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations 1994 do apply to the plan to develop offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters. Therefore, as part of the offshore wind SEA Environment Report commission, the Scottish Government has also undertaken a pre-screening report to consider appropriate assessment requirements for Natura 2000 sites. The government will make a decision on appropriate assessment work following review of this report.

Question reference: S3W-32077

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 29 October 2008, Potential of offshore wind energy, stating that it would prioritise completion of a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) on offshore wind energy within one year, what the reason is for the delay in the SEA’s completion.

The Scottish Government is required to ensure that the process of developing the SEA on offshore wind is fully compliant with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, and furthermore than the SEA informs the future development plan. In order for this to be the case, the SEA has included an assessment of technical feasibility of future developments as well as an environmental assessment. This has necessarily taken longer than was initially planned, but will provide for a more comprehensive plan that will better serve the industry as well as government and regulators.

Question reference: S3W-32074

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how (a) environmental, (b) fisheries, (c) recreational and (d) shipping interests are represented on the (i) Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group and (ii) Marine Strategic Studies Forum.

The Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group (MESPG) is primarily a Scottish Government/local government partnership on marine renewables and does not contain wider representation.

The Marine Strategic Studies Forum has representatives from the West of Four Fisheries Management Group, the Chamber of Shipping, Northern Lighthouse Board, Marine and Coastguard Agency, RSPB, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, MoD, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Department of Environment and Climate Change, British Ports Association, and Historic Scotland.