- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that EU assistance should be provided for the use of genetically modified organisms as energy crops.
Answer
No. The Scottish Government does not support the cultivation of genetically modified crops in Scotland. In addition, the recent Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy abolished the Energy Crop Scheme (ECS) since the rapid growth in the bio-energy market means that there is no longer sufficient reason to continue to grant specific support for energy crops.
However, various forms of support are available, for example under the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), to encourage the development of new farming ventures which could include renewable energy initiatives.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UHI Millennium Institute management regarding the Institute’s progress towards achieving university status.
Answer
Ministers and officials have had a number of discussions with the UHI Millennium Institute management regarding UHI''s progress towards achieving university status. The most recent of these was during a meeting with the Director of Lifelong Learning in Inverness in May 2009. Officials are continuing to work closely with UHI, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the Scottish Funding Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in respect of UHI moving towards title.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of non-domestic properties that fall into each energy performance certificate rating, broken down by region.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate. The feasibility of establishing a database to hold information from non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) is under consideration.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the percentage of non-domestic buildings being built, or built within the last 36 months, that fall into each energy performance certificate rating.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the percentage of dwellings being built, or built in the last 36 months, that fall into each energy performance certificate rating.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of dwellings that fall into each energy performance certificate rating, broken down by region.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate. The following table details Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) bandings for existing dwellings subject to sale or rental and excludes new construction subject to the building warrant application process introduced on 1 May 2007.
EPCs Lodged by Energy Rating Banding 1 December 2008 to 16 August 2009*
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
Local Authority | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Total |
Aberdeen City | 0 | 563 | 2,149 | 2,348 | 1,333 | 593 | 184 | 7,170 |
Aberdeenshire | 1 | 121 | 1,212 | 1,569 | 1,300 | 807 | 284 | 5,294 |
Angus | 0 | 91 | 767 | 837 | 503 | 297 | 90 | 2,585 |
Argyll and Bute | 0 | 72 | 410 | 645 | 684 | 435 | 198 | 2,444 |
Clackmannanshire | 0 | 32 | 371 | 436 | 216 | 59 | 20 | 1,134 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 0 | 41 | 487 | 794 | 813 | 543 | 230 | 2,908 |
Dundee City | 0 | 227 | 1,393 | 1,449 | 903 | 455 | 152 | 4,579 |
East Ayrshire | 0 | 130 | 1,321 | 1,131 | 446 | 147 | 36 | 3,211 |
East Dunbartonshire | 0 | 41 | 436 | 713 | 372 | 118 | 24 | 1,704 |
East Lothian | 0 | 136 | 712 | 865 | 438 | 189 | 62 | 2,402 |
East Renfrewshire | 0 | 31 | 386 | 637 | 334 | 120 | 32 | 1,540 |
Edinburgh, City of | 1 | 2,145 | 6,346 | 5,531 | 3,258 | 1,364 | 410 | 19,055 |
Eilean Siar | 0 | 1 | 11 | 59 | 83 | 99 | 52 | 305 |
Falkirk | 1 | 206 | 1,095 | 1,176 | 541 | 232 | 67 | 3,318 |
Fife | 1 | 358 | 2,484 | 3,290 | 1,901 | 608 | 169 | 8,811 |
Glasgow City | 0 | 2,763 | 8,890 | 6,215 | 3,011 | 1,009 | 305 | 22,193 |
Highland | 0 | 161 | 930 | 1,391 | 1,371 | 933 | 314 | 5,100 |
Inverclyde | 0 | 310 | 609 | 529 | 329 | 117 | 29 | 1,923 |
Midlothian | 0 | 49 | 384 | 569 | 314 | 97 | 24 | 1,437 |
Moray | 0 | 76 | 782 | 939 | 507 | 270 | 118 | 2,692 |
North Ayrshire | 0 | 155 | 967 | 1,222 | 520 | 183 | 83 | 3,130 |
North Lanarkshire | 0 | 315 | 1,848 | 1,999 | 854 | 264 | 71 | 5,351 |
Orkney Islands | 0 | 1 | 36 | 137 | 157 | 95 | 46 | 472 |
Perth and Kinross | 0 | 194 | 946 | 1,137 | 949 | 564 | 206 | 3,996 |
Renfrewshire | 0 | 248 | 1,259 | 1,431 | 731 | 267 | 110 | 4,046 |
Scottish Borders | 0 | 95 | 766 | 1,046 | 880 | 541 | 234 | 3,562 |
Shetland Islands | 0 | 0 | 35 | 78 | 70 | 37 | 19 | 239 |
South Ayrshire | 0 | 113 | 820 | 1,185 | 730 | 244 | 79 | 3,171 |
South Lanarkshire | 0 | 479 | 2,240 | 2,546 | 1,411 | 512 | 138 | 7,326 |
Stirling | 0 | 136 | 575 | 689 | 465 | 198 | 46 | 2,109 |
West Dunbartonshire | 0 | 239 | 1,337 | 875 | 317 | 83 | 35 | 2,886 |
West Lothian | 0 | 315 | 1,205 | 1,220 | 367 | 98 | 21 | 3,226 |
Grand Total | 4 | 9,844 | 43,209 | 44,688 | 26,108 | 11,578 | 3,888 | 139,319 |
Note: *Estimate based on information submitted to the Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Efficiency Database. The information in this table should not be scaled up to represent either a regional or national picture of energy rating bandings.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will work with Orkney Islands Council to find an acceptable alternative site for the Stromness Ferry Terminal lorry parking and marshalling area if a new school is built on the existing site.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0903-01.htm
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 18 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding each local authority in the Highlands and Islands area has allocated to Business Gateway since the scheme’s introduction.
Answer
Local authority budget allocation spend is a matter for individual councils, and I would suggest that you contact the relevant Highlands and Islands local authorities to obtain this data.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it estimates it will provide to the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake research into the suitability of agricultural crops for Scottish environments in 2010-11.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26214 on 17 August 2009. 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: Wednesday, 29 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it has provided to the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake research into the suitability of agricultural crops for Scottish environments in each of the last four years.
Answer
The Scottish Government commissioned a research programme on Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture “ Plants in 2006, from which the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is receiving an annual grant for strategic research of approximately £1.5 million for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11. The Scottish Government is currently in discussion with stakeholders regarding the priority questions for strategic research which will be commissioned from 2011. SAC, as one of the Scottish Government''s main research providers, is aware of and fully involved in this process.
In addition, the Scottish Government contracts SAC to undertake crop variety trialling and associated activities. The funding for this is as follows:
2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Actual (£m) | Actual (£m) | Actual (£m) | Budget (£m) | Plan (£m) |
0.261 | 0.336 | 0.292 | 0.260 | 0.230 |
The reduction in contract funding for 2010-11 is due to the constant search for best value and need to find sums for the pressing issue of climate change. The contract funding for 2011-12 will be determined nearer the time.