Chamber and committees

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre business plan envisages a full staff complement of 10. A copy of the business plan has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47164)

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre''s work programme for the next 12 months is set out in its business plan (under the heading Three Year Plan). A copy of the business plan has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47164).

We anticipate that the set-up costs of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre, including the economic report establishing the business case for the centre and the official costs involved in the centre''s study visit to Norway, will be less than £50,000 in the current financial year.

Anticipated annual running costs are set out in the centre''s business plan, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47164), and are budgeted at £800,000 for 2009-10; £1,000,000 for 2010-11, and £1,100,000 for 2011-12.

The Scottish Government received advice on the benefits of establishing the Scottish European Green Energy Centre from a range of organisations. In particular, the economic rationale for intervention was established through independent consultancy advice and the Centre''s objectives and work priorities were refined following detailed discussions with the European Commission, the Energy Technology Partnership, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, Scotland Europa and the Scottish EU Energy Network, which comprises representatives of the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The benefits of establishing the centre have been recognised by both the EU Energy Commissioner and by the UK Government former Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in correspondence with the First Minister.

The principal remit of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre is set out in the centre''s three strategic aims:

Promoting the internationalisation of sustainable energy research

Fostering good practice in the development and deployment of green energy, and

Supporting sustainable economic growth and the European Union''s sustainable energy targets

Further details of how these aims will be realised are contained in the centre''s business plan, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47164)

The Scottish Government commissioned an independent economic appraisal of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre from EKOS Ltd, which set out the economic impact, strategic fit, and rationale for market intervention of the Centre.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre business plan envisages funding from a range of sources, including the Scottish Government, other public and private bodies, and European Structural Funds, where applications have been submitted to the current round in both the Lowlands and Uplands and Highlands and Islands programmes. A copy of the business plan has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47164).

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre business plan sets out how the Centre will work in partnership with these organisations. This partnership working will be essential to the activities of the Centre in practice, although the business plan does not envisage this being a formal requirement.

We had no formal discussions with any external stakeholders about our proposals prior to the publication of the Scottish Government Response, to the final report of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting, because no small farmer needs to be worse off as a result of our decision to focus the scheme on crofters.

Small farmers who are not crofters are currently eligible for grants under both the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme and the Rural Priorities part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme. In future they will continue to be eligible for support on the same financial terms under Rural Priorities. Or, it they wish to retain access to both schemes, they will need to convert their landholdings to crofting tenure.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre will complement and co-ordinate the range of work already undertaken by the Scottish Government''s existing departments and agencies in the development of green energy, with a specifically European dimension.

It will do this by providing a stronger focus and dedicated resources to proactively engage Scottish researchers, companies and government agencies in European energy policy and associated funding opportunities. This will enable Scottish organisations to access the dedicated expertise required to effectively track and influence this policy environment and develop projects for funding.

The centre will also have a specific focus to disseminate the results of Scottish and other collaborative green energy research across the European Union, raising the profile of Scottish expertise, and capitalising on the significant market opportunities for the green energy sector.