- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether marine energy research and development funding has been discussed by the Cabinet since May 2007.
Answer
By long-standing convention, and in accordance with long-established practice across UK governments, in order to protect the confidentiality of the proceedings of the Cabinet, information on Cabinet deliberations is not disclosed.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15924 by Shona Robison on 5 September 2008, how many of the air ambulance flights from Orkney were code red call outs, broken down by those undertaken by the (a) Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) fixed-wing aircraft, (b) SAS helicopter, (c) coastguard helicopter and (d) Ministry of Defence helicopter.
Answer
Since April 2008, an agreed system of call categorisation (red, amber, green) has been in operation between the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and clinicians in Orkney. The purpose of this is to ensure that a consistent approach is taken by all clinicians in Orkney and that there is a clear understanding of priority by the SAS. This system only applies to clinician requests for an air ambulance.
The following table sets out the four calls from April 2008 to end September 2008 that were categorised as red by the notifying clinician.
| Date | Island | Aircraft |
| 7 April 2008 | Westray | SAS Helicopter |
| 21 June 2008 | Flotta | SAS Helicopter |
| 7 September 2008 | Westray | SAS Helicopter |
| 20 September 2008 | Westray | Coastguard (Sumburgh) |
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 28 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative in the current year; what the value is of the funding already allocated to applicants from this budget; what the value is of applications under consideration, and whether any applications have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.
Answer
In the current financial year the Scottish Government has allocated £9.25 million for the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative (SCHRI). This is split as follows:
The household stream has been allocated £3.5 million this year. Of this, £2.59million had been allocated to the end of September 2008 and grants valuing £450,000 are currently under consideration. No grants have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.
The community stream has been allocated £5.75 million this year. £500,000 of this funds the work of the SCHRI development officers who support the community projects, with the remaining £5.25 million being allocated to grants. Of this, £2.3 million had been allocated to the end of September 2008. In respect of grants under consideration, Development officers are currently supporting 85 projects with grants valuing around £1.1 million. No grants have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15974 by Jim Mather on 10 September 2008, when its exploration of the accreditation standards for installers working under the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative is to be completed; when any changes in the accreditation standards will be made public, and how they will be drawn to the attention of potential installers.
Answer
The Scottish Government is awaiting a proposal from an industry-led working group over possible options for accreditation for microgeneration in Scotland. We expect to have these by the end of the year. Once we have had the chance to consider these proposals we will consult with installers over the introduction of any changes.
In addition to the grant programme websites and relevant terms and conditions being amended, installers will be notified of any changes through Scottish Renewables, the trade associations, and the Energy Saving Trust.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 30 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its renewable energy strategy.
Answer
The Scottish Government will set out its plans for the development and deployment of renewables in Scotland in our Renewable Energy Framework consultation in the very near future.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Land Managers Options mechanism have been received and how many have been (a) approved and (b) rejected, broken down by (i) option and (ii) size of allowance allocated, also showing percentages.
Answer
Three-thousand, nine hundred and seventy applications to the Land Managers Options (LMOs) mechanism have been received. The breakdown by number and value and percentage of total by option is as follows. (Please note that the total by option exceeds the total number of applications because each application may cover several options).
| Option | Number of Applications | Value | % of Total Value of All Options |
| Biodiversity cropping in-bye | 10 | £1,900 | 0.04% |
| Business Audit | 112 | £16,000 | 0.33% |
| Conservation headlands | 9 | £2,300 | 0.05% |
| Linear feature Dykes | 137 | £37,000 | 0.77% |
| Linear features Hedges | 39 | £3,900 | 0.08% |
| Modernisation through electronic data management- forestry | 11 | £9,600 | 0.20% |
| Modernisation through electronic data management- agriculture | 891 | £788,000 | 16.41% |
| Grass margins and Beetlebanks | 39 | £27,500 | 0.57% |
| Improving Access | 105 | £247,000 | 5.14% |
| Improving rush pasture | 404 | £333,000 | 6.93% |
| Management of archaeological or historic sites | 28 | £25,000 | 0.52% |
| Management of moorland | 25 | £34,000 | 0.71% |
| Nutrient management | 69 | £15,000 | 0.31% |
| Membership of quality assurance scheme | 528 | £51,000 | 1.06% |
| Retention of winter stubbles | 121 | £121,000 | 2.51% |
| Summer cattle grazing | 88 | £37,000 | 0.76% |
| Small woodland creation | 157 | £251,000 | 5.22% |
| Access creation for forest management | 38 | £102,000 | 2.12% |
| Management of tree stocks for seed production | 1 | £2,000 | 0.04% |
| Management of small woodland | 56 | £21,000 | 0.44% |
| Training | 1,062 | £464,000 | 9.66% |
| Management of rural vernacular buildings | 1,155 | £2,098,000 | 43.67% |
| Wild bird seed /unharvested crops | 189 | £118,000 | 2.46% |
| | | £4,803,000 | |
LMOs is a non-discretionary scheme and there is thus no approval process. Land managers apply and are paid provided they comply with the LMO rules. Eleven applications were rejected (0.28%) mainly because they were not submitted by the deadline. An applicant''s maximum allowance is calculated according to the amount of land they have. The total available maximum allowances for LMOs (after deducting the amount used for existing LMCMS commitments) for those individuals who applied was around £7,600,000. The total applied for was £4,803,000, which is 63.27% of the total they could have chosen to apply for.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the total funds held under the Land Managers Options mechanism has been allocated.
Answer
Funds are not allocated specifically to Land Managers Options (LMOs) and spend will be dependent on uptake. Land Managers Options is one of a number of delivery mechanisms in the Scotland Rural Development Programme and is non-competitive. However, spending across the other delivery mechanisms could influence spending under LMOs.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out into the agricultural subsidies appeals system operating in Ireland, given that statistics show that farmers are four times more likely to be successful in their appeal, a decision is reached twice as quickly and penalties, when they are imposed, are on average five times lower than in Scotland.
Answer
As part of its consultation, the agricultural subsidies appeals review panel met with Irish government officials and representatives of the Irish agricultural industry to discuss how the appeals procedure operated in Ireland.
It will be up to the panel to recommend whether or not any of the measures used in Ireland should be adopted in Scotland when it submits its findings to me.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8538 by Richard Lochhead on 24 January 2008, whether the independent panel set up to review the EU agricultural subsidies appeals process has reported to ministers and, if so, what the report’s findings were and when the Scottish Government will take action on the recommendations.
Answer
The EU agricultural subsidies appeals review panel is due to report to me in the next two to three weeks. I will make a further statement once its findings have been fully considered.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of the EU agricultural subsidies appeals procedure.
Answer
The review panel has met with representatives of the agricultural industry in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well as a number of representatives from European farming unions. It also held discussions with Scottish Government officials and their counterparts in other UK administrations and Ireland.
In addition it undertook a survey of individual farmers in Scotland who had used the appeals process to help it identify areas of concern and where improvements might be made.
The panel is currently finalising its report and I expect to receive its findings within the next two to three weeks.
