- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 17 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve energy efficiency standards for existing non-domestic buildings and housing stock.
Answer
A review of the energy standards in Scottish building regulations commenced in February this year. The building standards advisory committee energy working party has been convened with the remit to consider the energy standards and guidance that should apply when building owners elect to do work on the buildings they own.
A consultation paper is currently being drafted on proposals for reducing the carbon emissions associated with existing buildings. Legislative changes will be dependant on the outcome of this consultation.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 17 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive by what criteria it judges applications for funding from urban regeneration companies.
Answer
The funding allocated to the six pathfinder urban regeneration companies (URCs) by the Scottish Government was determined following a rigorous appraisal of the business plans and early action proposals submitted by the respective URCs.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 17 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it intends to make available to urban regeneration companies in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Answer
The Scottish Government has indicated the following support for urban regeneration companies over the period 2008-11:
| | 2008-09 (£ million) | 2009-10 (£ million) | 2010-11 (£ million) |
| Clyde Gateway | 14 | 32 | 11 |
| Riverside Inverclyde | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Clydebank Rebuilt | 5 | | |
| Irvine Bay | 2 | | |
Note: The profiling of these allocations across the three-year period is subject to change.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 17 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of public funding area are available to public/private partnerships involved in urban regeneration projects.
Answer
Support to public/private partnerships is generally provided by local authorities, the enterprise networks and other public bodies. This can take the form of direct funding or the transfer of land and property assets. The Scottish Government also provides direct funding support to pathfinder urban regeneration companies.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 17 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Ravenscraig partnership regarding the opportunity to include renewable energy, microgeneration and combined heat and power in the plans for the redevelopment of the Ravenscraig site.
Answer
I understand that the Ravenscraig partnership is keen to advance renewable energy options at the site. I am due to meet with Ravenscraig Limited and North Lanarkshire Council next month, and this is amongst the issues we will be discussing.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the financial impact on private dental practices in rural and island areas of the need for dental practices to comply with the recommendations of the Glennie report on decontamination; what the outcomes were of any such assessment, and what additional funding it plans to provide to assist rural and island private dental practices to pay for the work required to comply with the report’s recommendations.
Answer
The Glennie Report, which was commissioned by the previous administration, highlighted a number of issues facing the dental profession as a whole.
Wholly private dental practices must operate safely in order to protect the interests of patients, dentists and their staff. Good decontamination practice is a key consideration in the delivery of safe dental care. However, the responsibility for the management of a private dental practice is a matter for the practitioner concerned. The Scottish Government provides financial support for NHS dental services including those provided by independent dental contractors providing services to the NHS.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the financial impact on rural and island NHS boards of the need for NHS dental practices to comply with the recommendations of the Glennie report on decontamination; what the outcome was of any such assessment, and what additional funding it plans to provide to assist boards to pay for the work required to comply with the report’s recommendations.
Answer
The Glennie Report, which was commissioned by the previous administration, highlighted a number of issues facing the dental profession as a whole.
NHS boards are responsible for the planning and provision of NHS services and are funded to do so. Good decontamination practice is a key consideration in the delivery of safe dental care. The Scottish Government provides financial support for NHS dental Services including those provided by independent dental contractors providing service to the NHS.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for the UHI Millennium Institute will be provided to the same level and over the same timescale as budgeted for by the previous administration to be provided through Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Answer
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) is responsible for funding UHI Millennium Institute (UHIMI) alongside Scotland''s other higher education institutions and further education colleges. In 2008-09 UHIMI''s main teaching and research funding will increase by 6.1% from £25.9 million to £27.5 million.
The SFC''s allocation to UHIMI is made direct to the institution, and not through Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
In 2007, a one-off additional capital funding allocation of £250,000 in 2006-07 and £250,000 in 2007-08 was however made to Highlands and Islands Enterprise, specifically to support the development of UHIMI facilities at the North Highland College campus in Dornoch.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9274 by Jim Mather on 28 February 2008, when the proposed one-stop-shop advice network will go live.
Answer
The one-stop-shop advice network, known as the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Network, went live on 1 April 2008.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9274 by Jim Mather on 28 February 2008, how the proposed one-stop-shop advice network will help householders to take action on energy efficiency.
Answer
The one-stop-shop advice network will provide free and impartial advice and practical support to householders on all aspects of sustainable energy including energy efficiency, renewables and transport. This will be achieved with a range of activities including telephone advice, home visits and marketing campaigns targeted at householders.
The network will help householders find the right solution for their individual needs, signpost them to any financial assistance that may be available and help them find suitably qualified trades people.
The network will also act as a gateway for other energy services and will make referrals to other programmes such as Scottish Government fuel poverty schemes and wider local authority carbon saving initiatives.
