Chamber and committees

To establish a fair rate for commercial vehicles the consultants for the road equivalent tariff (RET) study considered Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association rates. The suggested rate reflects a cost of £1.80 per mile for a 10-metre vehicle which is broadly comparable with the data provided by those organisations.

The current fare structure for commercial vehicles on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service network is based on the length of the vehicle. It is clear that there is a strong correlation between the length and weight of the vehicle and the cost per mile of running that vehicle. The consultants recommended that the fare per mile for a commercial vehicle continues to reflect the length of the vehicle carried and also reflect the running cost of the vehicle. The new fare will therefore be a rate per metre per mile.

Using a core rate of £20 maintains a link to the actual cost of providing and maintaining vessels and harbours. It is important that any scheme is affordable, not just for the pilot exercise but for any future roll-out.

Consequently, the road equivalent tariff rate for a 10-metre commercial vehicle to travel one mile would be £21.80 and to travel two miles £23.60, not £201.80 and £203.60 as suggested in the member''s question.

The RET rate represents a significant saving for commercial vehicles using the pilot routes.

The Scottish Government is agreeable in principle to the issue of licences for a limited translocation research project. The purpose of the project is to assess whether trapping and relocation of sparrowhawks is a satisfactory solution to the problem of sparrowhawk predation on racing pigeons. The work will be carried out by an independent contractor. The contractor will be approved to fit rings to the relocated sparrowhawks. A Larsen trap will be used to catch the sparrowhawks. Live pigeons will be used to attract the sparrowhawks. The pigeons are not put at risk using this method, and conditions to protect their welfare and that of any trapped sparrowhawk are specified in the Project Protocol.

The Scottish Government has received representations in favour of a sparrowhawk translocation scheme from Alex Neil MSP and from the Scottish Homing Union. We have discussed the scheme with the RSPB, the Scottish Raptor Study Groups and the Scottish Society for the Protection of Animals. These three groups have expressed their opposition to the scheme.

Scottish Natural Heritage have been involved in discussions about this research project and their comments are reflected in the Project Protocol. The Project Protocol has been made available to RSPB and the Raptor Study Groups and will be available on the Scottish Government website.

Scottish ministers expect to meet with The Crown Estate in the near future.

Scottish Government officials met with The Crown Estate in December 2007 to discuss a range of issues, including their East Coast Transmission Network study. We will remain in close contact with The Crown Estate on all offshore renewables issues.

We read the Crown Estate report with interest and believe it provides a useful contribution to our discussions with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and other stakeholders on future grid development.

The Scottish Government recognises that further grid reinforcements will be necessary if we are to exploit Scotland''s potential for renewable energy, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, where much of the resource lies. This could bring significant economic benefits to the region and the whole of Scotland.

The Scottish Government is also working with BERR on a strategic environmental assessment for offshore wind. This will include the deep waters of Scotland''s renewable energy zone where there is significant potential for development.

The Scottish Government is involved in discussions with Ofgem on a number of issues, including the urgent need to secure fairer transmission charging and access to the grid in order to encourage renewables development in Scotland.

We are also in contact with Ofgem and BERR about the longer term role of sub-sea transmission in harnessing the potential of offshore renewables and achieving economic benefits.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9937 on 12 March 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9937 on 12 March 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9937 on 12 March 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.