Chamber and committees

Renewable energy now provides more than a third of Scotland’s gross annual electricity demand. Our draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement sets out our approach to deliver the equivalent of at least 100% of gross electricity consumption from renewables by 2020 as part of a wider, balanced electricity mix incorporating a minimum of 2.5 GW of thermal generation progressively fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage.

Evidence provided by National Grid to the recent Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee inquiry into the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets suggests that higher levels of penetration will not present an insurmountable challenge to grid system operation.

This view is consistent with the findings a review by the UK Energy Research Centre of over 200 studies into the impacts of renewables generation on the electricity network, available online at:

http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/Downloads/PDF/06/0604Intermittency/0604IntermittencyReport.pdf

In addition, we consider that advances in grid technology and management techniques, together with increased interconnection and developments in energy storage will allow for greater levels of generation from wind and other sources of renewable energy.

The Scottish Government has not made any forecast of this kind. However, we remain firmly on course to meet our renewable energy targets. Electricity generation from renewables in Scotland was at a record high in 2012, providing an estimated 38.7% of gross annual electricity demand. We are also making good progress towards our renewable heat target, with 3.8% of heat demand in Scotland coming from renewables in 2011.

The SPCB’s annual budget for each year is as follows:

These figures exclude the budget for capital charges and non-cash items such as the cost of depreciation.

The register of members’ interests is established and administered by the clerks to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee and the main costs arising relate to the clerks’ time in advising members whether interests are registrable, seeking information from members, drafting register entries and arranging for them to be published.

In relation to (a), during the 8 weeks of initial registration of members’ interests at the start of each session, we estimate that the clerking team spend approximately 90% of their time on registering members’ interests at a cost of £46,620.

In relation to (b), administration of the register after initial registration is only one of several responsibilities undertaken by the standards clerks and it is not possible to identify separately the costs of register work. Over the course of session 3, there were on average about 200 new or amended register entries per year. The cost of administering these ranges from £23 (for a simple entry or amendment) to £282 (for a more complex inquiry involving several discussions with members).

A number of changes to the categories of the register of members’ interests were implemented at the start of session 4. These changes were intended to clarify and simplify the register of members’ interests, whilst ensuring that the register captures significant financial interests and that transparency and accountability are maintained. Whilst the costs provided for initial registration are based on experience of operating under the new rules in session 4, these changes may result in a reduction in the amount of time spent dealing with amendments to the register of members’ interests during this session compared to session 3.

I will ask the chief executive of Skills Development Scotland to write to you on this matter.

We have had initial discussions with the Scottish Funding Council on this recommendation and intend to discuss it further with the broad stakeholder interests in the new University Sector Advisory Forum.

We expect the majority of these recommendations to be covered in the new Code of Good Governance currently being developed by the Committee of Scottish Chairs.

In addition, an initial focus of the University Sector Advisory Forum, being set up by the Scottish Funding Council, is to consider the implementation of the Review recommendations, providing the opportunity for sector stakeholders to engage in the process of implementing proposals by agreement and to reflect existing good practice.

The role of the Privy Council is a consideration for future legislation, the scope of which will be determined by the range of recommendations that are implemented by key sector stakeholders and by the sector itself.

We expect this recommendation to be addressed in the new Code of Good Governance currently being developed by the Committee of Scottish Chairs. Discussions will be held with the Scottish Funding Council after the new Code is published to ensure this recommendation is appropriately addressed and that annual reporting is introduced.

In terms of recommendations being taken forward by stakeholders as implementing partners, the Committee of Scottish Chairs is developing the Code of Good Governance for higher education institutions and has set up a steering group to draft the code, which will then be subject to consultation.

Early discussions have been held with the Scottish Funding Council in relation to the recommendation regarding avoiding the bureaucratisation of higher education.

The Scottish Funding Council is also convening a University Sector Advisory Forum with a membership covering the broad range of interests across the sector, including staff and student representatives. An initial focus of the Forum will be the implementation of the Review recommendations and the new Governance code. This is a key part of our plans to engage the sector in the process of implementing the review proposals by agreement and to reflect existing good practice.

The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill introduces a provision for higher education institutions to comply with the principles of good governance. The scope of future legislation will be determined by the extent to which the Von Prondzynski recommendations are implemented by key sector stakeholders and by the sector itself.