Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-29535

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken toward setting out its proposals and policies for meeting its objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change.

Question reference: S3W-29537

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken toward setting out the arrangements for involving employers, trade unions and other stakeholders in meeting its objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change.

Question reference: S3W-29538

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will set out the arrangements for involving employers, trade unions and other stakeholders in meeting its objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change.

Question reference: S3O-08602

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs will be lost in Scotland as a result of a minimum price per unit of alcohol set at (a) 40p, (b) 50p and (c) 60p.

We consider the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol will have a positive effect on employment and the economy as a whole.

The results of the modelling that was undertaken by the University of Sheffield on behalf of the Scottish Government shows that the introduction of a minimum price is estimated to lead to a reduction in workplace harms in the form of fewer days absence from work and fewer people unemployed.

For a 40p minimum price, around 11,600 fewer days absence and around 800 fewer people unemployed.

For a 50p minimum price, around 34,600 fewer days absence and around 1,700 fewer people unemployed.

For a 60p minimum price, around 66,100 fewer days absence and around 2,600 fewer people unemployed.

Question reference: S3W-28327

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 16 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27014 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, on what date it expects to issue its thermal generation guidance and whether it expects this to be before or after the UK Government issues its guidance.

Question reference: S3W-28320

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it included in its consideration when setting Priority 1 and 2 objectives for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014.

The main factors considered included: maintaining current levels of service, meeting the standards specified in new and existing legislation and the size of the investment programme. Further details of our considerations are given in my letter of 27 October 2009 to the Convener of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee which is available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0089248.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-28322

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that identifying climate change and adaptation as a Priority 2 (Desirable) objective for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014 will limit Scottish Water’s ability to deliver on the public body duties to be introduced under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Question reference: S3W-28323

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take prior to the publication of public body duty guidance, expected in 2011 under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation are sufficiently prioritised by Scottish Water.

The directions placed on Scottish Water require Scottish Water to implement a wide range of measures in relation to Climate Change adaptation and mitigation by 2015 unless otherwise specified in the direction. Early next year, Scottish Water will submit to ministers for their approval, a business plan which will set out the key dates for delivery of the objectives set for it. These dates will form the basis for the monitoring of the delivery of the investment programme.

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/waterindustryscot/latest-news/swdirections.

Question reference: S3W-28321

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors led to its identifying climate change and adaptation as a Priority 2 (Desirable) objective for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014.

We expect Scottish Water to take account of climate change in every aspect of its investment programme, whether it be in the supply of drinking water or the treatment of sewage. One good example of this is the requirement to reduce levels of leakage in its water networks to economic levels. In the light of the requirements of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, we have included a specific climate change objective. Further details on the objectives are available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/waterindustryscot/latest-news/swdirections.

Question reference: S3W-28324

Asked by: Cathy Peattie, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27011 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, how its policy on carbon capture readiness contributes to the target of 42% emissions reductions by 2020, as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The Scottish Government''s Climate Change Delivery Plan describes four transformational changes needed by 2030 to ensure that Scotland is on the path to meeting its 2050 target of an 80% reduction in emissions (compared to 1990). One of these transformational outcomes is the almost complete decarbonisation of electricity generation. We are clear in our vision that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology will be a vital element of a decarbonised power sector in 2030, providing secure back-up generation for the renewables that will provide the majority of Scotland''s electricity.

The Delivery Plan therefore sets the expectation that Scotland will have a working demonstration plant by 2015, and a fully operational, commercial CCS plant by 2020. This will make a limited impact on total Scottish emissions in 2020, with the real reductions taking place between 2020 and 2030. By 2030, we expect that all remaining fossil fuel power stations will have to use CCS. The current position on Carbon Capture Readiness is the first step in ensuring that we make progress on the decarbonisation path and the introduction of CCS technology.