- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is sufficient capability in conventional power stations to provide energy in the event that wind farms are unable to produce energy.
Answer
Regulation of the electricitysupply sector is reserved. Scotland currently has more than the recommended margin of generatingcapacity over peak demand.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which further education colleges had a financial deficit at the end of March 2005.
Answer
This information is not yet available.I have asked the Chair of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to writeto the member with the information requested as soon as it becomes available.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what support and advice it provides to assist further education colleges to achieve a balanced budget.
Answer
It is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to fund Scotland’s furthereducation colleges and promote their efficiency and financial stability. Thefunding council is working closelywith colleges which continue to face challenges in becoming financially secure.I look to the funding council to use its judgment and considerable expertise whenconsidering requests for support and advice.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all six and seven-year-olds have access to dental services, including fissure sealing, in all NHS board areas.
Answer
No. Those six and seven yearold children registered with dentists under NHS capitation arrangements can receivepreventive treatment, including fissure sealing where required.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the reduction in CO2 emissions as a result of the increased use of wind farm-generated energy.
Answer
The actual reductions in CO2emissions will depend on which fuels are displaced and how much wind energycapacity is developed. We estimate that were coal to be displaced, CO2 savingscould be up to 16 million tonnes by 2020 if our renewables targets are met in full.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the indirect subsidy is from (a) renewables obligation certificates, (b) climate change levy and (c) any other related government grant per kilowatt-hour to (i) onshore wind, (ii) offshore wind, (iii) coal-fired, (iv) gas-fired and (v) nuclear generation of energy.
Answer
Information on any indirect subsidygained by (i) onshore wind, (ii) offshore wind, (iii) coal-fired, (iv) gas-firedand (v) nuclear generators is not held centrally. Electricity generated from onshoreand offshore wind is eligible for Renewable Obligation Certificates and exempt fromthe climate change levy. Information is available on the average price of RenewableObligation Certificates from the Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency’s website at
http://www.nfpa.co.uk/. Information on the ClimateChange Levy is available from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs’website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ccl/.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the increased cost of bulk electricity when the target for renewable energy by wind power is realised.
Answer
The Executive has not set anytarget for wind generated energy. We are committed to delivering our renewablestargets from a wide range of renewable energy sources. The estimated impact on electricitycosts as a result of generating more energy from renewable sources was publishedin the recent National Audit Office report –
Department of Trade and Industryrenewable energy. the report is available via their website at
www.nao.org.uk.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to assist NHS boards in applying uniform eligibility criteria for couples seeking infertility treatment.
Answer
In 2000, the Chief Medical Officer issued advice to NHS boards on national criteria for accessing assisted conception treatments, based on the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland. We will be seeking views on revised criteria over the summer 2005 and issue further guidance to NHS boards in autumn.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of providing infertility treatment to patients in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not routinely collected.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the differences in eligibility criteria applied by NHS boards to couples seeking infertility treatment.
Answer
In 2004 the Executive reviewed adoption of eligibility criteria by NHS boards which revealed variability in the criteria actually being applied. We will take this into consideration when issuing revised guidance to NHS boards later in 2005.
