- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policies and proposals are for offshore wind farms.
Answer
We believe that offshorewind, which is eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation Scotland,can make a contribution towards Scotland’s future energy needs.
Earlier this year Scottish ministersgave consent to a 200 megawatt offshore development in the Solway Firth,which is expected to generate enough electricity to supply 180,000 homes.
In partnership with theEuropean Union and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Executive is alsocontributing to the development, by Talisman Energy (UK), of a demonstrationproject in the Moray Firth for the world’s first deep water offshore wind farm.If successful, the potential markets for this technology world-wide could bevery significant indeed.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much renewable energy from Scotland will be supplied to England in the next 10 years.
Answer
This will depend on a numberof factors including level of demand for electricity, variations in fuelprices, decisions taken on the operation of existing generating stations andthe construction of new generating stations.
The planned introduction of the British Electricity Transmission and Trading Arrangements is expected toincrease the accessibility of the English market to Scottish companies.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address any shortages of Scottish Prison Service staff due to absences from service for the purpose of attending court to confirm a prisoner's identification.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:
Scottish Prison ServiceStaff are not normally required to attend court for the purpose of confirming aprisoner’s identification.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what route will be used for new pylons to carry the additional energy from wind farms in the north and west of Scotland to Denny, Stirlingshire.
Answer
Under the Electricity Works(Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 the developer must assess the potential environmental impacts of its proposal on a number of alternative routes prior to submitting an application. The company is preparing its environmental statement and hopes shortly to consult local communities and others and expects to make an application to Scottish ministers under section37 of the Electricity Act 1989 next summer.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to bring manufacturing and assembly jobs to Scotland to meet the demand for the production of wind turbines.
Answer
Our policies have alreadyattracted significant manufacturing investment to Scotland.For example, Vestas-Celtic in Kintyre has provided 186 jobs for a returningworkforce, and the rejuvenation of the Arnish yard in Lewis by CambrianEngineering which has resulted in the creation of over 60 jobs. We willcontinue to work through the enterprise networks and use the outcomes of thestudy into the future potential of the industry to promote further investmentopportunities.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive who will pay for the undersea cables to connect additional wind energy from the Northern Isles to the National Electricity Grid.
Answer
The regulation of theelectricity network is a reserved matter and network upgrades, includingundersea cables to connect the Northern Isles to the mainland electricitynetwork, are a matter for the network owners in conjunction with the regulator,Ofgem.
The planned introduction of the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA) willallow for the costs of the new transmission capability which will be necessaryto support the development of renewable energy to be borne by electricity usersacross Great Britain.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how 60% of energy will be non-renewable after 2010, given the closure and downgrading of baseload stations such as Cocken'ie, Longannet and Torness.
Answer
Decisions on the future ofexisting stations are for the plant owners. The overall pattern of electricityproduction and consumption in 2010 including the proportion of non-renewableenergy used will depend on a number of factors, including variations in fuelprices, energy efficiency, and the level of commitment by generators torefurbish or to build thermal plant.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether money provided in the form of community benefits in respect of wind farm development can be used for provision of affordable housing.
Answer
These monies are generallypaid into community trust funds, the use of which are a matter for thecommunity concerned.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers are proposed for community wardens, and, in particular, whether they will have powers of arrest and detention.
Answer
Wardens will not be givenpolice powers to fulfil their functions and will have no powers of arrest ordetention. Local authorities are already able to give their employees powers toissue fixed penalty notices for activities such as littering, and it will befor each authority to decide whether it is appropriate for these powers to begiven to their community wardens.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is being given towards research and development for tidal and wave power initiatives.
Answer
The research and development budget for renewableenergy is administered by the Department of Trade and Industry under their Newand Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) which has an annual baseline budget of£19 million. Since 1999, the programme has committed in excess of £15 millionto research and development in this area. Additional support of £5 million willbe provided through a capital grants scheme in 2004-05, subject to a review ofprogress and state aids approval, together with a further £2 million ring fencedfor wave and tidal technologies under the NREP in financial year 2004-05.
The Scottish Executive is providing £2.125 million towards the capital cost of the European MarineEnergy Test Centre off Orkney, currently under construction and due to open shortly.The centre will be a major facility for testing marine energy devices. We willalso be providing, through Scottish Enterprise, £150 million over 10 years tothe new Energy Intermediary Technology Institute which will significantly improvethe opportunities to bring new renewable energy technologies to market.
