Chamber and committees

Market indicators have suggested that the demand for renewable electricity has significantly increased as both public and private sector organisations have sought to demonstrate green credentials. This has resulted in supplies of renewable electricity being constrained in the market place both in terms of total availability and the quantities available from individual suppliers. The request for information process therefore sought information from the market on availability of renewable electricity to inform the strategy for the national electricity contract for the Scottish public sector.

The Scottish Government is already providing a tremendous incentive for the renewables industry to build new renewable generating capacity via our renewables obligation on all Scottish electricity suppliers. Recent information has highlighted that renewable or green electricity tariffs for renewable electricity do not lead necessarily to the production of additional electricity from renewable sources.

Rather than paying what is likely to be a significant price premium for green electricity within the current tight financial settlement, the Scottish Government will divert resources towards energy management measures for its own estate, which will help protect the environment while reducing costs in the medium term via reduced electricity consumption.

Progress is being made on realising the renewable capability across the public sector in a number of ways:

Through the Scottish Government''s Leading By Example programme we are ensuring all parts of the public sector play an exemplary role in pioneering new greener behaviours. Generating more sustainable low carbon energy through renewables is an important element of the programme;

We have extended the public sector fund to allow it to be used to support renewable technologies as well as energy efficiency;

We have tripled funding for community and microgeneration, with  £13.5 million available each year compared to the previous administration''s £4.5 million;

We are more actively promoting the UK Government''s Low Carbon Building Programme which provides grants to the public sector for renewable technologies, and

We are introducing dedicated School Development Officers to support the deployment of renewable technologies in schools.

The national contract arrangements will help facilitate the development of renewable generation by ensuring appropriate tariffs are set for surplus electricity generated by public sector bodies fed back into the national grid, and thus support business cases for the installation of such technologies.

The national contract will give public sector organisations the option to buy renewable electricity dependant on availability and payment of appropriate premiums.

The overall portion of renewable electricity purchased will therefore depend on the quantities specified by individual public bodies in line with their own policy and budget priorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15736 on 10 September 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.

In June 2005, the Scottish Government published the Scottish Road Network Climate Change Study. This examined the potential impact of future predicted climate conditions on the operation of the Scottish road network. Rainfall was one of the six broad categories of weather considered in the study. Transport Scotland is implementing the recommendations from the study, including changes to the design standard for surface drainage systems, which has now been modified to account for a 20% increase in rainfall intensity.

As the owner of Great Britain''s rail infrastructure, Network Rail is responsible for ensuring the continued resilience of the Scottish rail network.

The forthcoming Flooding Bill will make provision for all types of flooding to be mapped by 2013 as required by the EC Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks. Funding to map and address these types of flooding will be considered at the next spending review.

Transport Scotland will continue to ensure that suitable adaptation measures are built into its annual trunk road maintenance programme within the constraints of the current Scottish Government financial settlement.

As the owner of Great Britain''s rail infrastructure, Network Rail is responsible for ensuring the continued resilience of the Scottish rail network.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15712 on 8 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s web site, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Responsibility for compliance for all buildings lies with the local authority. Where cases of non-compliance occur, an authority will be in a position to serve a notice in order to address contraventions.