Chamber and committees

The 2002 Scottish House ConditionSurvey (SHCS) is currently the most up-to-date source of information on fuel povertyin Scotland. It does not permit us to establish how many householdswould return to fuel poverty as a result of a 25% increase in the price of gas asthe survey is not longitudinal in design and does not therefore track householdsover an extended period.

However, analysis of the 2002SHCS data shows that, had mains gas prices been 25% higher in 2002-03, an additional64,000 households would have been in fuel poverty.

Transport Scotland sharedits analysis of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with options for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route with my department. The preferred route, announced inDecember, was assessed as resulting in lower increases in greenhouse gas emissionsthan the route inherited from the councils.

One wave test berth has been reserved by a developer since 1 May 2004, in advance of the official opening in August that year. A number of other wave device developers have expressed a firm interest in testing at the site, and the centre is in regular contact with potential users.

The tidal test site is due to become operational later this year.

For the purposes of this question,we have assumed that “source-segregated” is a system where materials are separatedinto individual types before collection or at the kerbside. We have assumed that“co-mingled” is a system where different material types are collected together mixedand then separated at a materials recycling facility.

Information held by the ScottishWaste Awareness Group (SWAG) indicates that there are 19 local authorities operatingsource-segregated recycling schemes; 10 local authorities operating both source-segregatedrecycling schemes and co-mingled recycling schemes, and three local authoritiesoperating co-mingled schemes. Authorities operate a number of collection schemesand SWAG’s Information indicates that, across Scotland, there are 83 source segregatedschemes operated by local authorities and 22 co-mingled schemes operated by authorities.

Information on recycling facilitiesacross Scotland can be found by using “Sort It” on SWAG’s website http://www.wascot.org.uk/sort_it_website/html/frame_scot.htm.

An Annex to Planning Advice Note 45: Renewable Energy Technologies covering micro-renewables will be published in the spring.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) quarterly returns on waste data can be found at SEPA’s website at http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/returns.htm.

In the quarter from July to September 2005, the SEPA data shows that 405,558 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled.

This is a decrease when compared with the quarter for April to June 2005, when the SEPA data shows that 422,302 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled. It is also a decrease when compared with the equivalent quarter in the previous year: the SEPA data shows that 444,344 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled in the quarter from July to September 2004.

Information held by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group indicates that of the 13 local authorities operating co-mingled recycling schemes, 12 of these local authorities are arranging for the materials to be sorted in Scotland.

We do not hold this information centrally. However, we sponsor two bodies to help develop markets for recycled products: REMADE Scotland and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). REMADE Scotland, working with WRAP, are preparing a report on Markets for Recyclable Materials and Recycled Products in Scotland. This will provide some information on the capacity to reprocess recyclable materials in Scotland and on exports of some materials from the United Kingdom and I will arrange for a copy to be forwarded to you once this has been finalised.

However, obtaining full information on the proportion of the materials collected in Scotland for recycling which are then exported is difficult. There is a wide range of materials involved and materials are collected for recycling from commercial and industrial premises as well as from households. In addition, materials that have been collected may be transported from Scotland to other parts of the United Kingdom and may then be reprocessed in other parts of the UK or may be exported from other parts of the UK.

The European Marine Energy Centre has two test sites for marine devices; a wave test site and a tidal test site.

Four berths have been established and are available for use at the wave site. Five cables have been installed at the tidal site.

At its meeting on 27 February 2001 the SPCB considered options for a nursery-crèche service, noting the need to ensure any facility conformed to the statutory requirements for nursery provision.

The SPCB recognised the twin desires of:

supporting “family friendly policies” by providing direct childcare support for members and their staff and SPCB staff in the form of an on-site nursery, and

facilitating access to and engagement with the Parliament by providing crèche facilities for visitors.

On balance it decided that the User Brief be amended to require the provision of a crèche instead of a nursery within the Parliamentary complex as this would support public engagement with the Parliament while also being available to members and their staff and SPCB staff for emergency use.

The SPCB supports child care responsibilities generally by the provision of Childcare Vouchers (= to a max of £54.80 per week per family). The benefit of this support [over direct nursery provision] is that it supports a range of childcare options regardless of where these are delivered geographically. This is especially important in the context of the Scottish Parliament in which many of the members and staff live significant distances from the Parliament.