- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms are not allowed to sell their sheep for human consumption due to the level of radioactive contamination resulting from the Chernobyl incident in 1986.
Answer
I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that although no farms are not allowed to sell their sheep for human consumption, as at 30 April 2004, 14 farms in Scotland remain under movement restrictions imposed after the Chernobyl incident in 1986. Sheep from these farms must be monitored for radioactivity prior to being moved off farm. A further nine farms are restricted in West Cumbria and359 farms in North Wales.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms were not permitted to sell their sheep for human consumption due to the level of radioactive contamination resulting from the Chernobyl incident in 1986 in each of the last five years.
Answer
I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the following table details the number of farms in the UK not permitted to sell their sheep for human consumption due to the level of contamination resulting from the 1986 Chernobyl incident in each of the last five years, as at 30 April 2004.
| | Scotland | Wales | England | Northern Ireland |
| 2000 | 18 | 359 | 9 | 0 |
| 2001 | 18 | 359 | 9 | 0 |
| 2002 | 18 | 359 | 9 | 0 |
| 2003 | 16 | 359 | 9 | 0 |
| 2004 | 14 | 359 | 9 | 0 |
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 29 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-2467 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 20 May 2004, whether the #700,000 provided to national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations included the #512,000 for the Equality Network announced in March 2004 and whether the Executive will provide a breakdown of which organisations the #700,000 has been, or will be, allocated to and over what financial years.
Answer
I apologise if my earlierreply on this matter was not clear. Let me clarify. The Scottish Executive has provided£695,192 to support and increase the engagement of lesbian, gay, bisexual andtranssexual people in the life of Scotland. This figure includes the grant of £512,000 for theEquality Network which was announced in March 2004. The breakdown of funding toorganisations is as follows:
| Organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | Total |
| Equality Network | 46,097 | 60,014 | 165,852 | 169,005 | 177,724 | 618,692 |
| LGBT Youth | 12,000 | 22,000 | 26,000 | - | - | 60,000 |
| Beyond Barriers | 5,000 | 11,500 | - | - | - | 16,500 |
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what was discussed at the last meeting of the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group and what will be on the agenda of its next meeting.
Answer
The group met on Tuesday 15 June and the main issues discussed were:
- Developing a workplan, including consideration of resources for taking forward planned action;
- A draft research study report which the group had commissioned on Sustainable Development Education in other parts of the UK;
- The recently published Scottish Biodiversity Strategy;
- The Council for Environmental Education’s consultation on sustainable development for the environment departments in all four UK jurisdictionsm, and
- The proposed UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
The next meeting of the group is on Tuesday 28 September. No agenda has yet been set.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the 18% and 40% renewable electricity generation targets should be capable of meeting baseload demand.
Answer
We have not fixed milestonesof this nature. Technologies such as biomass and marine, which can providebaseload or predictable output, and hydrogen fuel cells could play a key rolein providing network stability. Work to progress these areas will be takenforward by our Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 2 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the definition of “value for money” used in the Scottish Public Finance Manual in respect of procurement policies includes consideration of the costs of greenhouse gas emissions from appliances and energy installations.
Answer
the Scottish Public Finance Manual, which applies to the Scottish Executive, its agencies and non-departmental bodies, states that all procurement ofgoods and services should be based on value for money, having due regard to proprietyand regularity. "Value for money"is defined as the optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality (or fitnessfor purpose) to meet the user’s requirement.
Consideration of the costs ofgreenhouse gas emissions from appliances and energy installations can be taken intoaccount when determining value for money where it is relevant to the subject matterof the contract.
The Executive has published guidanceon sustainable development issues in procurement which emphasises the need for purchasersto take full account of their organisation’s environmental policies and to seekenvironmentally preferable goods and services wherever they are available, affordableand fit for purpose. For example, over 75% of motor vehicles owned by the Executiveare alternatively fuelled and the Executive’s electricity contract specifies that100% of the electricity used by the Executive comes from renewable sources.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in community benefits to local communities where wind farms are sited.
Answer
The basis of payment of communitybenefits in respect of wind farm developments is one of voluntary agreement betweenthe local community and the developer, and the information requested is thereforenot held centrally.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports its representatives on the Joint Energy Security of Supply (JESS) Working Group have given to it in respect of new electricity generating capacity in Scotland.
Answer
The JESS group is kept informedof all changes in generating capacity in Scotland.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 40% target for renewable energy generation refers to 40% of the total installed capacity of generation, 40% of installed capacity to meet Scottish peak demand plus a suitable load margin, 40% of peak Scottish power demand, 40% of maximum Scottish energy demand or any other measure of electricity generation.
Answer
The target is for 40% of theelectricity generated in Scotland by 2020 to be from renewable sources.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its representatives on the Joint Energy Security of Supply (JESS) Working Group have raised any concerns regarding a potential shortfall in electricity generation in Scotland in light of the planned closures of Cocken'ie, Longannet and Hunterston B power stations.
Answer
The JESS Working Group monitorsthe changes that will occur in the energy generation market throughout the UK and recognisesthat new investment will be needed to replace existing generation plant once closedto ensure security of supply.
