Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-08325

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the replacement Forth crossing, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

No. The projectswhich are designated as national developments such as the Forth Replacement Crossingare considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out inthe second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmentaleffects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminateor mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in moredetail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Question reference: S3W-08324

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the enhancements to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

No. The projects which are designatedas national developments such as the Glasgow and Edinburghairport enhancements are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatialstrategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. Thehigh-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying EnvironmentalReport. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposalswill be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans andspecific development proposals.

Question reference: S3W-08328

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the Scapa Flow Container Transhipment Facility, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

No. The projectswhich are designated as national developments such as the Scapa Flow Container TranshipmentFacility are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategyset out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-levelenvironmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measuresto eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressedin more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific developmentproposals.

Question reference: S3W-08326

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the Rosyth International Container Terminal, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

No. The projectswhich are designated as national developments such as the Rosyth International ContainerTerminal are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategyset out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-levelenvironmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measuresto eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressedin more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific developmentproposals.

Question reference: S3W-08327

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how enhanced access to the Grangemouth Freight Hub, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

No. The projectswhich are designated as national developments such as the Grangemouth Freight Hubare considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out inthe second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmentaleffects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminateor mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in moredetail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Question reference: S3W-07893

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 11 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what projects, plans and programmes are currently undergoing a strategic environmental assessment.

A list of those Scottish ResponsibleAuthorities and the projects, plans and programmes that they have submitted forconsideration under Strategic Environmental Assessment is outlined in thefollowing table.

Responsible Authority	Title of project, Plan and Programme
Aberdeen City Council	City Master-planning Framework
	City Sports Strategy
	Core Paths Plan
	Corporate Plan
	Local Housing Strategy
	Local Transport Strategy
	National Conservation Strategy
	Sustainable Development Strategy
Aberdeenshire Council	Carbon Management Programme
	Coastal Flooding Policy Framework
	Core Paths Plan
	Economic Development Priorities
	Landscape Environment Improvement Strategy
	Locally Valued Landscapes
	Open Space Strategy
	Reducing Energy Demand of New Developments & Promoting Renewable Energy
	Rural Typologies
	Strategic Plan
	Structure Plan
	Town Housing Strategy
Angus Council	Carbon Management Programme
	Core Paths Plan
Argyll and Bute Council	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan and Transportation Committee	Local Biodiversity Action Plan
Cairngorms National Park Authority	Core Paths Plan
	Forest and Woodland Framework
	Local Plan
	National Park Outdoor Access Strategy
	National Park Plan
City of Edinburgh Council	Core Paths Plan
	Freelands Road Development Brief
	Granton Waterfront Master Plan
	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
	Meadow Bank Development Brief
	North Sighthill Development Brief
	Port Edgar Development Brief
	Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan Alteration
	Salamander Street Development Brief
	St James Quarter Development Brief
	The City Centre Princes Street Development Framework
Clackmannanshire Council	Core Paths Plans
	Environment and Sustainability Framework
	Local Transport Strategy
	Open Space Strategy and Action Plan
	Outdoor Access Strategy
	Sustainability Strategy
Communities Scotland	Corporate Plan
	Sustainable Development Framework
Deer Commission Scotland	Corporate Plan 2005-2008
	Strategy for Wild Deer
Dumfries and Galloway Council	Local Biodiversity Action Plan
Dundee City Council	Core Paths Plan
	Public Open Space Strategy
East Ayrshire Council	Core Paths Plan
	Cumnock Town Centre Regeneration Plan
	Leisure and Cultural Strategy
	Local Plan Alteration
	Local Transport Strategy
	Open Space Strategy
	Sustainable Development Strategy
East Dunbartonshire Council	Cemetery Development Plan
	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan
	Tourism Strategy and Action Plan
East Lothian Council	Core Paths Plan
	Development Framework for Letham Mains Haddington
	Development Framework for Mains Farm, North Berwick
	Environment Strategy
	Local Biodiversity Action Plan
East Renfrewshire Council	Community Plan
	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
Falkirk Council	Banknock Special Initiative for Residential Regeneration
	Carbon Management Programme
	Local Plan
	Open Space Strategy
	Planning Brief Former Carrongrove Paper Mill Denny
	Sustainable Falkirk Strategy
Fife Council	Access Strategy Review
	Core Paths Plan
	Fife Matters - Finalised Fife Structure Plan 2006-2026.
	Kirkcaldy and Mid-Fife Local Plan
	Local Biodiversity Action Plan
	Renewable Energy Technologies other than Wind Energy and Wave Energy
	St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan
Firth of Clyde Forum	Firth Of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan
Forestry Commission Scotland	Forest Enterprise Scotland Forest District Strategic Plans
Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan Committee	Structure Plan
Glasgow City Council	City Plan
	Core Paths Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
Highland and Island Enterprise	Operational Plan 2007 - 2010
Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd	Corporate Plan 2005-2015
Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership in Scotland	Regional Transport Strategy
Historic Scotland	Operational Policy Paper - Support for the Voluntary Sector
	Scottish Historic Environment Policy Series (SHEP)
Inverclyde Council	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan Alteration
	Riverside Inverclyde Urban Design Guidance
Loch Lomond And The Trossachs National Park Authority	National Park Plan
Midlothian Council	Core Paths Plan
	Corporate Strategy 2008-2011
	Local Plan
Moray Council	Development Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
	Renewable Energy Strategy
North Ayrshire Council	Ardeer Peninsula Masterplan
	Carbon Management Programme
	Community Learning and Development Plan
	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan Alteration
	Local Transport Strategy
North East Scotland Regional Transport Partnership	Regional Transport Strategy
North Lanarkshire Council	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
Orkney Island Council	Arts Development Plan
	Economic Strategy 2007-2010
	Heritage Development Plan
	Core Paths Plan
	Local Biodiversity Action Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
	Supplementary Planning Guidance for Onshore Wind Energy Development
Pentland Hills Regional Partnership	New Pentland Hills Regional Park Plan
Perth and Kinross Council	Affordable Housing Guide
	Air Quality Action Plan
	Auchterarder Expansion Development Framework
	Black Sprout Wood
	Carbon Management Strategy & Implementation Plan (2007-2017)
	Core Paths Plan
	Council Drainage Policy
	Den of Alyth Management Plan 2007-2001
	Eastern Area Local Plan
	Flood Mitigation Schemes And Flood Studies
	Inner Tay Estuary Local Nature Reserve Draft Management Plan
	Pitlochry Conservation Area Appraisal
	Pitlochry, Blairgowrie and Blair Atholl Conservation Area Appraisals
	Structure Plan Alteration
Renfrewshire Council	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan Alteration
	Local Transport Strategy
Scottish Borders Council	Core Paths Plan
	Structure Plan Alteration
	Supplementary Planning Guidance for Renewable Energy
Scottish Environment Protection Agency	Climate Change Plan
	Corporate Plan
	Glasgow & Clyde Valley Area Waste Plan
	Lothians and Borders Area Waste Plan Alteration
	Scotland River Basin Management Plan
	Solway Tweed River Basin Management Plan
Scottish Natural Heritage	Biomass Energy and the Natural Heritage
	Corporate Plan
	Natural Futures Prospectuses Update
	Policy Statements on Country and Regional Parks
	Rangers In Scotland - Policy Agreement
Scottish Water	Integrated Water Plan
	National Sludge Recycling Strategy
	Resource Plan 2008
Shetland Islands Council	Core Paths Plan
Shetland Regional Transport Partnership	Regional Transport Strategy
South Ayrshire Council	Core Paths Plan
	Local Housing Strategy
	Local Transport Strategy
	Supplementary Planning Open Space & Designing New Residential Developments
South East Scotland Regional Transport Partnership	Regional Transport Strategy
South Lanarkshire Council	A Fuel Poverty and Domestic Energy Efficiency Strategy
	Local Plan
	Sustainable Development Strategy
	Tourism Action Plan
South West of Scotland Transport Partnership	Regional Transport Strategy
Sportscotland	Corporate Plan 2007-2011
Stirling Council	Core Paths Plan
	Structure Plan Alteration
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport	Regional Transport Strategy
Tayside and Central Scotland Regional Transport Partnership	Regional Transport Strategy
The Highland Council	A96 Corridor Masterplan
	Access Strategy
	Core Paths Plan
	Lochaber Local Plan
	Lochcarron Kirkton Development Brief
	Renewable Energy Strategy
	Skye and Lochalsh Local Plan
	Sutherland Local Plan
	Torvean Charleston Land Use Framework Development Brief
The Scottish Government	A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture: Next Steps
	Development Planning Regulations
	European Structural Programme ESF for Lowlands and Uplands Scotland
	Fish Farm Location / Relocation Programme Principles
	Glasgow and Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan - Draft Modifications
	Highlands and Islands ESF Operational Programme 2007 - 2013
	National Planning Framework
	National Transport Strategy
	Permitted Development Rights for Domestic Micro-Renewables
	Scotland Rural Development Programme
	Scottish Climate Change Bill
	Scottish Enterprise Operating Plan 2007-2010
	Scottish Marine Renewables
	Scottish Planning Policy 14 - The Natural Environment
	Scottish Planning Policy 23 - The Historic Environment
	Scottish Planning Policy 3 - Planning for Housing
	Scottish Soil Strategy
	Sustainable Flood Management
	The Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Strategy and Action Plan for Scotland
Transport Scotland	Forth Replacement Crossing
	Scotland's Railways
	Strategic Transport Projects Review
West Dunbartonshire Council	Community Plan
	Corporate Plan
	Local Plan
	Local Transport Strategy
	Sustainability Development Strategy
West Lothian Council	Core Paths Plan
	Determined to Succeed Plan 2006-2008
	Local Improvement Plan 2005 - 2008
	Local Transport Strategy
Western Isles Council	Core Paths Plan
	Local Plan
	Outer Hebrides Creative Industries Strategy 2006-2009
	Outer Hebrides Cultural Strategy 2006-2009

Question reference: S3W-07890

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7537 by Michael Russell on 13 December 2007, what information it can provide concerning the enforcement notice served by a local authority under section 26 of the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005.

The one enforcement notice wasserved on 11 July 2007 by North Ayrshire Council on Scottish Water under section26 of the Water Services etc (Scotland) Act 2005 and was in relation to Largs wastewater treatment works in Ayrshire. At the time, the Largs wastewater treatment workswas in the commissioning stages and had not been formally adopted by Scottish Water.

The enforcement notice was inrelation to failure of the odour control unit, malodour arising from specific partsof the works and general housekeeping issues.

Scottish Water ensured that remedialactions were undertaken to address the issues mentioned in the enforcement notice.Dialogue continued and there were site visits involving Scottish Water and localauthority officers.

In a letter dated 29 October 2007, NorthAyrshire Council concluded that no further action was necessary in regard to theenforcement notice.

Question reference: S3W-07891

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7539 by Michael Russell on 13 December 2007, whether it will list the 14 works receiving funding for sewerage odour nuisance in the quality and standards IIIa capital investment programme for 2006-10.

The list of 35 works to receiveadditional capital funding totalling £42 million to meet the Quality and StandardsIII Ministerial objective to minimise odour in 2006-14 has been decided by the ScottishOdour Steering Group and is published on the Scottish Government’s Nuisance website.The list can be amended to include more urgent works, based on complaints and feedbackreceived, but it does not, based on a decision by the WICS, include PFI works.

The final list of 14 works for2006-10 is alphabetically as follows:

Alloa, Annan, Castle Douglas, Dingwall,Dunfermline, Eyemouth, Kirkaldy, Paisley(Laighpark), Perth, Pitlochry,Shieldhall, Springfield, Troqueer and Wick.

Question reference: S3W-06976

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the contribution that the work of the Forestry Commission can make towards (a) reducing CO2 in the atmosphere between 2007 and 2011 and (b) meeting the Executive's target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

The Scottish Climate Change Programmesets a carbon contribution for the forestry sector of 0.6MtC savings annually by2010, rising to around 1MtC per year by 2020. This equates to the annual removalof 2MtCo2 and 3.7MtCo2 respectively.

We will be issuing a consultationshortly on the proposed Climate Change Bill which will include the target of reducingemissions by 80% by 2050.

Themain forestry activities that will contribute towards meeting these targets areincreased levels of woodland creation, the continuing development of biomass asa renewable energy source, using wood as a substitute for energy intensive buildingmaterials, and reducing timber haulage miles.

Question reference: S3W-07894

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 21 December 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its projects, plans and programmes will not be subjected to a strategic environmental assessment.

Chamber and committees