Chamber and committees

I refer the memberto the answers to questions S3W-6404 on 29 November 2007, and to S3W-425 on 21 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Decisions to becomecarbon neutral are for individual local authorities and agencies and there are presentlyno plans to produce Scottish Government guidance.

The Scottish Government supports the Sustainable ScotlandNetwork (SSN) to provide assistance to local authorities in meeting their commitmentsin Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, including reducingemissions from their own operations. Carbon neutrality was covered at the SSN annualconference in November, and the proceedings from this event are available on theSSN website at www.sustainable-scotland.net.

As part of our workto deliver this government’s strategic objectives, in particular securing a Greenerand Wealthier and Fairer Scotland, consideration is being given to how other publicbodies can be supported to deliver a contribution to our climate change objectives.

The Scottish Governmentdid not issue a press release entitled “It’s Time for Real Action on Climate Change”on 30 October 2007.

As an SNP press releaseexactly a year earlier made clear, lead responsibility for cross border rail serviceslies with the Secretary of State for Transport. However, improving journey timesbetween Scotland and England, with connections to mainland Europe throughthe Channel Tunnel Rail Link is an aspiration of the Scottish Government. We willcontinue to work with the Department for Transport to achieve faster journeys betweenScotland and England and will consider the most appropriate transport solutionsfor Scotland and its economy through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).

The proposals arefor an electrified railway. On average electric trains are responsible for in theorder of 15% less carbon emissions than equivalent diesel trains and emissions ata local level (along the route and in stations) are virtually zero. Modern electrictrains also use power more efficiently as they are fitted with systems which, whilstbraking, regenerate electricity and recycle energy back into the supply grid.

The ScottishGovernment will be issuing a consultation in January on proposals for the ClimateChange Bill which will include a target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050. Achievingsuch an ambitious target willrequire action by all sectors. The most effective way to mitigate climate changeis by avoiding and reducing emissions. To this end we are working with the businesssector in a number of areas to reduce its emissions including: support of the recentBusiness Summit on Climate Change; working with the Climate Change Business DeliveryGroup; funding the Carbon Trust to assist businesses to reduce their carbon emissions;funding Loan Action Scotland (a loan scheme for small and medium-sizedenterprises to deliver energy efficiency projects), and, importantly, on implementationof the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the forthcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Whilst some expenditurein the autumn budget revision will support the Scottish Government’s climate changeobjectives, it is not necessarily identified as such. However, provision totalling£16.7 million was made in the autumn budget revision for a Forestry Commission drawdownfrom Central Unallocated Provision for the climate change programme, private woodlandgrants and Cost of Capital. £7.3 million of this was specifically for acquisitionand planting of additional land and increased new planting in the private sectorin support of measures included in Scotland’s Climate ChangeProgramme.

The Cabinet Secretaryfor Finance and Sustainable Growth announced at the end of June that he would notbe allocating end year flexibility to portfolios this year, with a view to consideringthose resources as part of the Strategic Spending Review.

The Scottish Governmentrecognises the important part that the public sector has to play in reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. It has not yet been determinedhow the proposed Climate Change Bill will take this into account but the forthcomingconsultation will seek views on various measures that will enable the wider publicsector, including local authorities, Executive agencies and non-departmental publicbodies, to reduce their emissions.

Such schemes havebeen of value in the past and helped us to understand better the issues relatingto both air quality, and the emissions causing climate change. We are currentlyconsidering new measures which will best offer value for money and help deliversignificant emission reductions and encourage the demand for cleaner vehicles acrossScotland. These include investment in public transportand the promotion of behaviouralchange which includes supporting the development and use of travel plans, eco-driving,green fleet reviews and the use of fuel and vehicle technologies that result inreduced emissions. A strategic approach to the use of both biofuels and other fueland vehicle technologies as they emerge, will be supported by this wider range ofbehavioural measures being pursued and is consistent with expert opinion and bothUK and EU policy.

Currently there areno non-stop services running between Haymarket and Glasgow Queen Street.

The proposed improvementsto the Edinburgh and Glasgow route include the possibility of a service increasefrom the current four trains per hour each way to six trains per hour each way.One option being considered is that two of these services could be “fast” non-stopservices and achieve a journey time of around 35 minutes.

Timetable analysisto date suggests a mix of “fast” non-stop and stopping” services between Edinburghand Glasgow will address the need for a fast end-to-end service whilst also takingcare of the needs of intermediate communities along the route using local stations.Further detailed timetabling and economic assessment work will be carried out asthe programme progresses.

Amongst the manypress statements and comments I have made about progress on existing trunk roadprojects and our planning for the future I have always been clear that we willpress ahead with more than 40 major projects in the current programme to 2012.I have been equally clear that new investment will emerge from the StrategicTransport Projects Review which is due to report to ministers next summer.

Details andtimescales for our major and important planned road projects can be found onthe Transport Scotland website at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf.