- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the GDP figures that the First Minister quoted on 28 October 2007 will be published.
Answer
Analysis on Scotland’s income per capita, with varying methods of accountingfor North Sea output, was placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is taking to fulfil his responsibilities under the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
Answer
As minister responsiblefor general statistics issues I can inform you that officials of the ScottishGovernment have been working with the other devolved governments, the UKGovernment and the chair designate of the Statistics Board to prepare for themany changes that will be brought about by the Statistics and RegistrationService Act 2007. Turning specifically to the responsibilities conferred on Scottish ministers underthe act, the Scottish Government is currently:
working on adraft Pre-release Access Order; this will set out the rules and principles foraccess to Scottish official statistics prior to publication.
working with theUK Government to ensure that I am consulted on the appointment of at least onenon-executive director of the Statistics Board, which is the newnon-ministerial department created for by the act.
The act will bebrought into force from April 2008.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the GDP figures that the First Minister quoted on 28 October 2007 were derived.
Answer
Analysis onScotland’s income per capita, which was referred to by the First Minister on 28October 2007, was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 2November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 17 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what detailed plans it has for efficiency savings from 2008 to 2011; what assessment it has made of the impact that such savings will have on public services, and when it intends to implement the savings.
Answer
As we have said onmany occasions before, we plan to deliver efficiency savings of at least 1.5% peryear in the period 2008-11. The detail is being informed by work on the Strategic Spending Review 2007. Detailed Efficiency Delivery Plans will be published in March.We expect the programme to supportthe Public Service Reform agenda and improve service delivery as a consequence of the re-investment of efficiency gains.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 5 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the installed renewable electricity generation capacity was on (a) 16 May and (b) 14 August 2007 (i) in total and (ii) by energy source.
Answer
The following tablesare based on information provided by Scottish Renewables for technologies that qualifyfor support under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland).
Information for thespecific dates requested is not available.
Installed RenewablesCapacity 16 May 2007
| Technology | Capacity (MW) |
| Onshore Wind | 1,050.22 |
| Hydro | 1,345.57 |
| Biomass electricity | 12.62 |
| Wave | 0.8 |
| Total | 2,409.21 |
Installed Renewables Capacity 24 August 2007
| Technology | Capacity (MW) |
| Onshore Wind | 1,135.02 |
| Hydro | 1,357.76 |
| Biomass electricity | 37.62 |
| Wave | 0.5 |
| Total | 2,530.9 |
Installed capacityfrom Energy from Waste (EfW) is not included as not all forms of EfW are eligiblefor support under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland).
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop the role of public partnership forums as a mechanism for public engagement in community health partnerships.
Answer
Statutoryguidance issued to NHS boards in October 2004 required that Public PartnershipForums (PPFs) form a key component of all Community Health Partnership (CHP)Schemes of Establishment, building on existing networks and making best use oflocal systems.
This guidanceembedded a duty to engage local service users and support public involvement aswell as ensuring PPF representation on every CHP committee or sub committee.
The ScottishHealth Council provided initial “start up” financial support to NHS boards andtheir CHPs to establish PPFs, and continues to provide support to all thoseinvolved in PPFs, particularly in their training and development.
The council hascommissioned a review of the effectiveness of PPFs which will report later thisyear. At this time, consideration will be given to what further support andguidance might be required from the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers expect that their early review of planning, including proposals to require local authorities to take account of renewable energy as part of their local planning process, as set out in the 2007 SNP election manifesto, will be completed.
Answer
The government believesthat
Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 – Renewable Energy providesa sound national policy context and that planning authorities should address thelocational aspects of renewable energy development, either by updating their localpolicies or by preparing supplementary planning guidance.
Specifically withregard to wind development wewant to see the SPP’s provisions taken forward urgently, with local authoritiesengaging with communities and other parties in the preparation of locational strategiesin the form of supplementary planning guidance. These local frameworks should providegreater certainty for developers and local communities and speed up the decisionmaking process. We see this approach as striking the right balance between nationaland local responsibilities.
It is likely thatauthorities will have to review and update their existing policy and we believethere is also scope for authorities to work collaboratively. To assist the authoritiesat a time when they are addressing the challenges of delivering a modernised planningsystem, we shall make available a source of expert advice and issue national guidanceon the preparation of the supplementary planning guidance. The chief planner hastherefore written to planning authorities.
SPP6 states in itsopening paragraphs the energy policy target of 40% of electricity generated fromrenewable sources by 2020 and notes that this is not a cap. This government hasambitions for a balanced approach to renewable energy encompassing a range of measureswhich extend beyond that. The SPP6 provides for a planned approach to deliveringthe target through setting the overall policy for preparing spatial frameworks,including the safeguarding of areas designated for their national and internationalnatural heritage value and greenbelts. It gives a clear role to local authoritiesand national park authorities in relation to local interests and designated areas,in the identification of broad areas of search and in setting policy criteria whichaccord with the SPP.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with each local authority to assess suitable and appropriate sites for renewable generation in their areas, with full engagement with communities in this process, and how many appropriate sites have so far been identified.
Answer
The government believesthat
Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 – Renewable Energy provides a soundnational policy context and that planning authorities should address the locationalaspects of renewable energy development, either by updating their local policiesor by preparing supplementary planning guidance.
Specifically withregard to wind development wewant to see the SPP’s provisions taken forward urgently, with local authoritiesengaging with communities and other parties in the preparation of locational strategiesin the form of supplementary planning guidance. These local frameworks should providegreater certainty for developers and local communities and speed up the decisionmaking process. We see this approach as striking the right balance between nationaland local responsibilities.
It is likely thatauthorities will have to review and update their existing policy and we believethere is also scope for authorities to work collaboratively. To assist the authoritiesat a time when they are addressing the challenges of delivering a modernised planningsystem, we shall make available a source of expert advice and issue national guidanceon the preparation of the supplementary planning guidance. The chief planner hastherefore written to planning authorities.
SPP6 states in itsopening paragraphs the energy policy target of 40% of electricity generated fromrenewable sources by 2020 and notes that this is not a cap. This government hasambitions for a balanced approach to renewable energy encompassing a range of measureswhich extend beyond that. The SPP6 provides for a planned approach to deliveringthe target through setting the overall policy for preparing spatial frameworks,including the safeguarding of areas designated for their national and internationalnatural heritage value and greenbelts. It gives a clear role to local authoritiesand national park authorities in relation to local interests and designated areas,in the identification of broad areas of search and in setting policy criteria whichaccord with the SPP.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the proportion of electricity supplied to the national grid from generation by (a) wave and (b) tidal sources was on 14 August 2007 and what its estimate is for such generation by 14 August 2008.
Answer
Statistics relatingto electricity generated from renewable sources in Scotland are published by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.The most recently published figures are available at
www.berr.gov.uk/files/file34201.pdf.Figures for 2006 are due to be published during September 2007. Currently, generationfrom wind and wave are combined so that confidential information about individualsites is not disclosed.There has not to datebeen a detailed estimate of the level of generation from individual renewable technologies.However, the Marine Supply Obligation (MSO) which is part of the Renewables Obligation(Scotland) previously set an illustrative path to achieving75MW of wave and tidal power by 2015. The new government believes wave and tidalpower has a more significant contribution to make and we are currently consideringmeasures to support the further expansion of this sector.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve access to NHS dentists in East Lothian.
Answer
The responsibilityfor the provision of NHS dental services rests with the NHS board. We are supportingboards with a revised Scottish Dental Access Initiative that provides capital grantsfor new or expanded NHS dental practices.
