Chamber and committees

I can announce that the Scottishministers have granted consent to this proposal in terms of section 36 of the ElectricityAct 1989. Additionally, this consent carries deemed planning permission in termsof the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

This announcement follows a lengthyconsultation process which involved a wide range of stakeholders and members of the public. Following consultation with EastAyrshire Council, East Renfrewshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and otherbodies, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.

The proposed development raiseda number of issues in respect of its likely impact on the operation of air trafficcontrol radars at Glasgow Airport; the NATS En Route installation at Lowther Hill and theCorse Hill weather radar operated by the MetOffice. I am pleased to confirm that,following detailed negotiation between the parties involved, solutions have beenagreed to the complete satisfaction of the aviation authorities, Glasgow Airportand the MetOffice. These ensure that the wind farm development can proceed without impairing the safe operation of thesefacilities.

It is estimated that the windfarm will save some 650,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The Executive’s targetsare that 18% of the electricity generated in Scotland should come from renewablesources by 2010 and 40% by 2020. This is a Programme for Government commitment anda central plank of the Scottish Climate Change Programme. This single developmentequates to over 5% of the total capacity likely to be required to meet the 2020target, and is the largest single onshore wind farm to be consented in Europe.

This is an extremely importantdevelopment that underlines our commitment to renewable energy and is a significantmilestone towards achieving our renewable energy and climate change targets.

Composite classes have beena common feature in Scottish primary schools for many years. In 2002 the Scottish Executive commissioned the Scottish Council for Research in Education(SCRE) to undertake a literature review of the available research on compositeclasses.

In her report entitled AllIn Together?, published in March 2003, Dr Valerie Wilson concluded thatmost research revealed no significant difference in the achievement of pupilsin composite and single grade classes. The report also highlights that researchindicates that children can benefit both intellectually and socially throughinteraction with older children from being in composite classes. There istherefore no evidence that that children taught in composite classes will bedisadvantaged. Indeed were it so, much of the school provision in rural Scotlandwould be delivering sub-standard levels of education. That is clearly not thecase, and high levels of educationalachievement are in no way inconsistent with composite classes.

The report can be viewedonline at http://www.scre.ac.uk/resreport/pdf/113.pdf.

The National Waste Plan outlinesour aim to achieve 25% recycling and composting of municipal waste by 2006 and 55%by 2020 (35% recycling and 20% composting). A further target of 30% recycling andcomposting by 2008 was introduced in Spending Review 2004.

We have received no suchrepresentations.

This is a matter for the Fireand Rescue authorities. Not all the information requested is held centrally.

For fuel costs from 2001-02 to2004-05 I refer the member to the answer to question  S2W-19098 on 22 September 2005. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Local authorities notify the Executive of their annual revenue expenditure in the local financial returns (LFRs).These forms include expenditure on school transport which is expenditure incurredunder sections 50 and 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. This includesbuses, taxis and any other transport costs arising from the transport of childrento school. The gross expenditure on school transport by local authorities in thelast three years for which information is available is set out in the table below.

Althoughthe LFR returns include a figure for total library expenditure this is not brokendown to mobile library service level and the majority of the total relates to otherlibrary costs. Information on mobile libraries is not therefore held centrally.Further information on library provisionacross Scotland may be obtained from the Scottish Library and Information Council(SLIC) at Building C, Brandon Gate, Leechlee Road, Hamilton, ML3 6AU (telephone01698 458 888).

Local Authority Gross RevenueExpenditure on School Transport

Gross Expenditure	2002-03 (£000)	2003-04 (£000)	2004-05 (£000)
Scotland	104,609	111,019	114,797
Aberdeen City	2,444	2,380	2,048
Aberdeenshire	10,582	10,762	11,314
Angus	1,746	2,109	1,995
Argyll and Bute	4,932	5,464	4,585
Clackmannanshire	706	741	824
Dumfries and Galloway	1,076	1,131	1,118
Dundee City	586	803	934
East Ayrshire	3,322	3,562	3,541
East Dunbartonshire	2,423	2,771	2,923
East Lothian	1,716	1,703	1,558
East Renfrewshire	1,914	2,037	2,011
Edinburgh City	3,398	3,419	3,824
Eilean Siar	1,821	1,877	1,888
Falkirk	2,443	2,561	2,708
Fife	7,259	7,842	8,765
Glasgow City	8,868	9,258	9,535
Highland	8,403	8,780	8,715
Inverclyde	952	739	796
Midlothian	1,232	1,307	1,343
Moray	2,348	2,481	2,538
North Ayrshire	2,850	2,971	3,424
North Lanarkshire	6,415	6,573	6,989
Orkney Islands	1,085	1,155	1,308
Perth and Kinross	3,908	4,260	4,552
Renfrewshire	2,266	2,252	2,523
Scottish Borders	3,029	3,464	3,657
Shetland Islands	1,473	1,543	1,694
South Ayrshire	2,377	2,500	2,513
South Lanarkshire	6,156	7,235	7,582
Stirling	1,964	2,054	2,271
West Dunbartonshire	1,334	1,446	1,530
West Lothian	3,581	3,839	3,791

 

The Executive has made it clearthat it does not intend to use the tax-varying powers in the course of the currentParliament.

Wedo not make separate estimates of the likely revenue, costs of collection and economicimpact of using the tax-varying powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Such forecasting involves detailedmodelling and would carry significant cost. It would also rapidly become out ofdate. There is no advantage in doing this work while use of the powers has beenruled out.

The Executive has made it clearthat it does not intend to use the tax-varying powers in the course of the currentParliament.

Wedo not make separate estimates of the likely revenue, costs of collection and economicimpact of using the tax-varying powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Such forecasting involves detailedmodelling and would carry significant cost. It would also rapidly become out ofdate. There is no advantage in doing this work while use of the powers has beenruled out.

The Executive has made it clearthat it does not intend to use the tax-varying powers in the course of the currentParliament.

Wedo not make separate estimates of the likely revenue, costs of collection and economicimpact of using the tax-varying powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Such forecasting involves detailedmodelling and would carry significant cost. It would also rapidly become out ofdate. There is no advantage in doing this work while use of the powers has beenruled out.

The Mental Health Tribunal hasfailed to hold a hearing under section 69 of the act on four occasions, within thestatutory timescales i.e. within the 28 days of the original Short-Term DetentionCertificate or the following five days allowed by the act. In one instance the casepapers were overlooked within the tribunal until after the expiry of the Short-TermDetention, a hearing was then arranged as soon as practically possible, some eightworking days after the expiry of the Short-Term Detention Certificate, rather thanthe five required by statute. In three further cases applications were receivedon the day of expiry of the Short-Term Detention Certificates, hearings were arrangedas soon a practically possible in the venues preferred, in line with MHTS policyat the time (i.e. in the hospital in which the patient was detained so as to maximiseparticipation and minimise stress). Following a Judicial Review that policy hasnow been changed so that when a venue is not available within the required timescalesthe hearing will be held at the next nearest available venue, or if that is notsuitable at the Tribunal Suite in Bothwell House, Hamilton. In a further 14 caseshearings have been held a day later than required by the act, due to errors concerningthe expiry dates of Short-Term Detention Certificates being made by Mental HealthOfficers.