Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-29187

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S3W-28285 and S3W-28645 by Stewart Stevenson on 12 and 16 November 2009 respectively, whether the estimated £91 million cost of preparatory work for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route includes (a) the estimated £51 million for relocation of the International School of Aberdeen to Pitfodels and (b) VAT.

Question reference: S3W-29184

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire Council has made to the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council will contribute 9.5% each to the cost of the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. The cost of the proposed Fastlink to Stonehaven and the maintenance of the entire scheme will be met by the Scottish Government.

To date, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council have each made a contribution of approximately £8.8 million towards scheme preparation costs.

Question reference: S3W-29179

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been spent on purchasing (a) residential property, (b) agricultural land and (c) other land and property in preparation for the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

To date, 15 residential properties have been purchased at a cost of £18.8 million (including compensation and professional fees). No agricultural land has been purchased to date. The International School of Aberdeen is the only other property that has been purchased to date. The estimated cost of the relocation of the International School of Aberdeen is £51 million (excluding VAT) at today''s prices.

Question reference: S3W-29123

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for an Energy Saving Scotland small business loan were received in each month since November 2008.

The following table illustrates the monthly breakdown of applications, number of approvals and the value of these, to the Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme since November 2008.

Month	Number of Applications	Number of Approvals	Value of Approvals (£)
November 2008	7	3	93,690
December 2008	9	5	64,506
January 2009	12	1	12,815
February 2009	1	5	151,657
March 2009	10	5	143,927
April 2009	7	3	157,863
May 2009	8	3	106,889
June 2009	9	10	340,164
July 2009	17	3	56,426
August 2009	9	10	472,476
September 2009	8	2	47,695
October 2009	12	10	277,628
November 2009 (to 23 November)	12	6	210,532

Question reference: S3W-29126

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value was of approved Energy Saving Scotland small business loans for private sector landlords in each month since November 2008.

Question reference: S3W-29121

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private sector landlords have applied for an Energy Saving Scotland small business loan in each month since December 2008.

The following table illustrates the monthly breakdown of applications, number of approvals and the value of these, from private sector landlords since the Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme was re-launched to include this sector in December 2008.

Month	Number of Applications	Number of Approvals	Value of Approvals (£)
December 2008	1	0	0
January 2009	1	0	0
February 2009	0	0	0
March 2009	0	2	93,446
April 2009	2	0	0
May 2009	1	0	0
June 2009	0	1	6,830
July 2009	0	1	11,625
August 2009	0	0	0
September 2009	2	0	0
October 2009	0	1	2,210
November 2009 (to 23 November)	2	0	0

The Energy Saving Trust is in the process of developing material for a wider energy efficiency campaign aimed at private landlords. Material will be distributed in early 2010 to around 2,000 landlords via local authorities, and will include promotion of the loans scheme.

Question reference: S3W-29128

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with take-up rates for Energy Saving Scotland small business loans among private sector landlords.

We are pleased that the Energy Saving Scotland small business scheme has offered over £110,000 in interest-free loans to private sector landlords, who were ineligible to apply for energy efficiency loans under the previous administration.

However, we would like more private landlords to recognise the benefits of the scheme and to take advantage of energy efficiency support schemes more generally. We have therefore asked the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to develop material for a wider marketing campaign aimed at private landlords.

Discussions have already taken place between EST and the Association of Registered Letting Agents, the Scottish Association of Landlords and the Scottish Rural Properties Business Association to ensure this campaign is effectively targeted. Material will be distributed in early 2010 to around 2,000 landlords via local authorities, and will include promotion of the loans scheme.

Question reference: S3W-29127

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote Energy Saving Scotland small business loans to private sector landlords.

Through the Scottish Government''s support of the Energy Saving Scotland advice network, the Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme is promoted to the many private sector landlords who contact the network for advice on energy efficiency and other sustainable living issues.

More broadly, the scheme has been advertised in publications such as The Scotsman and Chartered Accountants Scotland magazine. A digital marketing campaign has also promoted the scheme to over 3,000 potential applicants, including private landlords.

Question reference: S3W-29122

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private sector landlords have been approved for an Energy Saving Scotland small business loan in each month since December 2008.

Question reference: S3W-29125

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of approved Energy Saving Scotland small business loans in each month since November 2008.