Chamber and committees

There is no hard evidence to indicate that this occurs. However, it is clear that an important difference between the EPC regimes is that in Scotland a direct assessment of emissions is given, which is indexed against an absolute scale. In England, the emissions assessment is indexed relative to benchmarks of typical existing buildings.

Research has been commissioned to demonstrate and compare carbon dioxide emission ratings from building types in England and Scotland using the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM). I anticipate that the research will be published in late 2009.

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) are required for new construction and on sale or rental, not conversion. An EPC could be produced using full SAP as enhanced information for building owners and tenants, in addition to the reduced data SAP EPC that follows the government approved methodology for the calculation and lodgement of EPCs for existing buildings. Use of full SAP may involve a disproportionate amount of data collection work if used for existing buildings. A facility to export data from an EPC produced using SAP to the Home Energy Efficiency Database does not exist.

Officials wrote to all Approved Organisations on 2 July 2008 and again on 25 February 2009 regarding this issue. Responsibility for the production of energy performance certificates for existing buildings lies with the Approved Organisation members who must be satisfied that the information provided is correct. Approved Organisations were asked to consider the use of such data in terms of reliability and the ability of its members to sign off data in this respect.

Sustainable exploitation of commercial fish stocks in inshore waters contributes to the achievement of the government''s strategic objectives for a wealthier and fairer, as well as a healthier and greener Scotland. It makes a valuable contribution to Scotland''s economy, supports our aim to produce healthy and sustainable food in Scotland and helps to sustain the coastal communities that rely on fishing activity.

All young people are entitled to support in moving into positive and sustained destinations beyond school. We are doing this by rolling out 16+ Learning Choices, formally launched in November, with the aim of giving every young person an appropriate offer of post-16 learning and support.

Data are not held centrally on the number of young people not in education, employment or training who are in need of additional support to be able to move into learning or employment.

The Annual Population Survey is the official source for national estimates of the numbers of people aged 16 to 19 who were not in education, employment or training. In 2008, 31,000 people aged 16 to 19 were not in education, employment or training.

We are committed to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training through our More Choices More Chances strategy, with a top priority being to help them stay in learning post-16 in order to improve their long-term employability.

We''re doing this by rolling out 16+ Learning Choices, formally launched in November, with the aim of giving every young person an appropriate offer of post-16 learning and support. The key to this is ensuring that young people get high quality careers information, advice and guidance so that they can make informed choices about the types of learning and training suitable for them well before reaching their school leaving age and at subsequent transition points.

We have also recently announced an extra £28.1 million investment in our colleges, including £16.1 million which will deliver thousands of extra places during the next two years to help meet the additional demand for college courses from young people during the downturn.

Inshore fisheries groups aim to improve the management of Scotland''s inshore fisheries and to give commercial inshore fishermen a strong voice in wider marine management developments. They have been established by Scottish ministers on a non-statutory basis to produce a fisheries management plan and propose management measures for their areas for consideration by Scottish ministers.

Stakeholders were consulted through the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group. In 2007, a series of open public meetings were held around Scotland to enable the public to put forward their views.

No inshore fisheries group has yet produced and published management proposals to date. We would expect an inshore fishery group to have produced and published its management proposals within approximately 12 months of its establishment.

Inshore fisheries groups are tasked with the establishment of management plans for the fisheries in their respective areas. These plans must accord with wider national strategic biological, environmental, economic, social and governance objectives. For instance, the biological objective is to conserve, enhance and restore commercial fish stocks in the inshore and its supporting ecosystem. The environmental objective is to maintain and restore the quality of the inshore marine environment for fisheries and for wildlife.