Chamber and committees

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19562 on 4 March 2014. All answers 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government has regular engagement with media stakeholders in developing policy, at both ministerial and official level. It is not the Scottish Government’s practice routinely to publish records of such meetings with stakeholders.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19562 on 4 March 2014. All answers 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I will be giving evidence to the Culture and Education Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 22 April 2014 for its inquiry into Scotland’s potential educational and cultural future following the independence referendum on 18 September 2014.

Ministers are advised as appropriate of officials’ contacts with stakeholders.

The Scottish Government has regular engagement with media stakeholders in developing policy, at both ministerial and official level.

The Scottish Government has regular contact with the BBC on broadcasting policy, including with its director general, Lord Hall of Birkenhead and with the director, BBC Scotland, Ken MacQuarrie.

<>It is longstanding Scottish Government policy that commercial broadcast licences should be continued in an independent Scotland, as set out, for example, by the First Minister in his speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on 24 August 2012, the text of which may be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Speeches/ed-international-television-festival. As this policy preserves the status quo there is no cause for consultation.

The Scottish Government has welcomed the European Commission’s package of proposals which include greenhouse gas and renewable energy targets for 2030. We believe a 40% greenhouse gas target should be the minimum adopted by the EU, with a commitment to a 50% target in the context of an ambitious global climate agreement in 2015. We want to see a renewables target that is as ambitious as possible, to give certainty to industry, and act as a spur to investment unlock major new technology development, and create jobs far into the future. The proposed 27% renewables target, binding at EU level, is a step in the right direction.

We want to see the EU maintain its lead on climate ambition, and will continue to work with other ambitious countries to make the case for the jobs, trade, investment and growth opportunities that the transition to a low carbon economy will deliver. In this respect, we will continue to present evidence to our European partners of the existing investments and low carbon jobs already experienced in Scotland and the potential we have to fulfil a higher level of ambition on climate mitigation, as well as the importance of taking action to support developing nations as part of our climate justice approach.

Following the European Commission’s acceptance of EU Regulation No. 1310/2013, on the transitional provisions on support for rural development, there are no state aids issues arising from the delivery of the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme in 2014. Earlier draft versions of the European Union’s transitional provisions on support for rural development omitted some capital works, such as drainage. With the passing of EU Regulation No. 1310/2013 that omission no longer applies.