- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has conducted on the economic outlook for the retail sector in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.
Answer
The future prospects of the Scottish economy are summarised within the Scottish Government''s quarterly State of the Economy publication available at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/state-economy/latestSofE.
The latest version, published at the end of November 2010, observes on page 51 that should conditions in the Scottish labour market remain weak, this will lower income per household and therefore lower household consumption.
In addition to such general analysis, the Scottish Government has commissioned an in-depth study of the contribution which the retail sector makes to the Scottish economy. The results of this study will be available by early March 2011.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers commodity price increases will have on the retail sector.
Answer
An increase in commodity prices can increase both the cost of production and distribution across sectors in the economy however it is difficult to anticipate the exact nature of impact in the retail sector. For example, the implications will depend on the pricing strategies of individual retail firms and whether costs are absorbed in profit margins or passed to the consumer. In addition, there can be a time lag between increases in the cost of goods production and implications in the retail supply chain.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage businesses to use electric vehicles.
Answer
Central Scotland is one of only eight UK regions to be successful in joining the Plugged-in Places programme, which will provide match funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging points. This Scottish scheme, led by Transport Scotland, is currently under way, and will result in the installation of 375 charging points across areas such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Falkirk, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire.
The installation of these points will incentivise businesses to purchase electric vehicles, by ensuring that they have the confidence to drive and know that they are in close proximity to an accessible charging point.
The £3.9 million Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme, also led by Transport Scotland, is making grant funding available to all 32 Community Planning Partnerships in Scotland for the purchase of low carbon vehicles. This scheme is expected to see the roll out of over 100 electric vehicles in to the public sector fleet, with this increased volume of sales capable of contributing to lower capital costs for businesses and private owners through increased economies of scale.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what support and advice it has for businesses considering the use of electric vehicles.
Answer
Transport Scotland currently work with the Energy Saving Trust to provide businesses and members of the public with advice on transport and travel choices. This is provided by staff at Energy Saving Advice Centres as well as through the website www.chooseanotherway.com. Transport advisors will provide information on buying efficient and low carbon vehicles, including electric vehicles, as well as offering businesses the opportunity to undertake reviews of their existing fleets and undertake travel plans.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 19 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it had with the retail sector in December 2010 and what issues were discussed.
Answer
Ministers and officials regularly speak to, meet and correspond with a range of individual retailers and business organisations, such as the Scottish Retail Consortium, as part of ongoing engagement with sectors of the economy. In November 2010, there were several meetings where issues such as business rates and the economy were discussed.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 19 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it had with the retail sector in November 2010 and what issues were discussed.
Answer
Ministers and officials regularly speak to, meet and correspond with a range of individual retailers and business organisations, such as the Scottish Retail Consortium, as part of ongoing engagement with sectors of the economy. In November 2010, there were several meetings where issues such as business rates and the economy were discussed.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 13 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Investment Bank is open for business.
Answer
The Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) is open for business and currently operating as a division of Scottish Enterprise. In the year to 31 March 2010 the SIB''s existing equity funds have invested a total of £32 million in 106 businesses, leveraging a further £68 million in support from private sector investors.
Details on the SIB and current products can be accessed via the Scottish Enterprise website.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36571 by Stewart Stevenson on 4 October 2010, whether it considers that a key advantage of having a register of energy performance certificates for non-domestic properties would be that ministers would be able to analyse and assess energy efficiency improvements to the non-domestic stock.
Answer
This could be advantageous. This is one of a number of issues currently being considered by officials as outlined in my response to question S3W-36569 on 4 October 2010.
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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36569 by Stewart Stevenson on 4 October 2010, how it proposes to comply with the requirement of Article 7 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in ensuring that energy performance certificates are made available.
Answer
Compliance with the EU Directive on The Energy Performance of Buildings has been achieved and notification submitted to the EU. Mandatory provision of energy performance certificates for buildings was introduced through both The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36574 by Stewart Stevenson on 4 October 2010, what methods it uses to assess the overall (a) emissions output and (b) energy consumption of Scotland’s total non-domestic housing stock.
Answer
We have clarified that your question should have read non-domestic property stock rather than non-domestic housing stock as noted above.
As such it asks for the same information as the question you refer to and asked previously (S3W-36574); and I refer you to my answer at that time “ reproduced below for your convenience.
Assessment of the approximate carbon emissions and energy consumption of non-domestic buildings is undertaken using the National Calculation Methodology (NCM) which ensures that such assessments comply with European Directive 2002/91/EC Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
