Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26029 on 13 August 2009. 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 no information on the costs incurred by other parties in relation to the Public Local Inquiry.

As detailed in the answer S4W-10615, the revised costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route following scope changes, the inclusion of standard risk costs and rebasing to 2012 prices totals £653 million.

Cost increases due to inflation total £230 million. There is also an additional £21million associated with scope changes to the scheme and £54 million allocated for risk.

An indicative timetable for construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was published on Transport Scotland’s website on 17 October 2012. Further details are available at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/AWPR-decision-just-ruling.

The commitment to start improvements to Haudagain following completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route remains firmly in place. The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is due to be completed in Spring 2018 and the current estimated construction duration for the Haudagain improvements preferred option is nine months.

An indicative timetable for construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was published on Transport Scotland’s website on 17 October 2012. This timetable indicates construction commencing in Autumn 2014 with construction completion in Spring 2018. Further details are available at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/AWPR-decision-just-ruling

A Prior Information Notice was published on 19 October 2012 which signalled the start of the procurement process.

As published on Transport Scotland’s Website, the indicative timetable in relation to the procurement process is:

Early 2013 - Hold industry day to discuss tenders

Early 2013 - Publish Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) contract notice

Spring 2013 - Issue invitation to tender

Autumn 2014 - Award contract/commence works

Further details are available at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/AWPR-decision-just-ruling.

It is for NHS boards to plan the bed configuration they require to meet local needs, following relevant national policies.

ISD Acute Activity statistics published in September 2012 show the changing pattern of care nationally continues with shorter hospital stays, more same day surgery and a subsequent requirement for fewer acute hospital beds. Both the quality of care and efficiency continue to improve.

The Energy Assistance Package (EAP), Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) and Boiler Scrappage Scheme (BSS) are currently available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire to reduce fuel poverty by assisting households to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their fuel bills.

The number of households helped in both local authorities in the last two financial years is as follows:

Aberdeen City

Aberdeenshire

A record £65 million has been made available for these three programmes in 2012-13 and Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire have every opportunity to benefit from this.

More information on previous years can be found in the Home Energy Programmes Detailed Report 2009-2012, available from the Energy Saving Trust website:

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Take-action/Home-Energy-Scotland/Energy-Assistance-Package/Programme-statistics.

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme was launched in 2010. Figures for actual and expected installations are in the following table:

Number of Boilers Replaced Under the Boiler Scrappage Scheme

The Home Energy Programmes Detailed Report 2009-2012 can be found at:

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Take-action/Home-Energy-Scotland/Energy-Assistance-Package/Programme-statistics.

In 2013, there will be significant changes to the UK framework for domestic energy efficiency programmes, with the introduction of the Green Deal and ECO (Energy Company Obligation).. As a result, current Scottish Government home energy programmes will also change, to be superseded by the new National Retrofit Programme (NRP) as announced on 6 June 2012.

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme is being accelerated in 2012-13 in order to meet the commitment made in the 2011 manifesto three years early, so that the much larger National Retrofit Programme can roll out next year. We are currently working with local authorities on the detail of the NRP, which is intended to achieve overall investment of around £200 million in per annum in Scotland.

On 29 October we launched a new cashback voucher scheme for householders who install energy efficiency measures as recommended by an EPC (energy performance certificate) or Green Deal Assessment. This scheme will continue into 2013-14 and could help households access a range of measures including heating systems. £5.4 million is available in 2012-13 and £14 million in 2013-14.

Local authority level fuel poverty analysis is performed on three years of data to include enough cases to be statistically significant. As such fuel poverty figures are not available for each calendar year. These figures represent the mid point of the data collection period based on calendar years.

Full details are available from the Scottish House Condition Survey website.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/SHCS/keyanalyses.