Chamber and committees

The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested. Annual figures for electricity generated by renewables in Scotland are published on the Scottish Government''s website at the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment/seso/sesoSubSearch/Q/SID/205.

In 2008, the last year for which figures are available, wind and wave power supplied 3330 gigawatt hours which is the equivalent of 8.1% of Scotland''s total electricity demand.

It is estimated that if the final tranche of compulsory purchase orders in relation to land/access rights required to maintain the Borders Railway were not served, savings would be in the region of £170,000 - £200,000.

Major infrastructure projects by their nature require lengthy development periods and this often requires specialist external expertise to support the core Transport Scotland team''s work in delivering the project efficiently and effectively.

Weber Shandwick have supported the in-house Transport Scotland communications team by providing services such as design and production of procurement documents and corporate material such as exhibition stands. They were also involved in newsletter production and providing briefings for directly affected communities and wider stakeholders, along with the production of industry events and information to introduce the project to the contracting industry.

Ernst & Young provided the appropriate financial advice required to develop the procurement strategy, including financial modelling and commercial and strategic advice.

Dundas & Wilson have provided thorough and detailed legal advice to the project including contract drafting, and advice on appropriate risk allocation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33896 on 8 June 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.

The successful Design, Build, Finance and Maintenance (DBFM) Contractor is required to obtain appropriate private finance to fund the activities of the DBFM Contract. The cost of capital will form part of each consortium''s bid, and therefore the expected cost of capital is commercially confidential. The DBFM contract is the principal source of finance for the project, and will be managed using Not for Profit Distributing principles. DBFM payments will be made by the Scottish Government over a thirty year period following the opening of the railway. In addition, the Scottish Government has spent to date £52 million on land purchase, advanced works and development costs. The City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and Scottish Borders Councils will also make a capped financial contribution worth in total £30 million.

There have been no further projected increases in the cost of the Fingerprint Inquiry since April 2010.

No. There is no reason to believe that such a request will be necessary. The terms of reference of the Inquiry do not include a timeframe in which the chairman is expected to report and such a request would not be in keeping with the statutory provision that the conduct of the Fingerprint Inquiry is for the chairman to direct.

Ministerial considerations of cost or any other relevant matter will differ substantially in accordance with the nature and specific characteristics of the circumstances for which public inquiries are under consideration.

For Inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005, considerations will include the provisions of Section 17, which require that the proceedings and conduct of an Inquiry are for the chairman to determine, and that in making any decision as to the procedure or conduct of an inquiry the chairman must act with regard also to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost. Further ministerial considerations of the potential cost will be associated with any decisions to issue determinations under Sections 39 and 40 of the 2005 act.

In relation to the Fingerprint Inquiry, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice considered the key preliminary matters including the Inquiry''s terms of reference and the appointment of a Chairman in June 2007, following the commitment to establish a judicial public inquiry, made by the Scottish National Party in May 2007 in the published document It''s time to look forward - the first 100 days of an SNP government.

Following preparatory work, the Fingerprint Inquiry was established on 14 March 2008, on which date the terms of reference and Sir Anthony Campbell''s chairmanship were announced.

In relation to the projected costs of the Inquiry, I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-11621 on 15 April 2008 and S3W-11870 on 24 April 2008. 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.

A ministerial determination under Section 40(4) of the 2005 Act was announced on 5 June 2008, following which a provisional budget estimate of £3.5 million was provided to ministers by the Inquiry team in October 2008. The final estimated cost of just over £4 million was announced in April 2010, following completion of the public hearings.

This is a matter for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), a body operationally independent from Scottish ministers.

Ministers have not yet received the report of the Fingerprint Inquiry, nor been notified of a date for its publication. The Inquiry Chairman is understood to be considering the evidence and preparing a report.

The conduct of a public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act is for the Chairman of the Inquiry to determine.