- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is considering the role that building regulations can play in terms of smart meters, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:
A review of the energy standards in Scottish building regulations has recently commenced. The role that building regulations can play in terms of smart meters will be on the Building Standards Advisory Committee, energy working party agenda.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to conduct research to review the performance achieved in use and any issues found for buildings designed to be low energy, low carbon, zero energy or zero carbon, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:
Options are currently being considered with regard to this research. This may include research which is currently on-going on behalf of Communities Scotland to evaluate sustainability features of several projects that were built with Housing Association Grant in the last 10 years. This will include a literature review covering schemes from other parts of the UK and Europe.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what body will carry out monitoring of recent private and public sector low carbon domestic and non-domestic buildings in Scotland, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland, and what the timescale is for this.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:
It is intended that contractors will be appointed by competitive tender to undertake this work. This work will only be possible when a sufficient number of buildings which are designed to meet the 2007 standards are complete and occupied. It will require the assistance of occupiers that are supportive of the research work. The monitoring will take place over the course of at least one year.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation to require all owners of non-domestic buildings to conduct a carbon and energy assessment and produce a programme for upgrading, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland, and how it will empower local authorities or public bodies to check such assessments.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:
A consultation paper is currently being drafted on proposals for reducing the carbon emissions associated with existing buildings. This work is being done in conjunction with other parts of Scottish Government, including Historic Scotland. Legislative changes will be dependant on the outcome of this consultation.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to set up a working group to look at reducing carbon emissions in existing domestic buildings, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:
A review of the energy standards in Scottish building regulations has recently commenced. A Building Standards Advisory Committee, energy working party has been convened. Part of its remit is to consider the energy standards and guidance that should apply when building owners elect to do work on existing domestic buildings.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce primary legislation to allow Scottish ministers the opportunity to extend the provision and type of energy performance certificates, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:
A consultation paper is currently being drafted on proposals for reducing the carbon emissions associated with existing buildings. This work is being done in conjunction with other parts of Scottish Government, including Historic Scotland. Legislative changes will be dependant on the outcome of this consultation.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding options to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to enable engineering work to install temporary ramps on the Forth Road Bridge to ease traffic disruption during repairs to the bridge’s main expansion joints.
Answer
There are no plans to provide funding options beyond those already available to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to support the introduction of a permanent hovercraft link across the Forth and, if so, whether it will ensure that the service is operational before the commencement of next year’s planned major engineering works on the Forth Road Bridge.
Answer
The timing of engineering works on the Forth Road Bridge is a matter for Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) as the bridge authority. The FETA board considered, at its meeting on 22 February 2008, proposals to limit the potential disruption from the engineering works proposed for next year.
The provision of public transport services is, however, primarily a matter for the local authorities and SEStran, in association with private sector operators. The Scottish Government is keen to see progress on the cross Forth hovercraft project, to be considered in the context of the wider study on cross Forth travel options being undertaken by SESTRAN, Fife and Edinburgh Councils.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on journey times in and out of Edinburgh resulting from the introduction of a continuous contraflow on the Forth Road Bridge for at least eight weeks.
Answer
Responsibility for any assessment of such impacts is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, as the authority with responsibility for maintaining and operating the Forth Road Bridge.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding options are available to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to provide the resources for engineering measures such as building temporary ramps on the Forth Road Bridge to ease traffic disruption during repairs to the bridge’s main expansion joints.
Answer
Grant funding has been made available within the recently agreed budget settlement, to cover the Forth Estuary Transport Authority's (FETA) estimated running and maintenance costs, as they were estimated at the time.
Should the option of using temporary ramps be taken forward, the Scottish Government would discuss with FETA how that might be funded. Immediate funding options available could involve the reprogramming of other maintenance expenditure, or the use of FETA's borrowing powers.
