Questions and answers

Question reference: S4O-01424

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 1 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many deposits have been lodged with approved schemes under the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 since their introduction in July 2012.

Question reference: S4O-01451

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure high sustainability standards in future biomass energy generation.

Question reference: S4W-09862

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities remain for public and stakeholder engagement in the development of marine protected areas under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Scottish Ministers will receive advice on the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in November 2012, and will report to the Parliament in December 2012.

The public consultation, planned for summer 2013, will be a major opportunity for any interested party to present views on the development of the network as well as views on individual MPA proposals for designation under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

In the intervening periods Marine Scotland will continue to have bilateral meetings with marine industry representatives, other marine stakeholder groups, and environmental NGOs on a regular basis to discuss the shape of the network and possible management implications. They will also consider requests from other interested parties for further engagement in the process.

Historic Scotland has developed proposals for Historic MPAs. There will be public consultation on these proposals beginning before the end of 2012, with a view to first designations during 2013.

Question reference: S4W-09861

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has chosen to exclude feeding areas for seabirds from the criteria for designating marine protected areas under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and what the reasons are for its approach.

The Marine Protected Area (MPA) network will include designations under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, EU Habitats Directive, EU Wild Birds Directive, and marine components of Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI).

There are currently 47 Special Protection Areas (SPAs), under the EU Wild Birds Directive, and a further 17 SSSIs already providing protection of seabirds in the MPA network.

Work is also progressing to identify further locations in the marine environment that meet the criteria for consideration as Special Protection Areas for seabirds and waterfowl for critical activities such as foraging.

The only species of seabird in Scotland not covered by SPA provisions of the EU Wild Birds Directive is the Black Guillemot. Consequently Nature Conservation MPA proposals are being identified, under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, for this species. There will also be proposals for protection of sandeels, a key prey species for seabirds.

It is envisaged that completion of all of these designations will provide a resilient MPA network for seabirds. The periodic reviews of the network as required by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 will provide an opportunity to ensure that this is the case.

I will report in detail to the Parliament on progress to create the MPA network in December 2012.

Question reference: S4W-09933

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the 30 new schools announced in the draft budget meet the (a) principles set out in the Building Better Schools strategy and (b) highest energy efficiency standards.

The 30 new schools will be built under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future (SSF) programme. In submitting bids for SSF funding authorities were required to confirm that their project would support the delivery of key national and local policies, one of which was that it should meet the principles set out in the joint Scottish Government/COSLA school estate strategy document Building Better Schools. Another requirement is that a project must deliver a sustainable and environmentally efficient building which will contribute to meeting the government’s climate change and zero waste targets.

Question reference: S4W-09935

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the designs of the 30 new schools announced in the draft budget provide high quality spaces to support outdoor learning and outdoor play.

The design of new schools is quite rightly for individual local authorities to determine. That said, in order to qualify for funding under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme local authorities must demonstrate that they meet the programme goals.

One of which is that the project must show that an integrated, holistic and long term approach has been considered. This involves consideration of all of the potential functions of a school not just as a place of learning but also the recreational, social and cultural needs of pupils and the local community. In order to demonstrate that commitment, a local authority must provide evidence that consideration has been given to making the best use of school grounds and outdoor spaces when designing the school.

Question reference: S4W-09934

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the designs of the 30 new schools announced in the draft budget will be integrated with the delivery of sustainable development and global citizenship education.

The design of new schools is quite rightly for individual local authorities to determine. That said, in order to qualify for funding under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme local authorities must demonstrate that they meet the programme goals.

One of which is that the new school must be greener, more sustainable and environmentally efficient than the one it is replacing. This is made evident by the requirement to achieve a BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) excellent rating and an Energy Performance Certificate of B+ before renewables.

Another programme goal sets out that the local authority must outline how they will ensure that the school enables successful implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. Sustainable development, citizenship and international education are important themes that run through all stages of Curriculum for Excellence. These themes are embedded across the experiences and outcomes and have been promoted as global citizenship education.

Question reference: S4W-09842

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 17 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it is meeting the 2011 SNP manifesto commitment to maintain student numbers in further education and at what level.

In the current academic year (2012-13) we are meeting our commitment through funding the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to secure the same volume of college learning as in 2011-12. The New College Learning Programme, delivered through Skills Development Scotland, is an important element of that provision.

Looking ahead to the next academic year (2013-14), we shall maintain volume through a combination of SFC funding, and resource available in the recently announced Employability Fund, in which £24 million will be ring-fenced for college provision.

Question reference: S4W-09924

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when the recently-announced consultation on how renewable obligation certificates are to be granted for biomass will commence.

<>The Renewables Obligation supplementary consultation was published on Friday 5 October 2012. The consultation, seeking views on our proposed 10 MW cap for biomass generation, changes to the solar PV ROC band and on new biomass sustainability criteria, is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Obligation-12-13/ROConsultationOct2010.

We are requesting views by Friday 16 November on these issues, with the exception of the proposals on biomass sustainability criteria, where the deadline for response is Friday 11 January 2013.

Question reference: S4W-09639

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported findings that people living in hard water areas may have a lower incidence of liver disease caused by alcohol.

Scottish Government is aware of recent research from England which looks at possible associations between water hardness and admissions for alcohol-related liver disease. This type of observational study can certainly be used to generate hypotheses. Such hypotheses then of course, require further research to help determine if the observation of water softness and higher alcoholic liver disease is merely an observed association or is in some way a contributory cause.

The average alcohol consumption in a population is directly linked to the amount of alcohol-related harm. Water hardness has remained essentially constant. Alcohol sales data for Scotland for 2011 show an increase of 10% since 1994. Since the 1980s alcohol-related hospital discharges have more than quadrupled and
alcohol-related death rates have doubled since the early 1990s. Scots drink significantly more than their counterparts in England and Wales (20% in 2011), fuelling the much higher levels of alcohol-related harm.

Setting a minimum price of alcohol is one of the most effective ways of reducing alcohol misuse and harm, and that is why we will be introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol.

Chamber and committees