Chamber and committees

The Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) now provides loans to farmers, land managers, rural businesses, cooperatives and communities for the pre-planning consent costs of developing proposals. The spending review later this year will give an opportunity to consider future funding for community renewables.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise leads on this program providing staff, marketing and other support.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s Chief Executive to write to you with the information.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise leads on this program providing staff, marketing and other support.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s Chief Executive to write to you with the information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01736 on 11 August 2011. 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 is leading by example through achieving levels of £5,000 per megawatt per annum community benefit on commercial developments recently leased on Forestry Commission (Scotland) (FCS) land. The recent leasing process by FCS also gives an opportunity for communities to engage and invest in up to 49 per cent ownership of projects.

We are further considering how to optimise community benefit and community engagement with renewables as we review the responses to the “Securing the Benefits of Scotland’s Next Energy Revolution” consultation.

Information on progress toward reducing carbon emissions arising from operations on the Scottish Government estate is detailed in the Scottish Government’s Environmental Performance Annual Report for 2008-09; copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50874).

Information in respect of progress during 2009-10 is currently being collated for publication later this year.

Scottish ministers set out their policies and proposals for meeting annual emissions reduction targets for 2010-22, including the interim target of 42% by 2020, in the Report on Proposals and Policies, a statutory requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reduction Targets 2010-2022 was laid in draft in Parliament on 17 November 2010, and laid in its final form in Parliament on 14 March 2011.

We do not hold this information. The Energy Assistance Package is a demand led scheme. The volume and location of installations depends on the receipt of eligible applications, along with the available budget. Future funding for EAP will be a matter for the forthcoming Spending Review.

I am happy to confirm that Professor David Sigsworth has agreed to take up the post of Chair of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum. He will be ably assisted by Norman Kerr, who has agreed to become Vice Chair.

The warm homes fund will deliver renewable energy and energy-efficient homes in those communities worse affected by fuel poverty. We expect to publish more details on the fund in the spending review.