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Progress is being made on realising the renewable capability across the public sector in a number of ways:

Through the Scottish Government''s Leading By Example programme we are ensuring all parts of the public sector play an exemplary role in pioneering new greener behaviours. Generating more sustainable low carbon energy through renewables is an important element of the programme;

We have extended the public sector fund to allow it to be used to support renewable technologies as well as energy efficiency;

We have tripled funding for community and microgeneration, with  £13.5 million available each year compared to the previous administration''s £4.5 million;

We are more actively promoting the UK Government''s Low Carbon Building Programme which provides grants to the public sector for renewable technologies, and

We are introducing dedicated School Development Officers to support the deployment of renewable technologies in schools.

The national contract arrangements will help facilitate the development of renewable generation by ensuring appropriate tariffs are set for surplus electricity generated by public sector bodies fed back into the national grid, and thus support business cases for the installation of such technologies.

The tender for the national contract has requested details from prospective suppliers for the energy management measures which they could provide to support the Scottish public sector. Examples given in the invitation to tender are:

Access to energy management information

On-line energy management tools

Energy efficiency audits

Site assessment for suitability of embedded generation.

Further clarification on what these measures could include will impact on the tender and subsequent evaluation processes. It is therefore inappropriate to comment further at this point in time.

The tender requests suppliers to provide details of their Automatic Meter Reading Offer and seeks to leverage the demand from the Scottish public sector to reduce the cost of implementation of such solutions. Installation of meters will remain within the control of individual public bodies in accordance with local policy and budgetary priorities. It is therefore not possible at this time to estimate the number of meters which may be installed.

It has been estimated that the impact of renewable premiums on the electricity contract currently out to tender could be as high as 10%. Renewable premiums are subject to the balance of supply and demand at any particular time and the position will only become clear when tender responses are received.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15704 on 10 September 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15712 on 8 September 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/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Government is already providing a tremendous incentive for the renewables industry to build new renewable generating capacity via our renewables obligation on all Scottish electricity suppliers. Recent information has highlighted that renewable or green electricity tariffs for renewable electricity do not lead necessarily to the production of additional electricity from renewable sources.

Rather than paying what is likely to be a significant price premium for green electricity within the current tight financial settlement, the Scottish Government will divert resources towards energy management measures for its own estate, which will help protect the environment while reducing costs in the medium term via reduced electricity consumption.

Market indicators have suggested that the demand for renewable electricity has significantly increased as both public and private sector organisations have sought to demonstrate green credentials. This has resulted in supplies of renewable electricity being constrained in the market place both in terms of total availability and the quantities available from individual suppliers. The request for information process therefore sought information from the market on availability of renewable electricity to inform the strategy for the national electricity contract for the Scottish public sector.

The tender is focused on selecting the electricity supplier(s) for the national contract in accordance with the most economically advantageous tender. Energy reduction initiatives are defined, developed and monitored by individual public bodies and are carried out in line with their own policy and budget priorities. The national electricity contract aims to support these activities with input from suppliers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15700 on 10 September 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/webapp/wa.search.