- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage the provision of improved power distributionlines to allow the wind, wave and tidal power resources of Orkney and Shetland to be tapped and fed into the national grid.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30117 today. 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/search_wa
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy to encourage the use of renewable energy resources, such as biomass and solar energy, for the provision of heating for domestic and commercial premises.
Answer
The DTI is responsible for capital funding for bio-energy and solar technologies. Additionally in Scotland, the Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme supports renewable energy projects including heat pumps, biomass to heat and solar to heat schemes. The Scottish Executive is currently involved in discussions with Department of Trade and Industry on the introduction of a community and householder scheme to assist with funding for renewable energy projects. It is expected that solar heating and biomass heating projects will be eligible under programme criteria.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made an assessment of the total renewable energy resources available from wave energy in the seas round Orkney and Shetland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30112 today. 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/search_wa
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in assessing its priorities for support for the development of renewable energy resources, it takes into account the benefit of the predictability of the energy available in the tidal currents in the seas round Orkney and Shetland.
Answer
Wave and tidal power provides a significant opportunity for Scotland. The excellent resource off the coast of Orkney was one of the factors taken into account by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in reaching its decision to site the European Marine Energy Test Centre there. I have announced that the Executive will financially support the establishment of the centre. It is not, however, our policy to give locational guidance on the siting of developments, this is a matter for developers themselves.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the ability of the current power distribution lines to allow its enhanced renewable energy targets to be achieved and what action it is taking to address any shortcomings.
Answer
Our consultation paper acknowledges that it will be necessary to significantly strengthen the grid if we are to generate as much as 40% of electricity by renewable means by 2020. Issues relating to the electricity networks are reserved to Westminster. We are committed to working with the UK Government, the regulator, and the industry itself to ensure that the grid is developed and operated efficiently so as to ensure that our renewables potential can be fully realised.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to British Waterways' future activities in Scotland.
Answer
A close liaison between the Executive and British Waterways Scotland will continue to be maintained as regards the upkeep and development of Scotland's canals.The Scottish budget for the period April 2003 to March 2006 includes the provision of £33 million to British Waterways for this three-year period. This represents an increase in deficit grant of 23%.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the value of canals and waterways to the economy.
Answer
It is estimated that the Scottish canal network currently supports over 1,000 jobs in the leisure, recreation and tourism sectors. The Caledonian Canal contributes 14% of the tourist spend in the Great Glen.The value of canals to the Scottish economy is expected to increase significantly in the coming years as the regeneration and development opportunities offered by the Millennium Link are realised.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote canals and waterways as tourist attractions.
Answer
Promoting Scotland's canals as tourist attractions is undertaken mainly by British Waterways, VisitScotland and Sail Scotland.We published our canals policy document Scotland's Canals: an asset for the future today. One of its chief aims is to increase the profile of our canals for tourism and other purposes.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of baton guns by police forces will be monitored by any independent body reporting to ministers.
Answer
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary monitors all aspects of policing which includes the deployment of firearms and less lethal weapons and equipment.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any guidelines which police forces will follow when using baton guns.
Answer
The tactical deployment of baton guns and other less lethal options is a police operational matter and guidelines are contained in a
Manual of Guidance on the Police Use of Firearms produced jointly by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). A copy of the guidelines is available on the ACPO website at:
http://www.acpo.police.uk/policies/Contents.pdf.
