- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will use for the approval or rejection of local authority proposals to use tax increment financing.
Answer
Any decision on local authority proposals to use tax increment financing will be made on a value for money basis. Scottish Futures Trust have been asked to develop a set of criteria to inform this assessment process.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 23 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions and events it is planning as part of the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Answer
The Scottish Government is actively involved in the National Implementing Body, set up to develop and oversee the UK Programme for the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
The UK Programme provides a framework for activity, including UK-level objectives, and an outline of planned activities. There will be a series of events and activities across the UK, to be delivered at a local level. The National Programme, and details of delivery of the programme, can be found at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/european-year-2010/
The Scottish launch of the European Year will take place in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on 22 March 2010. This event is being organised by the DWP in co-ordination with the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government website will be used throughout the year to advise stakeholders and interested parties about upcoming events taking place in Scotland.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 17 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is provided to recipients of Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grants to ensure that planning difficulties are avoided in relation to the installation of renewable energy devices.
Answer
Alongside grants, the Scottish Government funds the work of specialist home renewables advisors to provide intensive, hands on support to householders on all aspects of their renewable energy installation including assistance with planning permission if necessary.
The terms and conditions of the grants also make clear to applicants that they must secure any necessary planning permissions and building consents and signposts them to their local authority for further information.
In addition, the Energy Saving Trust, funded by the Scottish Government, provide advice to local authorities and housing associations through the Practical Help service, including advice on planning.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that landfill gas has a role in energy generation and, if so, how it plans to support this role.
Answer
Landfill is at the bottom of the waste hierarchy, this is reflected in the draft of Scotland''s Zero Waste Plan where waste prevention, minimisation and recycling are given greater prominence. Nevertheless, it is recognised that the journey towards a Zero Waste society in Scotland will not happen overnight and that landfill has a continued role to play in the short to medium term.
In situations where landfill cannot be avoided, recovery and utilisation of gas is encouraged. A continued incentive to recover and utilise landfill gas for electricity generation is provided within the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2009 where generation of electricity from landfill gas attracts 0.25 SROCs (Scottish Renewable Obligation Certificates) per megawatt hour.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 5 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9326 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2010, whether it would be willing to discuss the potential for direct Edinburgh to Cardiff rail services with the Welsh Assembly Government with a view to making joint representations to the UK Government if the case for such services appears to be justified.
Answer
The Scottish Government is always willing to discuss enhancements to cross border rail services.
We would need to see clear evidence of the demand for a direct Edinburgh to Cardiff service before beginning discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 4 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-30709 by Alex Fergusson on 21 January 2010, how many individual journeys to mainland United Kingdom destinations for which it has paid in each of the last three years have been made by (a) air, (b) rail, (c) coach, and (d) private car
Answer
To extract the information, and to provide it in the format required by the member, would be disproportionate in costs. However, the member is invited to contact the Allowances Office to see whether it can be of some other assistance.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 4 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-30709 by Alex Fergusson on 21 January 2010, how many individual journeys to Eurostar destinations for which it has paid in each of the last three years have been made by (a) air, (b) rail, (c) coach, and (d) private car.
Answer
To extract the information, and to provide it in the format required by the Member, would be disproportionate in costs. However, the member is invited to contact the Allowances Office to see whether it can be of some other assistance.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to have discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government over the potential for direct rail services between Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Answer
We have no plans to discuss this issue with the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Department for Transport is responsible for awarding franchises for cross border services in the UK.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Fergusson on 21 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to develop a sustainable travel policy and, if so, what the process will be for developing it.
Answer
The SPCB will undertake a travel to work survey before the end of April 2010. The results of this survey and information being collected on parliamentary travel will be used to determine if the SPCB''s Travel Plan (2006) needs to be updated. It will also be used to determine if it would be beneficial to supplement the sustainable travel objectives of the SPCB''s environmental policy with a dedicated policy on sustainable travel.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights it has booked but not used since May 2007.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. Internal control arrangements are in place to ensure that all travel bookings require prior authorisation. In addition, the Scottish Government travel management provider has systems in place to allow for late cancellations if business requirements change.
