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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-13559

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has estimated the number of jobs that will be delivered by projects receiving support from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund.

Question reference: S4W-13545

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13004 by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2013, how it will assess the economic benefit of expenditure from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund.

Question reference: S4W-13553

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what annual spending was expected from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund when it was established.

Question reference: S4W-13543

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13003 by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2013, how it will measure its success in delivering the estimated 28,000 jobs that the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund aims to help deliver.

Projects supported by Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise develop a Monitoring and Evaluation framework, which follows Treasury Green Book approach. Overall at a programme level Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise monitor milestones that have been identified as forming the critical path to the realisation of the 28,000 jobs estimate.

A number of key milestones relate to actions which are outwith the control of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, such as electricity market reform, consents for site development, grid connections and financing of offshore wind projects. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise work with a range of stakeholders to articulate the need for progress on these issues.

Question reference: S4W-13547

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13005 by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2013, how it assesses the economic impact of a project prior to receiving investment from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund and what assessment it made for each project that the fund has supported.

Question reference: S4O-01930

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many adults in the NHS Orkney area are on a waiting list to be registered with a NHS dentist.

Question reference: S4W-13002

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate why demand for financial support from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund has been lower than expected.

The offshore wind industry has enormous potential, and to realise this potential it is essential that investors have confidence. The proposals outlined to date in the UK Energy Bill and Electricity Market Reform programme lack the measures to give investors the confidence beyond 2020.

To deliver market certainty and maintain investor confidence, it is crucial that the UK Government progress the Electricity Market Reform programme to give investment clarity and assurance to the energy sector. The UK Government must also make clear their ongoing support for the offshore wind sector and emulate the Scottish Government’s approach by setting a 2030 electricity decarbonisation target now, not in 2016 as planned under the UK Energy Bill.

Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are working closely with port owners and industry partners to progress the expressions of interest received under the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund programme.

Question reference: S4W-13323

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what average (a) amount of electricity is produced and (b) number of homes and businesses are heated by each district heating scheme.

Question reference: S4W-13334

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many and what percentage of businesses are not connected to the national electricity grid.

Question reference: S4W-13324

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Scotland's demand for (a) electricity and (b) heating district heating schemes meet.

(a) The Scottish Government does not hold figures for the amount of electricity generated by Combined Heat and Power plants which supply district heating schemes.

(b) The Energy Saving Trust in Scotland estimate that, in 2012, district heating schemes provided 103 GWh of heat. This is estimated on a different basis to total heat consumption in Scotland so it is not possible to provide an accurate percentage. We are consulting with a wide range of key data providers and stakeholders, including DECC, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the Energy Saving Trust, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and Scotia Gas Networks, to establish a robust method of annually monitoring heat demand in Scotland.

This approach will ensure that a wide evidence base is being considered and that the expertise and views of the entire sector are being utilised. Scottish Government will provide an update on this work in the Heat Generation Policy Statement which will be published before the end of 2013.