Seòmar agus comataidhean

I have been involved in no such meetings in the last six months. I did however meet with the Chair of the Board of Scotland’s Colleges on 7 November 2012, at which we discussed Scotland’s Colleges’ approach to the issue.

The Scottish Government published a consultation paper "Supporting Business, Promoting Growth" on non-domestic rates on 27 November 2012. This paper poses questions about all current rate reliefs funded by the Scottish Government, which includes charitable relief awarded to independent schools. The consultation closes on 22 February 2013, and its findings will inform future rating policy.

As I indicated to the Parliament on 16 January 2013, an update for MSPs on the audit has been placed in Scottish Parliaments Information Centre (SPICe). (Bib number 54653) The update makes clear that the report will be published in February.

There are currently no district heating systems in the areas neighbouring biomass plants.

The station at Lockerbie provides heat to a local timber and saw mill business, while the station at Invergordon uses the heat produced to dry wood pellets at the site. The station at Irvine uses the heat for the operation of the paper mill and other onsite operations.

The industrial dispute between the RMT union and Serco NorthLink Ferries was rightly a matter to be resolved through negotiation between the two parties. However, from 31 October 2012 - the point at which the RMT announced their intention to ballot members – Transport Scotland officials were in regular contact with the ferry operator in order to ensure that a resolution was being actively sought.

Following the announcement on 3 December 2012 of the RMT’s intention to hold a strike, officials kept up daily contact with the Serco NorthLink Managing Director, Stuart Garrett. In addition, on 7 December 2012 I spoke by phone on a number of occasions with both Mr Garrett and with the RMT’s Secretary General, Bob Crow. I urged both parties to continue to work towards a solution which would avoid any disruption to these lifeline services, particularly given the approaching Christmas and New Year holidays. I also spoke to other trade union interests during that time. I updated parliament on the background to the dispute in my Ministerial Statement on 13 December 2012.

I welcome the news that the planned strike action has been suspended following positive discussions between the parties and hope that the ongoing dialogue will bring this dispute to a successful conclusion with no further impact on the communities served by Serco NorthLink Ferries.

There are a number of variables that could affect the annual running costs for operating a new tax system in an independent Scotland. The Scottish Government will publish estimates in due course.

We will always seek to maximise efficiency, reducing the costs of tax collection to both taxpayers and the Government through modernising and streamlining tax legislation and administration. Under the new powers given in the Scotland Act 2012, we have proposed the introduction of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and a new Scottish Landfill Tax. As announced in June 2012, our estimate is that the administrative cost of collecting these taxes through Revenue Scotland will be at least 25 per cent less than the cost of asking HMRC to continue to collect Stamp Duty Land Tax and the current Landfill Tax in Scotland after April 2015.

There is no single definition of carbon neutral.

In October 2009 the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published

the following definition of carbon neutrality:

“Carbon neutral means that through a transparent process of calculating emissions, reducing those emissions and offsetting residual emissions – net carbon emissions equal zero”.

While the Scottish Government’s estate does not include any buildings that meet this definition, the Scottish Government is actively working towards a reduction in the emissions from its buildings through the Transforming Our Workplace programme, through the implementation of a programme of energy efficiency projects and an updating of its Carbon Management Plan.

From April 2013, the Scottish Government, as part of the wider Scottish public sector, will be supplied with electricity by EDF Energy. This new contract, like the current contract with Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy, provides 100% renewable energy.

Information relating to the carbon status of buildings occupied by agencies is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04170 on 7 December 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 three buildings on the Scottish Government estate that have microgeneration technologies (solar water heating) represent 4.8% of the 63 buildings where the Scottish Government is the sole or major occupier.

We will continue to keep under review opportunities for further use of micro generation technologies where environmental and cost benefits would result.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04170 on 7 December 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 committed to improving the environmental performance of its estate and this is reflected in its success in achieving the Carbon Trust Standard award during 2012.