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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.

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Question reference: S4W-04533

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the offshore research and development programme announced by the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism on 29 November 2011 will go toward research on the costs and risks associated with offshore renewables.

Question reference: S4W-04555

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how changes in the energy generation mix since the publication of the National Planning Framework for Scotland 2 will be considered in any public inquiry associated with the decision-making process for applications for new electricity generation stations that are also national developments.

Question reference: S4W-04532

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) statutory bodies, (b) non-statutory bodies, (c) community groups and (d) other marine stakeholder organisations will be consulted in identifying areas that might be suitable for offshore wind development by its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters.

The Scoping Report concludes a technical and scientific exercise to identify strategic search areas for offshore wind energy around Scotland. Statutory bodies, non-statutory bodies, community groups and other marine stakeholder organisations relevant to the areas identified in the Scoping Report will be consulted during the development of Regional Locational Guidance and the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The outcome of the Plan Review process will be an updated set of areas where offshore wind energy should develop around Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-04530

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters will give to project consenting.

The Scoping Report concludes a technical and scientific exercise to identify strategic search areas for offshore wind energy around Scotland. The report will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidance. Together, these documents mark the start of the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The outcome will be an updated set of areas where offshore wind energy should develop around Scotland. Regional Locational Guidance will be a material consideration in project consenting.

Question reference: S4W-04531

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters requires a (a) habitats regulation or (b) strategic environmental assessment and for what reason.

The publication of the Scoping Report will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidance. Together, these documents mark the start of the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. This review will take place over a two year period where further strategic environmental assessment (SEA), habitats regulations appraisal (HRA), socio-economic assessment work will be undertaken as well as consultation with both statutory consultees and the public.

Question reference: S4O-00553

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet the chair or chief executive of NHS Orkney and what issues will be discussed.

Question reference: S4O-00524

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of greylag geese in Orkney and the effectiveness of the measures to limit the damage to agricultural land that the birds cause.

Question reference: S4W-04171

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last met representatives of each of Scotland’s heating oil distribution companies.

Question reference: S4W-04170

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the buildings in its estate by energy performance certificate rating.

The Scottish Government has gone beyond the minimum requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and has produced Energy Performance Certificates for 18 of the larger buildings on its core estate. These 18 buildings represent 71% of the total floor space occupied by the Scottish Government. The ratings generated are:

Building	EPC Rating
Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow	C
St Andrews House, Regent Road, Edinburgh	C
Strathearn House, Lamberkine Drive, Perth	C
Highlander House, 58 Waterloo Street, Glasgow	D
Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness	D
St James House, 25 St James Street, Paisley	D
Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh	D
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh	D
Leith File Store, 139 Leith Walk, Edinburgh	E
Rex House, 75 Bothwell Road, Hamilton	E
Southlands, Reidhaven Street, Elgin	E
Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh	E
Cameron House, Albany Street, Oban	F
Strathbeg House, 3A Clarence Street, Thurso	F
Thainstone Court, Inverurie	F
Tweedbank, Cotgreen Road, Galashiels	F
Freshwater Laboratory, Faskally, Pitlochry	G
Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall	G

Question reference: S4W-04169

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of buildings occupied by it and its agencies have microgeneration technologies installed.

Panels for solar water heating are currently installed at three buildings where the Scottish Government is the sole or major occupier. These buildings are:

the Ellis Building, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen;

Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, and

Tweedbank, Cotgreen Road, Galashiels.

There are 66 buildings where the Scottish Government is the sole or major occupier of which these three buildings represent 4.5%.

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

Information relating to micro generation technologies installed at buildings occupied by agencies is not held centrally.