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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-03084

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the creation and operation of enterprise zones will comply with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the habitats' regulations.

Question reference: S4W-03168

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it uses its procurement process to help deliver its 42% carbon reduction target.

The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan provides support on how procurement can contribute towards delivery of a low carbon economy. This includes the use of Government Buying Standards as the minimum specification requirement across a wide range of key product groups.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, is providing further support by embedding The Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement across the wider procurement landscape in Scotland.

This internationally recognised methodology provides public sector buyers a proportionate and relevant risk based approach to deliver sustainable outcomes throughout the procurement cycle.

Question reference: S4W-03170

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the implementation of its year-on-year targets in relation to climate change and public procurement contracts.

Question reference: S4W-03075

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the employment destinations have been of those who have successfully completed a modern apprenticeship in the Lothians region in the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-03074

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by sector of modern apprenticeships in the Lothians region in the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-03072

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what modern apprenticeship placements there have been in the Lothians region in the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-03073

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeship placements have been allocated at colleges in the Lothians region in the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-02928

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which single outcome agreements include a commitment to improve home energy efficiency in the local authority area.

A Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) is the means by which Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) agree their strategic priorities, either individually or jointly, while showing how those outcomes contribute to the Scottish Government’s relevant National Outcomes.

All local authorities have local outcome targets for reducing energy consumption and emissions linked to National Outcome 14 (We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production). The following table provides examples of local outcomes specific to domestic energy efficiency but is not a definitive list given that information is not held centrally in this format.

Local Authority

Local Outcome

Target

Aberdeen

Number of council owned households connected to low energy technology	1,249 households in 2011
Projects in place to showcase advantages of innovative energy technology	4 projects per annum

East Ayrshire	Percentage of housing stock that meets the Reduced Standard Assessment Procedure	Increase to 72% by 2011
Falkirk	Total number of dwellings brought up to SHQS by criteria: Energy efficiency	Increase
Orkney	Promote energy efficiency and all forms of sustainable local renewable energy	Total final energy consumption (kWh)/£GVA 2010-11 – 1.8 (Scottish average)
Perth and Kinross	Total domestic energy consumption/ capita/ consumption (kWh) for Perth and Kinross area	Reduce by 7.5% (2018)
Scottish Borders	Increase the number of households receiving energy efficiency advice from the Council’s Home Energy Advice Service	2011-12 - 782

Some local authorities have also included the Scottish Housing Quality Standard target (100% of social housing to comply by April 2015) which includes energy efficiency elements, in their SOAs.

SOAs reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes of each CPP. Copies of all SOAs, once agreed with local authorities, can be found on the Improvement Service website at:

www.improvementservice.org.uk/single-outcome-agreements/.

Question reference: S4W-02926

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to strengthen guidance for local housing strategies on the promotion of energy efficiency and whether it will make this guidance statutory.

In March this year the Scottish Government and COSLA issued Supplementary Guidance on Addressing Climate Change in Local Housing Strategies (LHS). It provides advice to local authorities on how to address climate change in their LHS to help them meet the duties they have as public bodies under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, set out the financial and other resources available to assist them, and signposted sources of technical information and advice. It stressed the need to integrate their approach to the promotion of energy efficiency with related strategies on house condition and fuel poverty.

The Scottish Government's approach is to recognise and seek to build on the strong track record of Scottish local authorities in developing strategies and implementing programmes in this area. We will continue to work closely with councils to monitor the effectiveness of the guidance, share best practice, and identify areas for improvement.

Question reference: S4W-02925

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider placing a duty on local authorities to set targets for, and report on, carbon emissions reductions and fuel poverty eradication in all housing in their area once the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 is repealed.