- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a selective ban on products for incineration similar to that introduced for landfill.
Answer
The proposed Zero Waste Regulations will ensure that separately collected dry recyclables and food waste are banned from both landfill and incineration. These bans will be universal and apply regardless of the source of the waste.
The draft Regulations also contain a requirement that every effort is made to remove all recyclable material from an unsorted waste stream before the remaining residual element can be incinerated. This effectively means that “black bin bag” waste or waste which has not been collected separately cannot be sent direct to mass incineration without first having been subject to some form of pre-treatment. This provides a second opportunity to remove recyclable materials missed at the source segregation and separate collection stage. This will ensure that Scotland does not simply move from mass landfill to mass incineration.
The intended effect of this restriction is to ensure that only materials which cannot be recycled are available for incineration. This reduction in potential “feedstock” for incineration facilities is unlikely to reduce the number of speculative planning applications in the short-term, but it will ultimately limit the number that are built.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will address the scale of (a) biomass and (b) incineration projects in its changes to the National Waste Strategy.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that we have limited biomass resource in Scotland and if we are to meet the target for renewable heat and power, it is vital that we make the most efficient, effective use of that resource. The Scottish Government would prefer to see biomass deployed in heat-only or combined heat and power schemes, off grid-gas use, at a scale appropriate to make best use of both the available heat, and of local supply. In addition, ministers have already outlined that they would review the Renewables Obligation Scotland support in order that it reflects our policy in this area.
The Zero Waste Regulations will ensure that only a limited quantity of material will be available for incineration in Scotland. All inputs will have to be treated and recyclate removed before energy can be reclaimed. These restrictions will limit the economic viability of large plants. In addition SEPA Thermal Guidelines on Energy from Waste, which are a material consideration during the planning process, detail the efficiency requirements of new projects. These stringent efficiency guidelines make the construction large scale plants impractical.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Stevenson College and Jewel and Esk College.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first notified of the oil spill from Shell's Gannet Alpha platform and how this notification was given.
Answer
Scottish Government officials based at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, who are the Marine Scotland on call Duty Officers, were first notified of the spill via a telephone call from Shell at 1pm on 11 August 2011. As is routinely the case in relation to the hundreds of offshore oil and chemical spills notified each year, a watching brief was maintained at that stage, as the volume and nature of the spill was not clear. Ministers were notified the following day after Shell provided information on the scale and extent of the incident.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 27 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what issues will be addressed in the new waste guidelines due to be published in autumn 2011.
Answer
The update and replacement of Planning Advice Note 63 - Waste Management Planning 2002, will address good practice in development planning and development management across all waste streams. It will include advice on factors such as location, need, public engagement, awareness, infrastructure delivery, operation, monitoring and compliance.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is incentivising the private sector to tackle climate change and improve the energy efficiency of (a) buildings and (b) estates.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports business and industry through a number of avenues to help business and the public sector in Scotland to reduce carbon emissions, improve business efficiency and with carbon management planning. The Carbon Trust have indicated the latest results for 2010-11 show annual savings of at least 284kt CO2 and £31.8 million in reduced annual energy costs. Our Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme offers small and medium enterprises interest-free loans for renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. This scheme paid out over £2.4 million through more than 80 loans during 2010-11.
The Scottish Government is committed to simplifying the landscape for energy and resource efficiency advice to business. We have established a single Scottish Energy and Resource Efficiency Service for business, bringing together key delivery bodies (including Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA), our enterprise agencies and Business Gateway. The new service will provide greater cross-referral, encouraging businesses to consider taking action on energy and wider resource efficiency at the same time.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Energy Bill 2011.
Answer
Scottish Government has been working closely with Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on the UK Energy Bill. Mr Neil is also a member of the Ministerial Oversight Group set up to facilitate cross government working on the Bill. We have worked to ensure that the UK Bill reflects Scottish interests and that it recognises Scottish devolved areas of responsibility. The UK Energy Bill sets out the framework for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation policies and we have been working with DECC to ensure that Scotland can implement these in a manner that meets Scotland’s specific circumstances e.g. location, climate, house types etc. A particular priority for us is to ensure that the Green Deal acts to support the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We have a member of Scottish Government staff working in DECC to assist with this process.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enhance energy performance certificates.
Answer
A consultation on the format and content of Scottish energy performance certificates will be carried out later this year. The Scottish Government also contributes to the UK review of the calculation methodologies used to produce energy performance certificates. We intend that any changes arising from this work will be introduced in spring 2012.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations from the report, A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland, have yet to be implemented.
Answer
The information requested is given in Appendix A of the Progress Report on the Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland published by the Scottish Government in February 2011, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 53209).
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2011
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met NHS Lothian to discuss the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children incorporating the Department for Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2011
