Seòmar agus comataidhean

Scottish ministers are committed to the low carbon economy and the world-leading targets set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 provide certainty for businesses and communities to plan for the low carbon future. The Scottish Government is showing the way on renewable development and since May 2007 ministers have approved 29 large scale renewable energy projects contributing to a total installed and consented renewables capacity for Scotland of just under 7GW. The pace and momentum set by the Scottish Government continues with a further 26 large scale renewable energy projects applications currently under consideration. The Crown Estate''s recent announcement for the world''s first commercial scale leasing round for wave and tidal energy in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters has the potential to deliver as much as 1.2GW of marine energy off Scotland''s north coast, with significant associated economic benefits. The Scottish Government launched the £10 million Saltire Prize and has tripled funding for micro and community generation with £13.5 million available per year. In October 2009, we launched £2 million pathfinder Energy Saving Scotland Home Loans. We committed £15 million to a new Home Insulation Scheme targeting 100,000 homes in 10 local authority areas in 2009-10. As part of the Scottish Government''s recent budget, this will be increased in 2010-11 from £15 million to £25 million. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places a duty on local authorities to establish council tax discount schemes for Scots who install energy efficient measures in their homes. The Scottish Government is spending almost £2.4 billion over three years on greener transport. Scottish ministers have pledged to plant 100 million trees by 2015 as part of The Climate Group States and Regions Alliance commitment to plant 1 billion trees to encourage governments, businesses and communities worldwide to plant a tree for each person on the planet. The 100 million trees would, over their lifetime, absorb around a year of Scotland''s current emissions.

As set out in the answer to question S3W-30104, no arrangements have been made.

Officials from the Scottish European Green Energy Centre in Aberdeen, the Business, Enterprise and Energy Directorate, the Energy Technology Partnership, the Climate Change and Water Industry Directorate and the Culture, External Affairs and Tourism Directorate are supporting Scottish ministers on the Partnership with the Maldives.

The First Minister met the Maldives President''s Envoy for Science and Technology in Edinburgh on 11 December 2009 and then met President Nasheed of the Maldives in Copenhagen on 15 December 2009 during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate conference where they signed a Joint Statement and then addressed The Climate Group''s Climate Leaders Summit of over 60 state and regional government ministers.

The First Minister and officials met with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and a third party organisation on 12 October 2009 to discuss the possibility of that third party organisation buying The Gathering 2009 Ltd in order to secure the future of the Gathering as an event. During the course of that week the City of Edinburgh Council confirmed to the Scottish Government that Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance was considering buying The Gathering 2009 Ltd. Officials from the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council met again on 4 November 2009 to discuss this issue.

Once the Scottish Government was made aware of Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance''s intention to buy The Gathering 2009 Ltd, officials had a number of discussions with officials from the City of Edinburgh Council about the council''s plans. As usual, this included discussions on the presentational aspects of the decision. Scottish Government ministers and officials were provided with an advance copy of the press release to enable the then Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution to provide a quote for inclusion in the release.

The First Minister and officials met representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and a third party organisation on 12 October 2009 to discuss the possibility of that third party organisation buying The Gathering 2009 Ltd in order to secure the future of the Gathering as an event. That third party organisation subsequently confirmed that it was not interested in purchasing The Gathering  2009 Ltd. On 13 October 2009, the City of Edinburgh Council informed the Scottish Government that at that stage the council or Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance were interested in purchasing the company.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.