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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: S3W-06030

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in Edinburgh will be eligible to apply for support through its low-cost initiative for first-time buyers.

The LIFTinitiative – our Low-cost Initiative for First-Time buyers – is a key part of the package of measures to revitalise Scotland’s housingset out in the Firm Foundations discussion document published on 31 October 2007.

LIFT currently includes a mix of government grantsand shared equity schemes. However, through the Firm Foundations consultationprocess, we are seeking views on other potential measures which could beincorporated within LIFT. The number of households who will be eligible toapply for support through LIFT will therefore depend on LIFT’s futurecomposition.

Through LIFT weaim to assist at least 1,800 households into home ownership this year. Asignificant number of these households is expected to be located in the Edinburgh area.

Question reference: S3W-06027

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the City of Edinburgh Council’s estimate that 1,200 new affordable houses require to be built every year for the next decade in order to address Edinburgh’s housing shortage.

The City of Edinburgh Council, as strategic housing authority for Edinburgh, is responsible for determining housing needs withinthe City of Edinburgh area.

The figure of12,000 new affordable houses required to be built over the next ten years wasderived from evidence contained in the Lothian Housing Needs and Market Studyundertaken in 2005.

In our discussiondocument Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland, the Scottish Government has set out our proposals for improving the supply andchoice of affordable housing nationally. These include challenging Scotland’slocal authorities, developers and builders to increase the rate of new housingsupply to at least 35,000 houses a year by the middle of the next decade;increasing the role of local authorities as landlords by offering themfinancial incentives to build new council houses; ending the right to buy onnew social housing, and reforming the regime for subsidising social housing, sothat it support the largest possible programme of new social housing.

Question reference: S3W-06031

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what energy efficiency criteria will be included in the single seller survey.

The Single Survey will contain information in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate and energy report. The objective is to give owners and prospective buyers information about the energy efficiency of the properties concerned and to encourage investment in energy efficiency measures by enabling potential purchasers to compare buildings in terms of their likely fuel costs. Specifically, the following information will be included:

an assessment of the CO₂-impact rating of the property, with a specific indication of current and potential energy efficiency;

current and potential estimated annual energy use (Kwh/m² per year);

current and potential annual carbon dioxide emissions (Kg/m² per year);

current and potential estimated running costs for lighting, heating and hot water;

an explanation of the standard assumptions made about occupancy, heating patterns and geographical location, and the energy use and fuel costs taken into account;

a description of recommended measures to improve the rating of the dwelling, including measures that may become cost-effective in the future and measures which may be cost-effective when other building work is being carried out;

the typical costs of the recommended measures;

typical cost savings for each individual recommended improvement;

further information on the purpose and benefit of the rating and improvements;

advice on the need for legal permissions (for example planning, listed building and building warrants);

sources of further information on energy efficiency, and

contact details for the surveyor.

Question reference: S3W-05808

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult rural communities and the retail industry about the best locations for new abattoir facilities.

Question reference: S3W-05795

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a written, formal and costed application was made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or HM Treasury for a compensation scheme for farmers following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 and prior to 25 October 2007; for what types of support and sectors any such application was made; what costs were attached to each element, and on what date any such application was made.

I wrote to the Secretaryof State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 September 2007 explainingthe urgent need for a sheep welfare scheme and reiterating our view that it shouldbe funded by the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and SustainableGrowth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 October 2007 with detailsof the full £25 million package that I announced in Parliament that day. The letterstated that financial support from the UK Government would be appropriate to addressthe specific issues which emerged from the Pirbright outbreak of foot and mouthdisease. Once the UK Government has accepted in principle that it has responsibilityfor this funding, we can discuss the details.

Question reference: S3W-05802

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when farmers can expect to receive financial assistance from the Scottish Government’s economic compensation scheme.

Question reference: S3W-05796

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment or any officials acting on his behalf recommended or encouraged NFU Scotland to make representations to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on a compensation scheme following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, and whether the Cabinet Secretary or any officials offered formal or informal support for the case that NFU Scotland was proposing to make to DEFRA in respect of a compensation package.

Question reference: S3W-05800

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it routinely plans to release draft documents given to it by the UK Government as part of the process of inter-governmental co-operation.

Question reference: S3W-05807

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the best locations for new rural abattoirs.

Question reference: S3W-05797

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, any communication accompanying the draft statement provided to the Executive by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that indicated what the Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and the Environment might say to the UK Parliament indicated that it had been approved by the Secretary of State as the final statement, or was qualified in any way as being a draft yet to be approved by the Secretary of State.