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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-00725

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that next generation broadband is available to all of Scotland by 2020.

The Scottish Government’s overarching broadband ambition, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011, is that next generation broadband will be available to all by 2020, with significant progress made by 2015. To achieve this ambition, the Scottish Government is developing a strategic infrastructure plan for Scotland, which will comprise regional broadband strategies, in partnership with local authorities, enterprise agencies and other stakeholders. Regional broadband strategies will outline how and when next generation broadband will be rolled out to the areas within each region.

Question reference: S4W-00790

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions regarding consumer energy bills it has had since 5 May 2011 with (a) Ofgem and (b) power companies with customers in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-00792

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gave to the potential impact on (a) local communities and (b) the environment when deciding to raise the renewable electricity target to 100% of Scotland's electricity demand being generated from renewable resources by 2020.

The target to meet the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020 is included in the scope of the current Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Renewables Roadmap and revised Electricity Generation Policy Statement. The scoping period is now coming to an end and an environmental report will be published alongside the Electricity Generation Policy Statement by the end of 2011.

As part of the SEA process, Ministers will giver full consideration to the requirements of the EC Habitats Directive.

The Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 brought forward enhanced opportunities for people to get involved at earlier stages in the planning process and online renewables advice reaffirms the importance of community engagement in deciding the most appropriate location of renewable energy developments.

Question reference: S4W-00791

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive from what date the target to generate 100% of Scotland's electricity demand from renewable resources by 2020 will be a material consideration in the determination of development proposals.

Question reference: S4W-00793

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that its decision to raise the renewable electricity target to 100% of Scotland's electricity demand being generated from renewable resources by 2020 meets the requirements of the (a) Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and (b) Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

Question reference: S4W-00796

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding has been provided for each onshore wind development in the last five years.

The Scottish Government's approach has been to enhance the local ownership of energy by communities and the rural sector. It has not provided any funding for large scale fully commercial wind farm developments. No central database encompassing the funding arrangements of all onshore wind developments is held.

Over the last five years, Scottish Government community renewables grant schemes have included the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and its predecessor the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative. Under these schemes, a range of renewable technologies were eligible, including community-owned onshore wind developments up to 1 megawatt in installed capacity. Under these schemes, the total capital funding given to projects which include wind turbines between July 2006 and February 2011 is approximately £4.2 million. This includes £3.9 million for wind-only projects, and £0.3 million for projects which are combinations of wind with solar water and heat pumps.

Support has also been provided to the rural sector via the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). The SRDP includes the Development of Renewable Energy Provision, which can fund small-scale wind turbines where the electricity generated is primarily for the applicant's own consumption. Figures for the renewables support given to onshore wind turbines under SRDP are not readily available.

Question reference: S4F-00096

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2011

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the number of attacks on ambulance and fire service crews.

Question reference: S4W-00794

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that renewable energy developments do not harm the natural environment.

In order to come to a view on the environmental impacts of a proposal, the Scottish Government consult the Local Planning Authority, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and any such other persons that are in their opinion likely to be concerned by the proposed development by reason of their specific environment responsibilities

The Scottish Government is promoting and developing best practice, by leading the European GP Wind Project. This EU-funded project identifies good practice in reconciling objectives on renewable energy with wider environmental objectives and in the active involvement of communities in planning and implementation.

Question reference: S4W-00818

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of smoking in the home has been in each of the last five years, broken down by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation area.

The following table identifies the proportion of adults living in a home where someone smokes inside on most days, broken down by SIMD quintile for 2008 and 2009.

This question was only introduced into the Scottish Health Survey in 2008 and therefore data is not available for each of the last five years. 2010 results will be published on 27 September 2011.

Table 1: Proportion of Adults Living in a Home where Someone Smokes Inside on Most Days (Age-Standardised) by SIMD Quintile:

SIMD Quintile

1st - Most Deprived

2nd

3rd

4th

5th - Least Deprived

2008	46	35	26	21	14
2009	47	35	28	18	13
Bases (weighted)
2008	1,264	1,325	1,193	1,502	1,181
2009	1,399	1,512	1,416	1,575	1,629
Bases (unweighted)
2008	1,132	1,226	1,348	1,651	1,106
2009	1,402	1,395	1,579	1,692	1,463

Source: Scottish Health Survey.

Question reference: S4W-00823

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the prevalence of smoking was in 2010 among people aged 16 and over, broken down by (a) age, (b) sex and (c) NHS board area.

The following table provides an age-sex breakdown of smoking prevalence among adults age 16+ for 2009. These data were published in the Scottish Household Survey annual report for 2009 which is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/25092046/0.

Data for 2010 are not due to be published until August 2011.

Table 1: Smoking Prevalence among Adults Age 16+, by Age and Sex, 2009

	16 to 24	25 to 34	35 to 44	45 to 59	60 to 74	75+	Total
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men	27	33	32	28	17	10	26
Women	23	25	27	26	20	11	23

Source: Scottish Household Survey.

The following table provides an NHS board area breakdown of smoking prevalence among adults age 16+ for the two year period 2007-08. The Scottish Household Survey recommends combining two years of data when analysing at NHS board level to ensure estimates are as robust as possible. The next two year period available will be 2009-10 in August 2011.

Table 2: Smoking Prevalence among Adults Age 16+, by NHS Board, 2007-08

NHS Board	%
Ayrshire and Arran	26
Borders	22
Dumfries and Galloway	27
Fife	26
Forth Valley	28
Grampian	23
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	27
Highland New	22
Lanarkshire	29
Lothian	23
Orkney	19
Shetland	17
Tayside	24
Western Isles	24
Scotland	25

Source: Scottish Household Survey.