- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for decisions to be made on each wind farm proposal that has been referred to ministers through public inquiries or under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Answer
Under Section 36of the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish ministers are responsible for thegranting or refusal of applications for consent for electricity generation.There is no published timetable set for Scottish ministers to make thesedecisions, however, they are required by legislation to be satisfied that theyhave considered all relevant factors before taking their decision.
For applicationsmade under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, local authorities decide the vast majority of planningapplications. Scottish ministers have a general power to intervene by callingin applications for their own determination where they consider such actionnecessary. Where a planning application has been called in and a report isreturned to Planning Directorate, following a public local inquiry, Scottish ministers’published targets are to provide a decision on 80% of applications in two monthsand 100% of applications in three months.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific guidance it has given to Transport Scotland on the remit and scope of the reviews of major transport infrastructure projects.
Answer
Transport Scotlandreviews its portfolio of major road and rail projects on a quarterly basis and providesupdates to ministers. Transport Scotland operates withinits Framework Document, Corporate Plan and the requirements of the Scottish PublicFinance Manual.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Transport Scotland financial review of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project will (a) begin and (b) be completed and what the terms are of the review.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1348 on 24 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion it has had with Ofgem regarding the development of proposals on zonal transmission loss charging.
Answer
I wrote to Ofgem on31 July 2007 on the Executive’s concerns over Ofgem’s proposalsto introduce zonal transmission loss charging. A copy of the letter has been madeavailable in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43475).
The First Ministerwill meet with the Chairman of Ofgem on 20 September 2007 to raise concerns about transmission charging, whichthe Executive considers disadvantages Scottish generators, the development of renewableenergy resources, and works against UK and Scottish energyand climate change policy objectives.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will abide by the findings of a public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer
The findings of aPublic Local Inquiry are the statement of facts from the reporter.
Scottishministers will consider the recommendations made in the report of any Public LocalInquiry before making a decision.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) homes and (b) acres of land have been compulsorily purchased in preparation for the building of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
Answer
No homes or land haveat this stage been compulsorily acquired for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any European regulations or legislation have affected the timescale for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project and, if so, whether it will provide details of such regulations or legislation.
Answer
Compliance with Europeanregulations and legislation have been factored into the timetable for deliveringthe Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the remit of a public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project and, if so, whether it will ensure that climate change implications and effects on congestion levels are included as part of the inquiry.
Answer
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is being promoted under the terms of the Roads(Scotland) Act 1984. A Public Local Inquiry is requiredto be held in certain circumstances prescribed in the act to hear evidence in relationto objections lodged against the draft orders. It is too early to say what evidencewould be heard at any inquiry.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 21 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the current regulatory regime for renewable electricity generation takes full account of Scottish circumstances.
Answer
Ofgem’s transmissioncharging regime works against the development of renewable energy resources in Scotland. This government wants Ofgem to set charging regimeswhich support rather than work against environmental objectives. The First Ministerintends to meet with Ofgem to discuss the impact their charging regimes have onScottish electricity generators.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what other potential targets were assessed in advance of setting the target for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2433on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
