- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 30 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the provision of foreign language assistants in schools.
Answer
The employment of Foreign Language Assistants (FLAs) in Scottish schools is a matter for local authorities to decide. Scottish Government is working with British Council Scotland and local authorities to highlight the added value that FLAs bring to a school’s provision for language teaching and learning. The role of FLAs is also one that is being considered by the government’s Languages Working Group which will report to ministers in April 2012.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the additional volume of nuclear waste that will be created if a lifespan extension is granted at (a) Hunterston B and (b) Torness nuclear power stations to 2021 and 2033 respectively.
Answer
To illustrate the impact of power station lifetime changes, the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory estimates waste volumes from one year's operation of the different types of power stations. A copy of the Inventory can be found at http://www.nda.gov.uk/ukinventory.
The Inventory predicts that on average an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor such as Hunterston B or Torness might generate about 21m3 of intermediate level waste (ILW) and 50m3 of low level waste (LLW) per year.
Longer operating lifetimes for power stations are not expected to have a significant effect on overall waste volumes from the stations, which are dominated by wastes from decommissioning.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on closing Scotland's nuclear power stations.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03994 on 24 November 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will write to the UK Government to oppose a lifespan extension at Hunterston B and Torness nuclear power stations.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no current plans to write to the UK Government to oppose life extensions at Hunterston B or Torness nuclear power stations.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scotland’s renewable energy targets and expertise in the industry place it in a good position to phase out nuclear power plants.
Answer
We are committed to enhancing Scotland's generation advantage based on renewables, thermal with carbon capture and storage as well as energy efficiency as the best long term solution to Scotland's energy security.
We recognise the need for possible life extensions for existing nuclear power stations in the short term to help security of supply, but we are opposed to the development of new nuclear power stations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on providing a public subsidy for the nuclear power industry.
Answer
Providing a public subsidy for the nuclear power industry is a reserved matter for the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government does not support new nuclear development and recognises the need for a balanced approach to encouraging the development of a mix of low carbon technologies to meet demand in Scotland.
Our policy position on UK Government measures to incentivise technological development and security of supply for the future, is set out in our consultation responses on the Electricity Market Reform White Paper dated 16 March and 12 July 2011:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Infrastructure/Grid-Connections/EMR-consultation-UK/EMR-consultation-UK.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on its policy in relation to nuclear power if Torness were granted a life extension similar to that proposed for Hunterston B.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s energy generation policy position was set out in its Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement published in November 2010. The statement confirmed our opposition to new nuclear and also recognised that life extensions to existing nuclear stations may be needed in the short term to ensure security of supply.
The impact of life extensions at Hunterston B and Torness on Scotland’s future security of supply, export potential and carbon emissions targets is being considered as part of the policy statement review currently being undertaken. The revised policy statement will be subject to a Strategic environmental assessment, with both publications planned this winter.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce a timeline for nuclear shutdown in Scotland.
Answer
It is up to the station operator to propose any life extension and for the UK Government Office of Nuclear Regulation and its agencies to decide, subject to advice on health, safety and environmental issues.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what safety assessment it has carried out in relation to extending the lifespan of existing nuclear power stations, following the nuclear incident at Fukushima.
Answer
The UK Government and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for commissioning safety assessments of nuclear power stations in Scotland. The Scottish Government has no plans to undertake safety assessments of the existing nuclear power stations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what safety assessments it is aware of in relation to extending the lifespan of existing nuclear power stations, following the nuclear incident at Fukushima.
Answer
Life extensions of nuclear stations must be agreed by the Health and Safety Executive on behalf of the UK Government. The decision to extend the life of a station will be made on the basis of a Periodic Safety Review of each site.