- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers climate change a matter of national interest in the context of Planning Circular 3/2009.
Answer
Planning applications are required by law to be decided in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Should issues related to climate change be raised in relation to a planning application, these will need to be taken in to account by the decision maker.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice ministers received from (a) Scottish Natural Heritage and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with regard to the removal from Planning Circular 3/2009 of environmental impact assessments as a central trigger for Scottish Executive planning notification.
Answer
Delivering Planning Reform was published on 28 October 2008. It contained a range of commitments across the public and private sectors to accelerate the pace of planning reform. This included commitments from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to more proportionate involvement in the planning process to focus on matters of genuine national interest. The intention to issue a revised Notification Direction and Circular was signalled in Delivering Planning Reform.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many opencast coal sites have been approved for new operations or expansion since May 2007, giving details of (a) site name and location, (b) new site or extension size in hectares and (c) granted coal reserves in tonnes.
Answer
The British Geological Survey collect this data. The information is published at
www.bgs.ac.uk/MineralsUK/minequar/coal/occ/home.html. Information for 2008 will be published shortly.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how it decides whether local authorities have a financial interest in opencast coal planning applications and whether this includes (a) sponsorship by coal companies of local projects or services and (b) existing contributions made by coal companies to community trusts on a levy-per-tonne basis.
Answer
In the first instance it is for the local authority to decide if it has a financial interest in an opencast coal application and whether an application requires to be notified under Circular 3/2009.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends formally to respond to the Energy Saving Trust report, Potential for energy efficiency loans for carbon saving measures in Scottish homes.
Answer
The Scottish Government commissioned the Energy Saving Trust''s report,
Potential for energy efficiency loans for carbon saving measures in Scottish homes, to explore whether a domestic loan scheme would have any potential in Scotland to significantly reduce carbon emissions from housing.
We are now undertaking development work and will make an announcement later in the year.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivewhether it has been informed by the Health and Safety Executive about a loss of cooling incident at the high level radioactive liquid storage tanks at the Sellafield nuclear power plant on 1 April 2009, given the proximity of the plant to Scotland.
Answer
Scottish Government officials are notified of any formally reportable events at all Scottish civil nuclear sites and also for incidents at Sellafield. Scottish Government officials were notified of this particular event on 2 April 2009.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivewhether it has received a copy of the report by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Consequences in Norway of a hypothetical accident in Sellafield, and whether it intends to commission a similar study.
Answer
While nuclear safety is reserved and a matter for the Health and Safety Executive, consequence management for issues arising from any off site releases is devolved.
We understand the Health and Safety Executive has discussed the issue with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. Given the consequence management responsibility of the Scottish Government, I have asked that officials take account of the content of this report.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when publicity and promotion for the Home Insulation Scheme announced in the 2009-10 budget will begin.
Answer
Publicity and promotion work is expected to begin within the next three months following selection of the areas to be covered in the first phase of the scheme.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated carbon emissions reduction will be from the operation of the Home Insulation Scheme over the duration of the scheme and how that reduction will be calculated.
Answer
The carbon emission reductions arising from the operation of the Home Insulation Scheme will depend on the nature of the future roll-out of the scheme. The implementation of the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme will be evaluated with a view to informing its development in subsequent years. The emission savings achieved will be calculated within the framework for standard carbon assessment being developed by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what purpose it intends for the consequentials from the £20 million Hardship Fund for third sector organisations announced in the UK Budget.
Answer
Consequentials accrue to the Scottish Block as a whole. Ministers decide how the additional spending should be allocated in Scotland based on Scottish priorities.
We will reach decisions on the allocation of additional funding as soon as possible. We are fully committed to the third sector and have already demonstrated this by pledging over £90 million between 2008-09 and 2010-11, an increase of approximately 35% on the previous spending period.
