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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-28967

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), what additional scenarios it has modelled for measuring fuel poverty other than the notional inflationary increase in fuel prices since 2011.

Other than the notional inflationary increase in fuel prices since 2011, the Scottish Government has modelled two additional scenarios.

If housing stock conditions and household incomes had changed as observed by the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), but fuel prices had remained at their 2002 levels in real terms (i.e. if they had only increased since 2002 in line with the rate of inflation), then the fuel poverty rate for 2013 would have been around 11% instead of 39%. This analysis was published in the Progress Report on the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement 2002

(http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00466608.pdf).

If housing stock conditions and household incomes had changed as observed by the SHCS, but fuel prices had remained at their 2002 levels in real terms (i.e. if they had only increased since 2002 in line with the rate of inflation), then the fuel poverty rate for 2014 would have been around 9.5% instead of 34.9%. This analysis was presented to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum when they met on 16 December 2015.

Question reference: S4W-28964

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), what changes to the fuel poverty target it has made in light of the external factors that have developed since 2011.

Question reference: S4W-28961

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28781 by Margaret Burgess on 14 December 2015, in light of the information not being provided in the answer to S4O-04702, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm whether it is on target to eradicate fuel poverty by November 2016 and, if not, whether it will set a revised target.

Question reference: S4W-28963

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-28781 by Margaret Burgess on 14 December 2015 and S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), whether it has considered a reassessment of the 2016 fuel poverty target after the 2016 UK Budget.

Question reference: S4W-28867

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) has been active since 2009. It was initially set up as a part-public, part-private time-limited initiative part funded through EU structural funds but also by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Power and SSE. The structural funded ‘project’ came to an end in 2013 at which point the stakeholders agreed that the SEGEC team had proved to be of sufficient value for it to be maintained. It was agreed that the best solution would be integrating the SEGEC staff into SE. This SEGEC team now continues to carry out the same function as it had done prior to integration – assisting Scottish organisations to access EU funding for low carbon projects.

Regular progress and activity updates are provided to the SEGEC advisory group comprised of representatives from Scottish Government, HIE and SE. This group also provides SEGEC with a strategic steer. SEGEC has integrated well into SE and there have been mutual benefits for both with SEGEC being able to utilise SE’s extensive knowledge of companies and projects in Scotland and SE being able to utilise SEGEC’s knowledge of EU funding as well as the technical knowledge of the staff.

Question reference: S4W-28868

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the main achievements of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre have been since its launch in 2009.

SEGEC has delivered 167.86 million in European funding since mid-2009, leveraging an additional 431.72 million of investment, primarily from the private sector. In total, SEGEC has supported over 75 projects seeking EU funding, helping Scottish partners to understand opportunities, make new partners in new markets and further develop their project concepts. SEGEC has developed technical concepts and financial models, built consortia, and managed the writing of funding bids. The team has also led and participated in working groups at Scottish, UK, and European levels to influence European funding calls and fed in intelligence, insight, and built collaboration opportunities, e.g. European Technology Platforms.

Question reference: S4W-28870

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it has kept the Parliament informed of developments regarding the Scottish European Green Energy Centre since its launch in 2009.

SEGEC regularly reports to the Scottish Government and its development agencies. Throughout its existence SEGEC has reported regularly on its work streams and progress to the SEGEC advisory group, consisting of representatives from Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

SEGEC itself reported to the Parliament's European and External Relations Committee's EU budget review inquiry in November 2009.

Question reference: S4W-28869

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget has been for the Scottish European Green Energy Centre in each year since its launch in 2009.

Question reference: S4W-28321

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 06 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published its response to Meeting Scotland's Childcare Challenge: The Report of the Commission for Childcare Reform.

Question reference: S4W-28946

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the holding answer to question S4W-28321 by Aileen Campbell on 20 November 2015, for what reason it has been unable to provide the written response to the Commission for Childcare Reform’s report, given that it stated in its news release on 4 November 2015, New group to help expand early learning and childcare, that a response had been given at the Children in Scotland conference.