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The separation between wind turbines and trees depends on many factors, including local topography; the ambient wind regime; the size and type of turbines, and the height and species of tree - as such there is no standard distance. It has been amply demonstrated that turbines can successfully be installed in Scottish forests with minimum disruption and with enhancement of habitats such as at Whitelee near Glasgow.

The Scottish Government strongly encourages wind farm developers to use the guidance and calculator provided by the publication Calculating carbon savings from wind farms on Scottish peat lands - A New Approach to estimate carbon payback time when submitting applications for developments on peat lands. Where the application is for over 50 MW the consent of the Scottish Ministers is required. This publication is available from the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/25114657/0.

Improvements to the calculator are currently being carried out to factor in impacts on forestry, which will allow developers to estimate carbon payback time. The effects of clear felling on payback time will depend on a number of factors including the characteristics of the model of wind turbine and the surrounding forestry, and the nature and extent of any replanting of felled forestry which may be planned. It is anticipated that an improved calculator will be published in May.

Where woodland removal is proposed the Scottish Government''s second National Planning Framework (NPF2) and Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) state a presumption in favour of protecting woodland resources. The SPP states Woodland removal should only be allowed where it would achieve significant and clearly defined additional public benefits. In appropriate cases compensatory planting may form part of the balance. The criteria for determining the acceptability of woodland removal and further information on the implementation of the policy is explained in the Control of Woodland Removal Policy. This policy, and associated guidance, are publicly available from http://www.forestry.gov.uk/woodlandremoval.

The hosting of the Ryder Cup in 2014 will deliver significant positive economic impact and a host of other benefits for Scotland. Through the staging of the Ryder Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Edinburgh Festivals, Scotland will be centre stage in world terms in 2014 and that is why we have designated 2014 as our next Homecoming Year. Just as was the case in 2009, this will ensure Scotland has an inspirational programme of cultural events taking place the length and breadth of the country throughout the year.

As noted in the answer to questions S3W-39692 and S3W-39693 on 4 March 2011, the Outdoor Learning Implementation Group and National Network will play key roles in taking outdoor learning forward. In addition, we are discussing with Learning and Teaching Scotland and HMIE ongoing support for implementation of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning and how this might be best achieved to ensure seamless ongoing support when the new Education Agency comes into being on 1 July 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government allocated £300,000 in 2010-11 to Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) to support the implementation of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning. This enabled LTS to deliver a series of six regional events to raise awareness of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning and to consider implementation issues; establish and facilitate the Outdoor Learning Implementation Group to provide a strategic focus to implementation issues; establish and facilitate the Outdoor Learning Network to bring together local authorities and key partner organisations to share the benefits of outdoor learning and to provide national support to local networks; respond positively to feedback from the regional seminars by developing and delivering a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for teachers and early years practitioners.

HMIE and the Scottish Teacher Education Committee support implementation as members of the Outdoor Learning Implementation Group and teacher education institutes have participated in the CPD programme for the benefit of their students.

We will continue to provide support for implementation of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning and we are discussing with Learning and Teaching Scotland and HMIE how this might be best achieved to ensure seamless ongoing support when the new Education Agency comes into being on 1 July 2011.

We are committed to our children and young people having positive, sustainable and progressive opportunities to participate in a range of outdoor learning experiences. To achieve this it is imperative that the momentum and interest generated by curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning is maintained and built upon. The Outdoor Learning Implementation Group and National Network referred to in the answer to question S3W-39693 on 4 March 2011 will play key roles in taking outdoor learning forward but individual teachers, educational settings and local authorities must work together to embed the use of the outdoors in learning and teaching to provide powerful learning experiences.

Yes. We believe that our children and young people''s learning experiences can be enhanced by maximising the potential of the outdoors. To help achieve this, we invested in the production and promotion of guidance in the form of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning to support opportunities presented by the new school curriculum for learning in the outdoors. The guidance makes it clear that the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college. In addition, we have allocated more than £800,000 to support various initiatives to encourage the use of the outdoor environment to help deliver Curriculum for Excellence for all children and young people.

Feedback from events to promote curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning emphasised that access to good quality continuous professional development opportunities is key to embedding outdoor learning in learning and teaching. While it is the responsibility of individual teachers, schools and local authorities to ensure access to appropriate continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, we allocated funding of £100,000 in 2010-11 to enable Learning and Teaching Scotland to develop and deliver a CPD programme for teachers and early years practitioners. Currently, more than 730 teachers and practitioners have registered for the 51 sessions on offer. In addition the curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning online resource provides easy to navigate advice, guidance and examples of practice and resources to provide ideas and inspiration for learning in the outdoors.

Yes. We believe that the support we are providing through Learning and Teaching Scotland as noted in the answers to questions S3W-39689, S3W-39690 and S3W-39693 on 4 March 2011 is helping to build the confidence and competence of teachers to make effective use of the outdoors. This is reinforced through very positive feedback from the continuing professional development events.

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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The information requested is not held centrally.