- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects are owned by companies that are headquartered in Scotland.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland manage leasing of the Scottish seabed, and we will ask their Chief Executive to write to you directly with this information.
This information is not held centrally for onshore wind projects however the Scottish Government continue to be encouraged by the onshore and offshore wind industries' commitment to developing on Scottish land and in Scottish waters and are aware of some developers establishing headquarters and/or additional offices located in Scotland.
Scottish Renewables, as the renewable industry representative body in Scotland, hold a directory of their members, which may be useful in collating this information. The Scottish Government would also suggest that further detail could be obtained by contacting Scottish Renewables directly.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the average percentage of any profits that are paid out as community benefit from (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the percentage of profits that are paid out from community benefits from onshore or offshore wind energy projects.
Our updated Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments (2019) continues to promote community benefits at a national level, equivalent to £5k per installed MW per annum index linked for the operational lifetime of the development.
To aid transparency in the community benefits process, the Scottish Government established a voluntary Community Benefits Register, maintained by Local Energy Scotland. According to the Register, as at March end 2022:
- Offshore Wind Community Benefits over the previous 12 months was £149,999.80, representing 0.7% of the total sum of Community Benefits paid across all renewable technology projects and;
- Onshore Wind Community Benefits over the previous 12 months was £22,412,274.49, representing 98% of the total sum of Community Benefits across all renewable technology projects.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its budget has been allocated to support cooperatively-owned (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) delivered by Local Energy Scotland on the Scottish Government’s behalf, £14.48 million has been invested since 2011 to support 197 community, locally owned and shared ownership onshore wind projects. The applicant data recorded for the scheme does not allow a straightforward assessment of applicants' organisational structure. However, based on their experience working to support the community energy sector, Local Energy Scotland estimate that the number of projects owned by a bona-fide cooperative is likely to be a very small percentage of the total.
Through the Energy Investment Fund (EIF), delivered by Scottish Enterprise, on the Scottish Government’s behalf £23.1 million has been invested in community, locally owned and shared ownership of onshore wind projects. No cooperatively owned onshore wind projects have been supported through EIF. The Fund closed on the 31 March 2022.
There has been no investment through CARES or EIF in cooperatively owned offshore wind energy projects.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the names of the (a) owner and (b) operator of each of Scotland’s (i) onshore and (ii) offshore wind energy projects.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland manage leasing of the Scottish seabed, and we will ask their Chief Executive to write to you directly with this information.
The Scottish Government are aware of the UK Government Renewable Energy Planning Database which will hold information on the operator of individual sites across the UK. This information can be accessed via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract and the most recent update took place in December 2021.
Scottish Renewables, as the renewable industry representative body in Scotland, hold a directory of their members which may be useful in collating this information. The Scottish Government would also suggest that further detail could be obtained by contacting Scottish Renewables directly.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its budget has been allocated to support community ownership development of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Community Ownership : For the purposes of answering this question Community Ownership is where a community develops owns and operates the renewable energy asset.
CARES Funding : The Scottish Government’s main mechanism for supporting community energy projects is the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) which provides loan and grant funding to assist community groups in developing renewable energy projects which support the growth of community and locally owned energy in Scotland.
Funding for wind energy projects in the last ten years under CARES is as follows:
Community Energy Projects | Value of funding |
On-Shore Wind | £7,427.752.92 |
Off-Shore Wind | nil |
EIF Funding: The Scottish Governments Energy Investment Fund (EIF), which closed on 31 March 2022, provided commercial funding for renewable and low carbon energy solutions including support for community owned renewable energy projects and was managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Scottish Investment Bank, which is part of Scottish Enterprise.
Funding for wind energy projects provided through EIF in the last ten years is as follows:
Community Energy Projects | Value of funding |
On-Shore Wind | £16,267,792.05 |
Off-Shore Wind | nil |
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many do-not-resuscitate orders have been signed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares with each calendar year from 2010 onwards.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information or data relating to the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms in hospitals.
As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical circumstances and wishes of the patient, recorded appropriately and updated when medical circumstances change. This recording is done in hard copy on a DNACPR form, the existence of which is then recorded on an individual’s Key Information Summary. Such information is only shared for the purposes of direct care and is therefore not centrally collected.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make access to early medical abortion via telemedicine permanent and, if so, within what timescale.
Answer
The current arrangements, which were implemented at the start of the pandemic, will remain in place. The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the provision of early medical abortion at home, and expects to make an announcement on this soon.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over 400 cases of drink spiking were reported to Police Scotland between October 2021 and February 2022.
Answer
The act of drink spiking is utterly abhorrent and the Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to continue working with partners to tackle this unacceptable behaviour. Police Scotland have recorded over 492 crimes of ‘Drugging’ and ‘Administering a substance for sexual purposes’, since October 2021, and continue to work closely with Scottish Government to monitor the situation. These can be broken down as follows:
| | Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | Mar 2022 |
Drugging | 119 | 170 | 72 | 32 | 36 | 46 |
Administering a substance for sexual purposes | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland Monthly Official Statistics
On 4 November and 8 December 2021, I chaired urgent roundtables on spiking to discuss to discuss the prevalence of spiking crimes and to agree what action should be taken. It was agreed that the key immediate and ongoing activity should focus on ensuring consistent messaging and prevention activity, including training for night time industry staff, to both raise awareness and help keep people safe. The roundtable will be reconvened in June, and again in September, to ensure readiness of partners ahead of the new academic year.
Police Scotland have reported a downward trend in recorded spiking incidents since November last year, however we continue to monitor the situation closely and to ask for the public to remain vigilant.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Public Health Scotland's recent research findings on perinatal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether it plans to introduce new policies or guidance on postnatal visiting, including partner and sibling visiting only.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of this report and is considering its conclusions and any actions to be taken, whether nationally or locally, as a result of the research findings. In particular, the information will inform our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic in areas such as antenatal education, telecare and visiting.
We published our maternity and neonatal visiting guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): hospital visiting guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which aligns with wider NHS guidance and the lifting of restrictions, and includes advice on partner and sibling visiting.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022
