Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether biomass heating systems will be eligible for support under the free central heating programme for pensioners, in light of increasing oil and gas prices.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to draw the Competition Commission’s attention to the impact of market practices of supermarkets on Scottish producers.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made a submission to the Competition Commission’s inquiry into the grocery retail market and, if so, what the submission contained and whether the Executive will publish it.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has had with the Competition Commission in respect of the role of Scottish farmers in the grocery market.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that farmers are treated fairly by supermarkets.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what the significance is of Scotland's peatlands in terms of climate change emissions. (S2O-10394)
Eleanor Scott: Notwithstanding the on-going research, it is accepted that healthy peat bog stores carbon, whereas damaged peat bog emits carbon. In the flow country of Sutherland and Caithness, we have the largest blanket bog in Europe, which is of international importance not only with regard to climate change, but because of its unique habitat, which was recently recognised when it received national...
Eleanor Scott: I welcome the chance to debate this motion. Although I should point out that I have not signed the motion, my support for part of it should become clear as my speech progresses. Although the title of the motion refers to "Transport Links to the Highlands", the motion itself focuses only on links to Inverness. Some members might think that the city is marginalised in that respect. However, no...
Eleanor Scott: I will refer a lot to a Highlands and Islands Enterprise report entitled "Migrant Workers in the Highlands and Islands: Research Report", which is dated October 2005 and has a lot of information. I am sure that other members have mined that report for the debate, which is one that I welcome, because the subject is important. Interestingly, the report shows that the number of national...
Eleanor Scott: I, too, congratulate Cathie Craigie on securing the debate, and express my support for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the my life campaign that it runs, which focuses on home, mobility and independence. I will talk primarily about mobility and independence because—as I am sure other members do—I have a particular case in mind. Some people will know that I used to be a community...
Eleanor Scott: Alex Johnstone mentioned that this debate showed that there is a lot of consensus on this issue. However, I am not going to be as consensual as I usually am. It is not usually my style to be critical of other members and it is certainly not my style to criticise my fellow greens, but I must say that I thought that Mark Ruskell was a little bit too nice in his speech. I will return to that in...
Eleanor Scott: A wet heating system can be specified so that the boiler could be replaced, but that is a bit of a cop-out. A biomass boiler should be put in from the word go, both for its own merit and to show that we are serious about stimulating our biomass industry and tackling climate change. Page 10 shows a picture of the Pelamis wave energy generator. We are really proud of the Pelamis because it was...
Eleanor Scott: I hope that the minister is not seriously suggesting that the only way to trade intellectual capital is to put it in a bag and carry it abroad. Nowadays, we have much more sophisticated methods for communication of intellectual capital and other things. My favourite example from the document is on page 13, which mentions the "ambitious target" of 40 per cent renewable electricity by 2020....
Eleanor Scott: Will the member take an intervention?
Eleanor Scott: I congratulate Adam Ingram on securing this debate on an important issue. Like other members, I will make extensive reference to a meeting that was held by the cross-party group on mental health and the cross-party group on deafness. If I repeat some of what Adam Ingram said, it is because he and I were both at the meeting. The information that was presented to the cross-party groups was...
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the job gains or losses associated with the development of a net servicing station at Stromeferry.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-19411 and S2W-19412 by Nicol Stephen on 10 October 2005 and to S2O-9658 by Allan Wilson on 27 April 2006, whether it will include locally produced renewable hydrogen systems in its forthcoming consultation on changes to the Renewables Obligation Scotland to provide a source of long-term funding to marine developers.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Natural Heritage concerning the potential impact on the marine environment of the proposed net servicing station at Stromeferry.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines an effective area management agreement in respect of finfish aquaculture.
Eleanor Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the term "effective area management" in the context of finfish aquaculture has any legal status.