- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the three most common reasons were for a wind farm application being refused over the last five years.
Answer
Scottish Ministers take decisions on wind farm applications that are made to them under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The three most common reasons for refusing consent to a proposed wind farm, made to Scottish Ministers in the last five years, were landscape and visual impacts, impacts on the qualities of a National Park or National Scenic Area and impacts on the qualities of a wild land area.
More detail on the reasons for the decisions can be found in the decision letters which are published on our website Scottish Government - Energy Consents Unit by using the search tool to find wind farm applications that have been refused.
Wind farms that generate less than 50 megawatts of electricity do not require section 36 consent from Scottish Ministers but are instead determined by the local planning authority. Information on the reasons why wind farm applications were refused planning permission by local planning authorities is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
The right to appeal certain decisions made by local planning authorities is an important part of the planning system. The vast majority of appeals are decided by an independent reporter from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government. The three most common reasons for refusing an appeal relating to a proposed wind farm in the last five years were: landscape, visual and residential amenity impacts.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, of the number of wind farm applications submitted in the last two years, how many have been refused.
Answer
Scottish Ministers take decisions on wind farm applications that are made to them under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. No wind farm applications made to Scottish Ministers, under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, within the last two years have been refused. Two of the applications received within the last two years have been consented and three have been varied by Scottish Ministers. A further thirty nine have yet to be determined.
Wind farms that generate less than 50 megawatts of electricity do not require section 36 consent from Scottish Ministers but are instead determined by the local planning authority. Detailed Information on the determination of each wind farm application made, in the last two years, to local planning authorities is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
The right to appeal certain decisions made by local planning authorities is an important part of the planning system. The vast majority of appeals are decided by an independent reporter from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government. Of appeals referred to the DPEA in the last two years, seven have been refused, eleven have been allowed and three have yet to be determined. One appeal was withdrawn and a further three were found not to be within the jurisdiction of the DPEA to consider.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, of the wind farm applications submitted in the last five years that were refused, how many have been granted approval following a "material change" within the two years following the initial application.
Answer
Scottish Ministers take decisions on wind farm applications that are made to them under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. None of the eleven wind farm applications refused by Scottish Ministers over the last 5 years have been consented following a material change.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 12 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to students studying pharmacy at university, how many (a) places have been available and (b) graduates have there been, in each of the last five years.
Answer
(a)The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of Pharmacy places available at universities in each of the last five years. With the exception of controlled subjects, the Scottish Government does not direct individual universities on the allocation of funded places for eligible Scottish students, and it is for each university to decide how to distribute its funded places between faculties and courses. This approach also applies to Pharmacy courses, which are not controlled subjects.
The following tables show the number of full-time entrants to undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy courses at Scottish universities.
Data has been provided in two tables due to a change in the subject classification coding used by universities in 2019-20.
Full-time Entrants to Pharmacy Courses at Scottish Providers, by level of study
| | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
Postgraduate | 70 | 80 |
Undergraduate | 250 | 300 |
Total | 325 | 385 |
Source: HESA Student data
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5
Where subject classification xcah01 = 'CAH02-02-03' – Pharmacy
Full-time Entrants to Pharmacy Courses at Scottish Providers, by level of study
| | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
Postgraduate | 25 | 35 | 65 |
Undergraduate | 265 | 250 | 225 |
Total | 285 | 285 | 290 |
Source: HESA Student data
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5
Where subject classification xjacs01 = 'B230' - Pharmacy
(b)The following tables show the number of full-time qualifiers from undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy courses at Scottish providers over the last 5 years of data. As with the entrants data, two tables have been provided due to the change in how subjects were recorded in the 2019-20 academic year.
Full-time Qualifiers from Pharmacy Courses at Scottish Providers, by level of study
| | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
Postgraduate | 70 | 60 |
Undergraduate | 245 | 220 |
Total | 315 | 285 |
Source: HESA Student data
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5
Where subject classification xcah01 = 'CAH02-02-03' – Pharmacy
Full-time Qualifiers from Pharmacy Courses at Scottish Providers, by level of study
| | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
Postgraduate | 25 | 25 | 30 |
Undergraduate | 355 | 250 | 210 |
Total | 380 | 275 | 240 |
Source: HESA Student data
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5
Where subject classification xjacs01 = 'B230' – Pharmacy
Note: 2016-17 includes around 90 Undergraduate Qualifiers on the MPharm (2+2) or (3+1) courses (now discontinued in Scotland). These courses ran in partnership with international universities where students studied abroad first before completing studies in the UK.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health of police officers.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 21 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its answer to question S6W-11289 by Neil Gray on 19 October 2022, whether it will provide an update on discussions with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the future potential approaches for Properties in Care.
Answer
I continue to discuss the Properties in Care, and their management, with Historic Environment Scotland. I can confirm that Historic Environment Scotland has been continuing to focus on managing the national High Level Masonry inspection programme, and undertaking repairs wherever possible.
We are consulting more broadly on a refreshed strategy for Scotland’s historic environment. This seeks to prioritise activity that supports economic recovery and renewal, focuses on creating a more resilient and sustainable historic environment, and helps to communicate the contribution that the historic environment makes to the nation.
The consultation will run until 20 February 2023 and is designed to gather views to make sure the strategy sets appropriate ambitions for the historic environment sector for the next 5 years. The consultation can be found at: https://haveyoursay.historicenvironment.scot/development-partnership/our-place-in-time-refresh-consultation/
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 21 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to re-evaluate the
criteria used by Historic Environment Scotland to risk assess its sites, and,
if this is the case, what changes are being considered.
Answer
Historic Environment Scotland responded to the High Level masonry issues at Properties in Care in line with their statutory responsibilities and corporate approach and continue accordingly to manage the properties .
The context for the risk management approach to Properties in Care is set by their statutory obligations under a range of health and safety legislation and regulation, common law obligations and their corporate approach to management of risk.
At present there are no plans to re-evaluate the criteria used by Historic Environment Scotland to risk assess the Properties in Care.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 20 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent by Historic Environment Scotland specifically on the repair of monuments in care in each of the past five years.
Answer
Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including how much money has been spent by Historic Environment Scotland on the repair of Properties in Care, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 20 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many stone falls have occurred at Historic Environment Scotland sites in each of the past five years.
Answer
Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including the number of stone falls that have occurred at Historic Environment Scotland sites, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the
delivery of its Covid Recovery Strategy of the Auditor General's comments that
it underspent its budget by £2 billion in the financial year 2021-22.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2022
