Chamber and committees

I made such astatement as part of the Tourism debate on 29 November 2007.

ScottishGovernment Ministers and officials have been meeting with the HomecomingScotland project team to discuss plans for Homecoming Scotland.

The HomecomingScotland project team are currently finalising plans for raising awarenesswithin Scotland through a PR and media campaign and inother ways. A prerequisite is to have a developed programme of events to use asa platform for this campaign.

ScottishGovernment ministers and officials have been meeting frequently withEventScotland to discuss plans for Homecoming Scotland.

No specificallocations will be made to particular areas. Instead, events organisers arebeing asked by the Homecoming Scotland project team to put forward proposalsfor funding support, and these will then be assessed according to the projectcriteria of driving tourism growth while linking to the themes of HomecomingScotland. These are Burns, ancestral tourism, golf, whisky and theEnlightenment. The results of that assessment will be known in April 2008.

No specificallocations will be made to particular types of events. Instead, eventsorganisers are being asked by the Homecoming Scotland project team to putforward proposals for funding support, and these will then be assessedaccording to the project criteria of driving tourism growth while linking tothe themes of Homecoming Scotland. These are Burns, ancestral tourism, golf,whisky and the Enlightenment. There is a fund of £1 million available tosupport such events, and the results of that assessment will be known in April2008.

No specificallocations will be made to particular themes within the overall HomecomingScotland framework. Instead, events organisers are being asked by theHomecoming Scotland project team to put forward proposals for funding support,and these will then be assessed according to the project criteria of drivingtourism growth while linking to the themes of Homecoming Scotland, includingBurns. The results of that assessment will be known in April 2008. The projectteam is working with the World Burns Federation whichis being consulted on any Burns-related event plans.

VisitScotlandbegan introducing Homecoming Scotland into its international PR, consumer marketingand trade activity in April 2007. It will prioritise Homecoming Scotland as thelead message in its long-haul market programmes beginning in spring 2008 andthrough into 2009.

In 2006-07 and2007-08 the Homecoming Scotland project has had a total budget of £1.5 millionto cover the project inception phase of the project, including the costs ofinitial design and stakeholder engagement. In ourspending plans for 2008-09 to 2010-11 we have set out plans to spend £3.2 millioneach year on major events and themed years. A large proportion of this fundingin 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be allocated to Homecoming Scotland tocover further project costs, including support for events which will drivetourism growth and link to the themes of Homecoming Scotland.

I have asked JamesHynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response isas follows.

Communities Scotland already provides housing association grant (HAG) to RegisteredSocial Landlords to allow them to provide affordable housing for rent. This includesprojects where buildings are acquired and refurbished for use as housing.

In 2005-06, 353 refurbishedunits were approved for rent, with a total of £17.15 million provided by HAG. In2006-07, this figure increased to 408 refurbished units approved for rent, witha total of £20.036 million from HAG. Figures are not yet available for 2007-08,but based on previous years’ figures, it can be projected that approximately 450units will be approved for refurbishment in the current financial year.