Chamber and committees

The estimated total spend per year by visitors to the national forest estate in Scotland is £38.9 million. This figure was calculated from the All Forests Visitor Monitoring Survey which was carried out between June 2004 and June 2007.

The report can be viewed on the Forestry Commission website at:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-7d9fn7.

Improving the energy efficiency of its buildings estate is an important objective for the Scottish Government and as part of that it will seek to procure only buildings that are in the top quartile of energy performance.

Information on waiting times is held for Scotland as a whole.

The average waiting time during 2008-09 remains around six months.

 

At a national level, research on the potential for woodland expansion was commissioned to support the revision of the Scottish Forestry Strategy in 2006. This research is published and can be viewed at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6MGFKY. This research was further analysed for the preparation of a consultation document on woodland expansion in Scotland. The consultation and analysis of responses can also be viewed at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7FWEQ5.

The woodland expansion document will feed in to a Land Use Project recently launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, this document is available on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/new-research-projects/social-research/Rural-Land-Use-Study).

Planning Circular 9/1999 encourages local authorities to develop Indicative Forestry Strategies at regional level. There is now coverage of much of Scotland, and these regional strategies have been prepared on the basis of local studies of potential for new woodland creation.

We remain committed to the development and promotion of a network of paths throughout Scotland, including paths around the coast. Access authorities have been provided with powers under the land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to prepare Core Paths Plans sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area.

Scottish Natural Heritage is at present consulting on a Paths Policy Statement for Scotland''s paths of all kinds and it seeks views as to where the greatest effort is needed to improve path resources and increase participation.

Twenty-nine of the 32 local authorities in Scotland have single outcome agreements that include outcomes on recycling. The three who do not are Shetland, Western Isles and Clackmannanshire.

Yes, the Scottish Government fully embraces the polluter pays principle. Furthermore, in the current economic climate it is appropriate for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to assist business wherever possible where this can be done without impacting on regulatory activity or having a deleterious effect on human health and the environment.

The decision to waive certain licence application fees and charges from businesses for the remainder of 2008-09 will not adversely impact on SEPA staff. The same level of regulatory activity and support will continue to be available to businesses.

The Scottish Government does not hold comprehensive information on this subject. However estimates of the value to the economy of some types of outdoor recreation for some areas of Scotland are available from the British Marine Federation, the World Wildlife Fund and other organisations.

For example, the federation estimate that the annual economic impact of the marine leisure industry in Scotland is £250 million, supporting around 7,000 jobs, with sailing accounting for £130 million of this. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that coastal tourism in Scotland contributes £375 million to the economy. Sportscotland estimates that sea angling is worth around £150 million, and we are near the end of a study to give us a more precise estimate, while recreational diving is worth upwards of £5 million.

At the local level, quite small economic impacts can have a major benefit. The Tiree Wave Classic is supported by EventScotland and is estimated to bring £1 million to the Tiree economy each year. The Fife Coast and Countryside Trust estimate that between 480,000 and 580,000 visitors used the Fife Coastal Path between July 2005 and June 2006, generating between £24 million and £29 million of revenues, and supporting 800 to 900 jobs in Fife.

Scotland''s beautiful and varied coastline and its wide-range of attractions feature as one of the main activities participated in by visitors to Scotland. VisitScotland''s Visitor Experience Survey for 2008 reveals that 52% of UK visitors and 58% of Scots on holiday in Scotland said they had explored Scotland''s beaches and coastline, although only 4% of the latter said they had explored Scottish beaches and castles as the main purpose of their trip.