- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for how much funding was provided through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme to repair small scale wind turbines in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
Answer
No funding was offered through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) for the repair of small scale wind turbines in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022 and 2023, CARES funding has mainly focussed on decarbonising community buildings and supporting off-electricity grid communities to upgrade their energy systems and decarbonise their energy supplies.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses and attractions were awarded a (a) one star, (b) two star, (c) three star, (d) four star and (e) five star rating through VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance scheme in each year since 2016.
Answer
VisitScotland has provided the following data:
YE Date | 1 Star | 1-3 Star | 2 Star | 2-3 Star |
end Dec 2016 | 15 | 2 | 167 | 17 |
end Dec 2017 | 12 | 1 | 138 | 14 |
end Dec 2018 | 10 | 1 | 105 | 11 |
end Dec 2019 | 6 | 1 | 100 | 8 |
end Dec 2020 | 6 | 1 | 88 | 7 |
end Mar 2022 | 6 | 0 | 77 | 6 |
end Mar 2023 | 6 | 0 | 58 | 4 |
YE Date | 2-4 Star | 2-5 Star | 3 Star | 3-4 Star |
end Dec 2016 | 6 | 1 | 1747 | 101 |
end Dec 2017 | 5 | 1 | 1524 | 90 |
end Dec 2018 | 4 | 1 | 1380 | 89 |
end Dec 2019 | 3 | 1 | 1221 | 79 |
end Dec 2020 | 3 | 1 | 1120 | 65 |
end Mar 2022 | 4 | 1 | 1053 | 65 |
end Mar 2023 | 2 | 1 | 735 | 48 |
YE Date | 3-5 Star | 4 Star | 4-5 Star | 5 Star |
end Dec 2016 | 8 | 2479 | 56 | 513 |
end Dec 2017 | 7 | 2342 | 60 | 525 |
end Dec 2018 | 8 | 2244 | 59 | 549 |
end Dec 2019 | 11 | 2083 | 50 | 551 |
end Dec 2020 | 12 | 1952 | 47 | 531 |
end Mar 2022 | 12 | 1829 | 45 | 512 |
end Mar 2023 | 7 | 1444 | 34 | 457 |
YE Date | Pass | Await | Total |
end Dec 2016 | 166 | 101 | 5379 |
end Dec 2017 | 171 | 77 | 4967 |
end Dec 2018 | 172 | 36 | 4669 |
end Dec 2019 | 174 | 52 | 4340 |
end Dec 2020 | 159 | 130 | 4122 |
end Mar 2022 | 149 | 308 | 4067 |
end Mar 2023 | 128 | 204 | 3128 |
It should be noted that:
- The data is a snapshot of the number of sites in QA membership at the end of the membership year. A business may have multiple sites.
- Increase in Awaiting Grading figures since 2020 are due to a two-year suspension of live visits due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Award ranges apply to some sectors where one site has a range of properties at different grades. Historic breakdown for these individual properties is not available.
- Reporting period changed in 2021 from calendar to fiscal year.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates its proposed £17,496,000 reduction in funding for Ferguson Marine, as set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget, will have on its ability to deliver Hull (a) 801 and (b) 802 within its respective revised timescale.
Answer
The level of funding set out in the Scottish Budget reflects that the delivery of Glen Sannox (801) is now at an advanced stage. The costs and delivery schedules of both 801 and 802 continue to be scrutinised closely, with updates provided regularly to the Scottish Parliament.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many registered GlobalScots there were in 2023.
Answer
As of 8 January 2024, there were 1267 GlobalScots registered on the GlobalScot website.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways (a) Historic Environment Scotland and (b) Creative Scotland supports community organisations with heritage safeguarding.
Answer
Historic Environment Scotland and Creative Scotland are non-departmental public bodies which make their own operational decisions, including those relating to the support for community organisations with heritage safeguarding.
I have asked Historic Environment Scotland and Creative Scotland to write to the member directly with an answer.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates its proposed £2,441,000 reduction in resource funding for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, as set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget, will have on its ability to maintain and operate regional airports.
Answer
The resource grant funding budget of £39,446,000 for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) in 2024-25 is intended to close the gap between HIAL’s commercial revenue and operating costs. As passenger numbers and commercial revenue have continued to recover post-pandemic, the subsidy requirement to maintain HIAL’s operations has lowered. The amount of grant funding required in 2024-25 will be determined by ongoing growth in passenger numbers, the delivery of new commercial opportunities and measures to reduce operating costs.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19768 by Christina McKelvie on 7 July 2023, whether it will provide an updated breakdown of any performance payments that Historic Environment Scotland has awarded to staff at executive level in 2023.
Answer
As stated in my answer to question S6W-19768 given previously, no such payments have been made since the establishment of Historic Environment Scotland in 2015. Scottish Government pay policy for public bodies has not permitted performance-related payments for Chief Executives or for staff at director/executive level over this period.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made to Historic Environment Scotland in 2023, and how many of those complaints were (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully resolved.
Answer
Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.
I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a reply to his question in writing.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many sites that are managed by Historic Environment Scotland and its predecessor agencies have been (a) open, (b) temporarily closed and (c) permanently closed in 2023.
Answer
Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.
I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a reply to his question in writing.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses participated in the GlobalScot network in 2023.
Answer
As of 8 January 2024, there are 1504 Scottish business users registered on the GlobalScot website.