Parliamentary questions
Rhoda Grant
2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland Rural Development Programme rural priority applications were or have been received from each project assessment committee area in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The following table shows the number of committed applications in each year since the introduction of the rural priorities scheme. RPAC Region 2008 2009 2010 2011 Total Argyll 91 332 235 66 724 Ayrshire 51 181 206 44 482 Borders 89 322 2…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland Rural Development Programme payments awarded in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011 were (i) one week, (ii) two weeks, (iii) three weeks, (iv) four weeks, (v) one month, (vi) two months, (vii) three months, (viii) four months, (ix) five months, (x) six months and (xi) more t…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The following tables provide detail on capital payments for the Rural Priorities element of the Scotland Rural Development Programme. This table shows the total number of claims paid, plus the proportion within and beyond 90 days of the claim being received.…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish proposals for a land fund before the end of 2011.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government will consider proposals for a new Scottish Land Fund as part of the wider spending review.
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what independent evaluation has been undertaken of the success of community land ownership and the contribution that it is making to community resilience and development.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02018 on 24 August 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearc…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Enterprise Growth Fund will be extended beyond March 2012 if the funding made available has not be allocated.
Answer · John Swinney: It is expected that all available resources from the Enterprise Growth Fund will be fully allocated by the end of January 2012. There is no plan to extend the Fund beyond March 2012.
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for successful applicants to the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will be delivered as a single grant or in instalments.
Answer · John Swinney: The contract to administer the £4 million Enterprise Growth Fund has been awarded to a consortium led by the Wise Group. Successful applicants to the Fund will receive their funding in instalments. The Just Enterprise programme provides access to a free busi…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications for funding through the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will be considered on a rolling basis or through application rounds.
Answer · John Swinney: The £4 million Enterprise Growth Fund will open to applications from third sector organisations on 29 August 2011. All funds will be fully allocated by the end of January 2012. Applications will be accepted until all of the funding has been allocated. Just E…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the support that will be offered through the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will include (i) advice on and (ii) funding for employment and redundancy.
Answer · John Swinney: The Enterprise Growth Fund provides direct investment to third sector organisations to help ensure their long-term sustainability. This may include funding support towards employment costs, depending on the requirements of the applicant organisation. The fund…
2 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for (a) considering applications to and (b) allocating funds from the (i) Enterprise Growth Fund and (ii) Just Enterprise initiative.
Answer · John Swinney: Decisions on all applications to the Enterprise Growth Fund will be made within 20 working days of receipt of completed application. All awards from the Fund will be allocated by the end of January 2012. The Just Enterprise initiative is a free service provi…
27 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is Marine Scotland's target time for providing consent for marine renewable developments and what the average time for doing so has been in each year since 2009.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland’s target time for providing consent for marine renewable developments is nine months. Since 2009, there have been three applications for marine renewable developments. One was consented in seven months, the other applications are still undergo…
27 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up for home insulation measures has been in each year since 2007, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Alex Neil: The majority of home insulation measures in Scotland are carried out as a result of the obligations the UK government places on the energy companies, through the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). The UK …
27 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) vulnerable households, (b) low-income households, (c) people aged over 70, (d) low-income families, (d) groups representing disabled people and (e) benefit claimants have benefited from the home insulation measures set out under its carbon emissions reduction target.
Answer · Alex Neil: The majority of home insulation measures carried out in Scotland are as a result of the UK government obligations: Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsi…
27 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in meeting the 42% greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2020 and whether it considers that the target will be met.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The most recent statistics from 2008 show that Scotland’s emissions had fallen by 21.2% from 1990, and that we are therefore halfway to achieving the 2020 target of reducing emissions by 42%. The statistics that will tell us whether the 42% target for 2020 ha…
27 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords to use the funding available from energy suppliers to fund carbon reduction measures.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government encourages take-up of funding for carbon reduction measures through a combination of regulation (in the social housing sector), guidance and funding programmes. Funding from energy suppliers primarily takes the form of the Carbon Emiss…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which sectors of the tourism industry it prioritises highest, and whether it will rank these in order of priority.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: All sectors of Scotland’s tourism industry make a valuable contribution to the achievement of our joint aims and a range of support, including marketing and business development, is available to help them do this. Working with our partners in the industry and…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which sectors of the tourism industry it considers to have the greatest potential for growth over the next four years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: All tourism businesses have the potential to grow and a range of support is available to help them do this. The product areas which we have currently identified as having the greatest growth potential include food and drink, active pursuits like golf and moun…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which sectors of the tourism industry support Scotland's comparative advantage.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scotland can only maintain its comparative advantage if all sectors of the tourism industry work together to ensure the delivery of a truly first class visitor experience. Scotland currently has a comparative advantage in sectors like food and drink, active p…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected growth in tourism revenues will be in the next four years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Currently VisitScotland does not provide an official forecast in tourism numbers or revenue for Scotland. A forecast of inbound tourism is published and updated by VisitBritain, however, providing a short and longer term picture of tourism trips and value for…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet the target of a 50% increase in tourism revenues between 2006 and 2015.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Tourism Framework for Change strategy published in 2006 states that “current estimates suggest that gross tourism revenues could increase by 50% by 2015.” This ambition was based on the then currently available worldwide projections of tourism performance…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to increase the number of tourists from (a) China, (b) south Asia, (c) the USA and (d) Canada.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Using the latest data on market trends, VisitScotland’s international marketing strategy aims to increase the number of tourists from China, South Asia, the USA and Canada through a range of carefully tailored activities such as dedicated PR programmes and tr…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which artists have agreed to become cultural ambassadors for Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scotland has no shortage of inspirational and creative talent who act as cultural ambassadors both within Scotland and on the international stage. For example, our national performing companies are among the great many cultural bodies and individuals who are …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will it take to promote the big invitation for tourists initiative that was outlined in the SNP manifesto.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland’s extensive successful international and domestic campaigns and its work with private and public sector partners across tourism, focus on drawing visitors to experience all that Scotland has to offer. Over the next few years we will build furthe…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures tourists are made aware of cultural activity at (a) local and (b) national levels.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Cultural messages are woven through VisitScotland’s core marketing campaigns and press activity including the new year-round domestic Surprise Yourself campaign, the European Meet the Scots campaign, the long-haul I am a Scot campaign, and My Scotland campaig…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote cultural tourism.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise are working closely with the industry and partners to boost current activity and also identify new and emerging opportunities to maximise the economic and other benefits of all aspects of …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote outdoor activity related tourism.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise are working closely with the industry and partners to boost current activity and also identify new and emerging opportunities to maximise the economic and other benefits of all aspects of …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote food and drink related tourism.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise are working closely with the industry and partners to boost current activity and also identify new and emerging opportunities to maximise the economic and other benefits of all aspects of …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to develop ancestral tourism.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise are working closely with the industry and partners to boost current activity and also identify new and emerging opportunities to maximise the economic and other benefits of all aspects of …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote eco-tourism.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise are working closely with the industry and partners to boost current activity and also identify new and emerging opportunities to maximise the economic and other benefits of all aspects of …
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to maximize the tourism potential of the 2014 (a) Commonwealth Games and (b) Ryder Cup.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland’s international and domestic marketing campaigns successfully develop and support Scotland’s tourism potential, consistently enjoying strong levels of return on investment. VisitScotland’s was the Grand Prix winner at the National Institute of P…
26 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what themed years will take place to attract tourists in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Focus Years run from 2010 to 2013 and aim to showcase some of Scotland’s greatest assets as we journey towards our next Year of Homecoming in 2014. In 2012, our “Creative Scotland” year will focus on Scotland’s culture and creativity and in 2013, our “Nat…