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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6O-03031

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6O-02866

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support small businesses over the coming months.

Question reference: S6O-02776

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many health services across the Highlands and Islands have been downgraded or lost entirely over the last 16 years.

Question reference: S6W-21724

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts have been granted against the recommendation of the relevant local authority in each of the past 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Regarding applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts (including applications to extend and vary wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts where an application was made to Scottish Ministers) that have been granted contrary to a planning authority objection in the past 10 years are presented in the following table.

Consented with planning authority objection – 2013 – to date.

YEAR	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
PA	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
Aberdeenshire										1	1	2
Argyll and Bute									1			1
Dumfries and Galloway				1					1		2	4
East Ayrshire					1****	1	1					3
East Lothian				1***								1
Highland					3	1	1		2	1	1	9
Moray					1			1		2		4
North Lanarkshire			1**									1
Scottish Borders	1			1	1			1	1+			5
South Ayrshire									1****			1
West Lothian		1										1
TOTAL	1	1	1	3	6	2	2	2	6	4	4	32

Definitions** = 1 partially in both South and West Lanarkshire, *** = 1 partially in Scottish Borders, **** = 1 partially in Dumfries and Galloway, ++ = 1 partially in East Ayrshire.

Question reference: S6W-21721

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts have been submitted in each of the past 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

The following table lists the applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts (including applications to extend and vary wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts where an application was made to Scottish Ministers) made in each of the last ten years broken down into planning authority areas.

Applications 2013 - To date Excluding applications withdrawn

YEAR	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
PA	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
Aberdeenshire	0					1	2		1	1++++		5
Argyll and Bute	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	1		3	2	15
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	1						1				1	3
Dumfries and Galloway	2	1		1	1	3	4*****	3+++	4++	5+++	4	28
East Ayrshire	2*		3				3	2		3++		13
East Lothian	1	1**										2
Highland	4	3	3	4		1	2	4	11	8	9	49
Moray	1					2	1	1		1		6
Perth and Kinross		1										1
Scottish Borders		2		2		1****	2****		2	3	2	14
Shetland Islands				1		1	1			1		4
South Ayrshire			1				3+	1	3	1+++	1	10
South Lanarkshire	1	1		1***	1	2	2	2	2***	1	2	15
Stirling										1		1
West Lothian											1	1
TOTAL	13	10	8	10	3	13	23	14	23	28	22	167

Table 1 Definitions * = 1 partially in South Ayrshire and 1 partially in Dumfries in Galloway, ** = 1 partially in Scottish Borders, *** = 1 partially in West Lothian, **** = 1 partially in East Lothian and 1 partially in Dumfries and Galloway, ***** = 1 partially in South Ayrshire and 1 Partially in East Ayrshire, + = 1 partially in Dumfries and Galloway, ++ = 1 partially in south Lanarkshire, +++ = 1 partially in East Ayrshire, ++++ = 1 partially in Moray.

in each of the past 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-21723

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts have been granted in each of the past 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Regarding applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts (including applications to extend and vary wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts where an application was made to Scottish Ministers) that have been granted in each of the past 10 years, broken down into planning authority areas, is presented in the following table.

Consents made between 2013 - to date.

YEAR	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
PA	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
Aberdeenshire	1									1	1	3
Argyll and Bute							1	2	1	1		5
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar			1							1		2
Dumfries and Galloway	1*	1		1	1		1	2	3*		3++	13
East Ayrshire		1			1****	2	1	1	3		2+++	11
East Lothian			1	1***								2
Highland		3	2	1	4	1	3		4	4	2	24
Moray					1			1	1	2		5
North Lanarkshire			1**									1
Scottish Borders	1	1		1	1		1+	1	2+			8
Shetland Islands					1		1				2	4
South Ayrshire		1				1		1	2****			5
South Lanarkshire		2	1	1		1*****	2	1	3	1*****	1	13
West Lothian		1										1
TOTAL	3	10	6	5	9	5	10	9	19	10	11	97

Definitions *= 1 Partially in South Ayrshire, ** = 1 partially in both South and West Lanarkshire, *** = 1 partially in Scottish Borders, **** = 1 partially in Dumfries and Galloway, ***** = 1 partially in West Lothian, + = 1 partially in East Lothian, ++ = 1 partially in East Ayrshire, +++ = 1 partially in South Lanarkshire.

Question reference: S6W-21722

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts have been withdrawn by the applicant in each of the past 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Applications for onshore wind development with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts (including applications to extend and vary wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts where an application was made to Scottish Ministers) that have been withdrawn by the applicant in the last 10 years are presented per planning authority area, for each year from 2013 - to date, in the following table.

Withdrawn applications - 2013 - to date

YEAR	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
PA	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 (to date)	Total
Angus		1		1								2
Argyll and Bute				1								1
Dumfries and Galloway			1	2								3
East Ayrshire				1*	1							2
Highland		2										2
Moray						2						2
Perth and Kinross			1									1
Scottish Borders			1	1	1							3
TOTAL	0	3	3	6	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	16

Definitions * = 1 partially in South Ayrshire

Question reference: S6W-21725

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind development with a capacity of less than 50 megawatts have been overturned by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind developments*, with a capacity of less than 50 megawatts, which have been overturned (appeal allowed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division is set out in the table below.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind development which have been upheld (appeal dismissed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division are also provided as a point of comparison.

	Single Turbine	Windfarm (multiple turbines)	Total
Appeals Allowed	78	84	162
Appeals Dismissed	75	112	187

Decisions are required to be made in line with the development plan for the area and on the planning merits of each case . Planning approvals by reporters make up a small percentage of permissions granted each year. In the last year planning authorities determined 24,983** planning applications granting planning permission in 93.5% of cases.

* figures shown cover the period between 2002 and 26 September 2023

** Planning applications referred to cover a wide range of matters and are not restricted to wind farm proposal applications

Question reference: S6W-21726

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many decisions to refuse onshore wind development with a capacity of less than 50 megawatts have been upheld by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind developments*, with a capacity of less than 50 megawatts, which have been upheld (appeal dismissed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division is set out in the following table.

The number of decisions to refuse applications for onshore wind development which have been overturned (appeal allowed) by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division are provided as a point of comparison.

	Single Turbine	Windfarm (multiple turbines)	Total
Appeals dismissed	75	112	187
Appeals Allowed	78	84	162

Decisions are required to be made in line with the development plan for the area and on the planning merits of each case. Planning approvals by reporters make up a small percentage of permissions granted each year. In the last year planning authorities determined 24,983** planning applications granting planning permission in 93.5% of cases.

* figures shown cover the period between 2002 and 26 September 2023

** Planning applications referred to cover a wide range of matters and are not restricted to wind farm proposal applications

Question reference: S6W-21720

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of anticipated community benefit payments have been successfully made to the affected communities in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on the percentage of anticipated community benefit payments made to communities from renewable energy projects, broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government’s Register of Community Benefit, administered by Local Energy Scotland, shows commitments from operational renewable energy projects and can be accessed here: https://localenergy.scot/community-benefits-register/

The Register relies on developers and communities voluntarily submitting data. It is not exhaustive and does not provide a full picture of community benefit payments across Scotland. The Register should therefore be seen as a guide to community benefit provisions across Scotland.