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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: S5W-22983

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many planning applications for new build residential properties have been refused by a planning authority but successfully appealed to the Scottish Ministers since 2007, broken down by (a) planning authority, (b) year, (c) applicant and (d) size of proposed development.

The information requested is given in the tables entitled “Planning appeals allowed, broken down by planning authority and by year" and "Planning appeals allowed, broken down by appellant and size of development", a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib number 60674).

Case files held by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) are generally retained for 10 years from the date of the decision prior to being destroyed. Therefore some of the information sought (from 2007 until April 2009) is not held. The information within the tables provided relates to decisions issued by DPEA from the period 07-05-2009 to 06-05-2019 (inclusive).

DPEA has been recording appeals for developments of '10 or more houses' since 1 January 2015. This category was added to the existing descriptive categories of 'single dwelling' and 'more than one house'. Therefore appeals received prior to that date, which may fit into the category of 'more than 10 houses' are recorded in the relevant table(s) but may be included in the data within the category of 'more than one house'.

Question reference: S5O-03214

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5O-03119

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-21909

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on preparations for the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank.

At the end of the current financial year 18-19 the Scottish Government will have spent £4 million to support the establishment of a Scottish National Investment Bank. The Bank will be operational in 2020 providing a cornerstone institution in Scotland’s economic architecture supporting businesses across all stages of the business growth lifecycle and financing infrastructure to secure private sector investment.

The Financial Memorandum published alongside the Scottish National Investment Bank Bill details estimated costs for the establishment of the Bank and can be accessed via the following link : Scottish National Investment Bank Bill Financial Memorandum .

Question reference: S5O-02944

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how its budget will impact on Orkney and Shetland.

Question reference: S5W-21617

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU) 2018/844.

Question reference: S5W-20719

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many wind turbine planning applications that it has approved in each of the last 10 years had previously been rejected by (a) a local planning authority and (b) it, broken down by the (i) local authority area and (ii) size of turbine.

Between January 2010 and December 2018 - 38 determinations have been made by Scottish Ministers on wind farms (with a capacity exceeding 50 megawatts) under Section 36 of the Electricity Act (1989) where the planning authority raised an objection. Of these, a total of 19 were approved (50%) and 19 were refused (50%). A breakdown of the 19 approved projects, by area, is provided in the following tables:

Wind Farm	Date of Consent	Local Planning authority	Height of Turbines
Baillie	12-01-2010	Highland	110m
Cairn Duhie	06-10-2017	Highland	110m
Braemore Wind farm	27-10-2017	Highland	126m
Millennium South Ext	03-02-2017	Highland	132m
Strathy South	2704-2018	Highland	135m
Muaitheabhal	14-01-2010	Western Isles	145m
Hill of Towie Extension	16-06-2017	Moray	125m
Dorenell	28-12-2011	Moray	126m
Cloich	08-07-2016	Scottish Borders Council	115m
Fallago Rig	09-11-2010	Scottish Borders Council	125m
Whitelaw Brae	29-11-2017	Scottish Borders Council	133.5m
Wester Dod (AKA Aikengall II)	01-03-2013	Scottish Borders Council	145m
Aikengall II(a)	19-10-2016	East Lothian-Scottish Borders	145m
Black Craig Hill	22-03-2011	Dumfries and Galloway	110m
Stranoch	08-07-2016	Dumfries and Galloway	135m
South Kyle	30-06-2017	East Ayrshire-Dumfries and Galloway	149.5m
Pencloe	06-12-2018	East Ayrshire	125m
Harburnhead	08-07-2014	West Lothian	126m
Black Law Extension Phase 2	17-06-2015	North Lanarkshire Council, West Lothian Council.	126.5m

Wind farms under 50 megawatts are ordinarily determined by planning authorities in the first instance. Since 2009, a total of 179 wind farm decisions have been approved, (mostly by reporters from Planning and Environmental Appeals Division) (DPEA). The total of 179 approved projects represents approximately 45% of the total of appeals determined on wind farm development (based on statistics between 2007-2018).

Wind Farms (under 50 megawatts) appeals or planning applications called-in by Scottish Ministers

N.B. details of wind turbine heights are not routinely recorded in respect of the cases referred to DPEA. Approximately 46% of the figures below relate to single wind turbine applications rather than sites with multiple turbines.

	Allowed
Council- Comhairle	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	Total
Aberdeenshire	1	0	1	2	10	7	9	1	0	0	31
Angus	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	4
Argyll and Bute	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	1	1	6
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2
Eilean Siar (Western Isles)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2
Dumfries and Galloway	0	0	1	5	3	4	1	2	0	0	16
East Ayrshire	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	4	1	9
East Lothian	0	0	0	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	6
East Renfrewshire	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	3
Falkirk	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	4
Fife	0	0	0	4	1	7	3	3	1	0	19
Highland	0	0	0	1	1	2	2	3	3	0	12
Inverclyde	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	4
Midlothian	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Moray	0	1	0	2	3	1	1	0	0	0	8
North Ayrshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2
North Lanarkshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	3
Orkney Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-
Perth and Kinross	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	1	5
Scottish Borders	0	0	1	0	2	0	1	1	0	3	8
South Ayrshire	0	0	0	1	2	4	1	0	1	0	9
South Lanarkshire	0	0	1	0	4	4	4	4	0	1	18
Stirling	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2
West Lothian	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	2	0	0	5
Total	2	3	5	24	31	41	32	22	11	8	179

Question reference: S5W-21618

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the implementation of the updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU) 2018/844 and the creation of strategies (a) to improve indoor air quality, (b) for renovating existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and (c) to make buildings ready for smart energy systems.

Directive implementation will be subject to a consultation as part of the review of energy standards within building regulations, which started with a call for evidence in 2018.

Our Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map (May 2018) sets out intended action to deliver improvement through the renovation of our existing building stock. The Programme recognises air quality and sought views on this issue as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland consultation in 2018. The Programme will be reviewed regularly allowing it to account for emerging technologies, including smart and local energy systems.

Question reference: S5W-20721

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 5 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis is has made of the community benefit of the wind turbine developments that are currently in place.

A voluntary register of community benefits payments is maintained by Local Energy Scotland under the Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). All developers of renewable energy developments and local communities in receipt of community benefit payments are encouraged to use the register. The following information is recorded: Name of Developers, Name of Development, Location, Capacity and Details of the Community Benefit Package.

In the last 12 months over £16 million has been paid out in community benefits at an average rate of £5k per MW. The Register can be viewed at http://www.localenergyscotland.org/view-the-register/ .

Question reference: S5W-20692

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to set a fisheries landings target.

The Scottish Government remains committed to increasing the amount of fish landed into Scottish ports and to improving the competitiveness of the seafood supply chain.

The Scottish Government has consulted widely on proposals for new economic link arrangements and the results of that consultation will be published in due course.

Any new policy measures will ensure that a fair and real economic link exists with all Scottish vessels working from our ports, which will provide long term benefits to our Scottish fishing communities.