Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26910 on 14 August 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26910 on 14 August 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26910 on 14 August 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26910 on 14 August 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Additionally, on 31 March 2015 the Minister for Transport and the Islands met with DF concerts and events and was briefed on the history of the T in the Park event along with the background to and preparations for the move to the new site at Strathallan.

T in the Park is one of the most popular and successful cultural events in Scotland’s annual events programme. It has a significant economic impact, driving additional tourism and supporting jobs. In 2014 the event generated £15.4 million for the Scottish economy.

The national events strategy ‘Scotland, the Perfect Stage’ highlights the Scottish Government’s recognition of the importance of Scotland’s wide and diverse portfolio of events, and in particular the role of our large and iconic ‘signature’ events, such as T in the Park, in driving sustainable economic growth and retaining our status as a world class events destination.

T in the Park’s status as a signature event has been an important factor in previous funding awards made to DF Concerts and Events for this event by the Scottish Government and a number of its bodies, including Creative Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise. It was also a key consideration in the decision to make a one-off grant payment of £150,000 to DF Concerts and Events to support the transition of the T in the Park event from Balado to Strathallan.

The decision to offer a grant to DF Concerts and Events was made as a result of the following sequence of events and considerations.

Due to Health and Safety Executive concerns regarding the proximity of T in the Park’s previous location at Balado to the BP forties oil pipeline, DF Concerts and Events were required to seek a new site for event after its final staging at Balado in 2014. DF Concerts and Events identified Strathallan as a potential new site and submitted a planning application to Perth and Kinross Council in January 2015. On 12 May 2015 the council voted to grant consent subject to conditions, including a time-limit granting permission for the event to run in 2015, 2016 and 2017 only with further permission dependent on a future assessment of its impact on the site.

Following the planning decision, on 14 May 2015 the private office of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs was contacted by Ms Jennifer Dempsie, a project manager for DF Concerts and Events, to seek the rescheduling of a previously postponed meeting between DF Concerts and Events’ Chief Executive and myself regarding T in the Park. The meeting was arranged for 28 May 2015 due to the proximity of the event and the extreme difficulties being faced by the organisers in relation to delivering an event the scale of T in the Park at a new site and on a temporary basis, as determined by a condition of the planning decision made less than nine weeks in advance of the event being staged.

DF Concerts and Events’ Chief Executive Geoff Ellis and Business Development Manager Jo Blyth attended the meeting with myself and my officials. Ms Dempsie did not attend that meeting or have any discussions with myself or the Scottish Government in relation to funding for T in the Park.

DF Concerts and Events outlined a range of additional costs associated with the change of site for the T in the Park event and highlighted unanticipated further costs resulting from the time-limited condition attached to the planning consent. DF Concerts and Events confirmed that the 2015 event could be delivered under pressure but that the additional costs faced in relation to it were a threat to its longer term viability on that site.

Following detailed consideration of options, including consideration of DF Concerts and Events’ finances and an application on 29 June 2015 from DF Concerts and Events under State Aid rules for support in relation to operational transition costs for T in the Park, I approved funding of £150,000 from the Scottish Government’s major events and themed years programme budget.

The level of funding support provided this year by the Scottish Government to DF Concerts and Events for T in the Park is in line with the level of funding provided by Scottish Government and its bodies to the organisers of other major events such as Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the John Muir Festival, the World Pipe Band Championships, Celtic Connections and the International Book Festival.

The Scottish Government funding was made as a contribution to assist DF Concerts and Events in ensuring a successful transition of T in the Park to Strathallan. In order to protect the future staging of the event in Scotland, a key condition attached to the grant offer, which was accepted by DF Concerts and Events, was that the T in the Park event take place at Strathallan in 2015, 2016 and 2017. A specific claw-back condition is attached to the grant stipulating that the amount of £50,000 be repaid by DF Concerts and Events to the Scottish Government for each and any year (2015, 2016 or 2017) that the event does not take place at Strathallan.

The funding was awarded under powers afforded to Scottish Ministers in section 23 of the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 and in line with the National Events Strategy.

The grant was assessed by the European Commission and deemed to be compliant with section 11 Aid for Culture and Heritage Conservation, article 53 (sections 2a, 2d and 5d) of the State Aid General Block Exemption Regulations. The scheme number is SA.42690.

The grant was paid by the Scottish Government to DF Concerts and Events on 24 July 2015 and, in line with the Scottish Government’s firm commitment to openness and transparency and in accordance with State Aid rules, details of the award were proactively published on the Scottish Government’s website on 28 July 2015 and are available at:

The timing for the integration of the Scottish Division of the British Transport Police within Police Scotland is subject to the progress of legislation through the UK Parliament. Following the devolution of railway policing in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament, a detailed timetable for integration will be developed and implemented. The Scottish Government will engage with key stakeholders and partners to ensure railway policing in Scotland is subject to appropriate oversight by the Scottish Parliament.

About five per cent of the 37,000 emergency calls received by British Transport Police each year involved the Scottish Division of the British Transport Police. The Scottish Government will engage with key stakeholders and partners to ensure railway policing in Scotland is subject to appropriate oversight by the Scottish Parliament. We will ensure any transition is as smooth as possible, and the effective and efficient management of emergency calls will be a priority.

The following table shows the funding provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Qualifications Authority for the years requested. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand pounds:

All territorial NHS boards are responsible for the design, delivery and management of NHS services to their population. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested as this is an operational matter for NHS boards.

However, Information Services Division publishes information on the number of GP practices that have opted in to provide out-of-hours services throughout Scotland. This can be accessed by visiting the link at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Workforce-and-Practice-Populations/Practices-and-Their-Populations/

The provision of out-of-hours primary care services is a matter for NHS health boards to design, plan and manage in accordance with the needs of their populations. The Scottish Government would expect NHS boards to consider public transport accessibility, journey times, rurality and deprivation to ensure reasonable accessibility for all patients.