Chamber and committees

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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: S4W-14004

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many visitors there have been to (a) Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, (b) Pentland Hills Regional Park, (c) Edinburgh Castle, (d) the National Museum of Scotland, (e) the National Gallery of Scotland, (f) Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and (g) the Burrell Collection in each year since 1999 and (i) Cairngorms National Park and (ii) Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in each year since 2002.

The visitor figures for the following organisations - Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park; Edinburgh Castle; National Museum of Scotland; National Gallery of Scotland; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection, for the years requested, can be found in the following table:

Organisation	1999-2000	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park				1,332,250
Edinburgh Castle	1,209,962	1,203,203	1,126,680	1,148,139
National Museum of Scotland	854,300	1,111,426	1,252,167	1,333,621
National Galleries of Scotland
Scottish National Gallery (incorporating RSA)	454,643	443,834	480,008	368,754
Scottish National Portrait Gallery*	177,920	179,904	180,306	186,548
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (1 and 2)	346,124	443,836	269,430	300,779
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum**	1,051,050	1,003,169	1,031,138	955,671
Burrell Collection	285,089	294,434	323,279	236,609

Organisation	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000
Edinburgh Castle	1,131,880	1,226,311	1,176,159	1,213,571
National Museum of Scotland	1,298,733	1,455,814	1,586,906	1,421,903
National Galleries of Scotland
Scottish National Gallery (incorporating RSA)	692,090	768,322	755,304	938,168
Scottish National Portrait Gallery*	163,407	169,065	172,357	196,310
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (1 and 2)	315,370	301,756	363,232	342,893
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum**	370,428	0	0	1,867,192
Burrell Collection	217,084	310,276	228,007	203,903

Organisation	2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010	2010-2011
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park	1,500,000	1,400,000	1,450,000	1,500,000
Edinburgh Castle	1,249,326	1,119,752	1,196,608	1,197,941
National Museum of Scotland	1,471,079	1,154,386	1,264,994	1,318,147
National Galleries of Scotland
Scottish National Gallery (incorporating RSA)	947,242	836,527	913,314	979,012
Scottish National Portrait Gallery*	216,187	219,111	17,139	0
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (1 and 2)	305,430	295,506	290,751	296,416
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum**	2,232,475	1,445,098	1,368,096	1,070,521
Burrell Collection	192,551	202,750	203,153	187,756

Organisation	2011-2012	2012-2013
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park	1,500,000	1,500,000
Edinburgh Castle	1,314,975	1,240,940
National Museum of Scotland	2,478,406	2,471,762
National Galleries of Scotland
Scottish National Gallery (incorporating RSA)	897,014	804,914
Scottish National Portrait Gallery*	164,757	214,959
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (1 and 2)	315,292	233,672
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum**	981,787	1,037,594
Burrell Collection	192,762	182,983

Notes:

*SNPG closed for refurbishment April 2009 - November 2011

**Kelvingrove closed for refurbishment 2003 - July 2006.

Pentland Hills Regional Park

Rather than annual visitor numbers, The Park have numbers from periodic visitor surveys, the most recent of which dates back to 2006. Previous surveys were carried out in 1999 and 1993. The results of the 2006 survey estimated between 470,000 and 570,000 visitors annually.

Cairngorms National Park

The park estimates that they have had 14.53 million visitors over the period 2003-2013.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

The Park estimate that they receive 4 million visitors per annum, which would equate to 40 million visitors over the 10 years.

Question reference: S4W-13867

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, what contribution it expects energy from waste schemes to make to its (a) renewable energy, (b) zero waste and (c) sustainable development targets.

In 2010, the Sustainable Development Commission reported that energy from waste could contribute around 3% of Scotland’s total heat and electricity demand. The study focused on the use of combustion and anaerobic digestion with biogas capture and the main technologies that could contribute to these outputs. It emphasised that the greatest output could be achieved if thermal output is used for heat, as this would be more than 80% efficient. Thermal only output could equate to around 6% of Scotland’s existing heat demand.

These opportunities need to be set against the Scottish Government’s policy of continually reducing Scotland’s residual waste and minimising the need for residual waste treatment through waste prevention, reuse and increased rates of recycling.

Question reference: S4W-13866

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, how much future waste it has calculated should be diverted from landfill to incineration in order to avoid EU penalty and in which local authority areas it is encouraging these modal shifts.

The Scottish Government met the 2013 EU Landfill Directive target two years early and is on track to meet the 2020 target. The Scottish Governments Zero Waste plan focuses on maximising the value of all material resources for our economy. This means seeking waste prevention, reuse and recycling opportunities ahead of incineration.

Taking the Zero Waste plan 70% recycling target into consideration, the Scottish Government produces annual estimates of the operational shortfall in capacity to treat Scotland’s residual waste (waste that is not recycled). The current estimate indicates a shortfall of around 1.7 million tonnes. These figures are produced to help planning authorities and industry understand Scotland’s needs and investment opportunities. After the material is mechanical sorting to remove any possible recyclable material remaining, treatment options include the production of waste derived fuels for export to continental fuel markets, biological stabilisation of materials for use in land restoration and energy production (anaerobic digestion and combustion).

Question reference: S4W-13862

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, how many of the energy sector appeals were for wind applications greater than 50 MW and how many were for single turbine or other developments of less than 50 MW.

Question reference: S4W-13861

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, how many planning appeals in the (a) energy, (b) retail, (c) commercial property, (d) housing, (e) environmental waste management and (f) hotel, leisure and recreation sector ministers considered between May 1997 and May 2011 and with what outcome.

Question reference: S4W-13865

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, what analysis it has made of the contribution of the planning system to the zero waste strategy and its target to divert waste from landfill.

National Planning Framework 2, Scottish Planning Policy and development plans support Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan target of no more than 5% of waste going to landfill by 2025. Along with other policy drivers such as landfill tax, development management, decisions are securing new waste infrastructure to encourage reduction, recycling, reuse and the recovery of energy from waste that would otherwise be landfilled.

Question reference: S4W-13863

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, what estimates it has made of the impact on employment opportunities arising from these decisions and whether it considers that the planning appeals system encourages or discourages sustainable development and employment creation.

Planning has an essential role to play in ensuring that we create the Scotland that we want, that we promote and strengthen our economy and build resilient communities. It should act as an enabler of sustainable development of the right type and in the right location. Decisions made by the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) play an important part in this process. When making decisions on planning appeals reporters from DPEA will consider the economic benefits of a proposal along with other material considerations. No estimates have been made of the employment opportunities arising from decisions made by DPEA.

Question reference: S4W-13864

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13054 by Derek Mackay on 5 March 2013, what analysis it has made of the contribution of the planning system to its (a) renewable energy generation and (b) economic growth targets.

There is wide recognition that supportive national planning policies are making significant contributions to the achievement of renewable energy targets. National Planning Framework (NPF) 2, Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and development plans fully support our renewables targets and support sustainable economic growth. Ways in which this support can be strengthened are matters we are considering as part of the NPF and SPP reviews.

Question reference: S4O-02005

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made toward justice for victims of historic child abuse following the first InterAction meeting.

Question reference: S4O-01969

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the use of new fairtrade products in Scotland.

	Number of appeal decisions	Number of appeals allowed
Energy	99	53
Retail	275	133
Commercial property	665	266
Housing	4240	1175
Environmental waste management	55	31
Hotel, leisure and recreation	455	212