- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 12 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many procedures the National Specialist Services Committee has signed off (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) since April 2024.
Answer
Answer expected on 12 March 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 12 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how often it meets the National Specialist Services Committee; when it last met the committee, and what was discussed.
Answer
Answer expected on 12 March 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 6 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent research published by the James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Forest Research, examining the efficacy of tree planting on carbon capture.
Answer
Answer expected on 6 March 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 6 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the potential for soil carbon losses when increasing tree cover with the aim to capture carbon, through its tree planting targets.
Answer
Answer expected on 6 March 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland destination development directors were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.
Answer
The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:
Job Title | Contracted work base (current role-holder) | Role in place since 2018 |
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities | Perth | Yes |
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands | Inverness | Yes |
Destination Development Director – South | Glasgow | Yes |
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles | Oban | Yes |
Regional Director - Glasgow City | Glasgow | Yes |
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside | Aberdeen | Yes |
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians | Perth | Yes |
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley | Glasgow | Yes |
Island Manager – Shetland | Lerwick | Yes |
Island Manager - Orkney | Kirkwall | Yes |
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides | Stornoway | Yes |
Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the average spend was of recreational visitors to the Highlands and Islands in each year since 2018.
Answer
Average spend (£) of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 |
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Domestic Visitors | 260 | 252 | - | - | 247 | 247 |
International Visitors | 495 | 418 | - | - | 658 | 640 |
Overall average | 309 | 281 | - | - | 303 | 328 |
Number of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 (000s) |
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Domestic Overnight | 1,997 | 2,805 | - | - | 2,461 | 2,124 |
International | 525 | 591 | - | - | 393 | 555 |
Total Overnight | 2,522 | 3,396 | - | - | 2,854 | 2,679 |
- Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
- Average spend figures are shown in pounds. These figures are nominal and have not been adjusted for inflation.
- There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
- The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
- The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how people in the NHS Highland area who are impacted by Huntington’s disease can access support from (a) general psychiatry and (b) community mental health teams.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that individuals impacted by Huntington’s disease, including those in the NHS Highland area, can access the mental health support they need.
This includes access to community mental health teams and psychiatry by referral through their GP or a Huntington’s specialist. Clinical leads and Huntington’s disease specialists, supported by the Scottish Huntington’s Association network, coordinate physical and mental health care and provide clear pathways to mental health services, including psychiatry.
We have published Core Mental Health Quality Standards which aim to ensure equitable access to mental health services, through clear referral processes, reduced barriers, and prioritisation of those most in need, which could include those with Huntington’s.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many recreational visitors travelled to the Highlands and Islands in each year since 2018.
Answer
Number of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 (000s) |
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Domestic Visitors | 1,997 | 2,805 | - | - | 2,461 | 2,124 |
International Visitors | 525 | 591 | - | - | 393 | 555 |
Total overnight | 2,522 | 3,396 | - | - | 2,854 | 2,679 |
- Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
- There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
- The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
- The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff VisitScotland had each December since 2018, broken down by county that they were employed in.
Answer
VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share location-specific information for staff for each December since 2018.
VisitScotland’s staff numbers at the end of each financial year are reported in its annual accounts as follows:
Date | FTE |
31-03-2018 | 559 |
31-03-2019 | 525 |
31-03-2020 | 518 |
31-03-2021 | 497 |
31-03-2022 | 542 |
31-03-2023 | 492 |
31-03-2024 | 438 |
VisitScotland does not capture staff locations by local authority area. Information on staff locations by iCentre or Regional Economic Partnership area is provided below. This information is only available for the current date.
iCentre staff:
iCentre | FTE |
Aviemore | 2.9 |
Ballater | 2.6 |
Brodick | 0.6 |
Craignure | 3.4 |
Fort William | 3.8 |
Glasgow | 7 |
Inverness | 4.2 |
Kirkwall | 3 |
Portree | 3.8 |
Rothesay | 6.3 |
Office-based staff:
Region (based on Regional Economic Partnerships) | % Spread of staff |
North-East | 3.3 |
Ayrshire | 0.61 |
Edinburgh & South-East | 55.45 |
Forth Valley | 4.55 |
Glasgow | 13.94 |
Highlands & Islands | 11.23 |
South of Scotland | 3.94 |
Tay Cities | 6.97 |
Since the pandemic, VisitScotland has operated a hybrid working policy. For the majority of job vacancies, VisitScotland makes it clear in advertising that roles can be based in any part of Scotland.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland development managers were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.
Answer
The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:
Job Title | Contracted work base (current role-holder) | Role in place since 2018 |
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities | Perth | Yes |
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands | Inverness | Yes |
Destination Development Director – South | Glasgow | Yes |
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles | Oban | Yes |
Regional Director - Glasgow City | Glasgow | Yes |
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside | Aberdeen | Yes |
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians | Perth | Yes |
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley | Glasgow | Yes |
Island Manager – Shetland | Lerwick | Yes |
Island Manager - Orkney | Kirkwall | Yes |
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides | Stornoway | Yes |
Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.