While onshore wind is effective at generating money for a few landowners and the power companies it is cloaked in PR speak implying that it reduces CO2 emissions, while back up power must still be generated by conventional means to guarantee supply.

How will the Government and the large power companies truly compensate communities and businesses in Scotland for the loss of our tourism assets and the detrimental effect on our landscapes due to the construction of controversial onshore wind farms?

Ian Douglas of Lochwinnoch asks:

Minister, VisitScotland has recently set tough financial targets including one that revenue would be boosted by 50% or £2.1b by 2015.

Are you not concerned, as Minister for Tourism, that some of Scotland's most famous and scenic areas are slowly becoming industrial estates with the onward march of wind turbines? Examples that spring to mind are the Braes of Doune on the edge of the Trossachs, the Kintyre Peninsula, the Galloway Hills and proposals in the pipe line for the Ochil and Kilpatrick Hills

and Clyde Muirsheil Regional Park. The list is endless!

What measures are you putting in place, to protect these valuable assets from destruction and allow VisitScotland, your tourist agency, a chance of meeting its ambitious target?

Dear Ian,

Thank you for your question I agree that we must protect Scotland's tourism assets, so it is important that tourism is taken into account in planning decisions about wind farms. Through our current review of national planning policies for renewable energy, we are looking at how this can continue to be done most effectively. This review will be informed by independent research that the Executive is about to commission. A balance must be struck between these two very important issues and the work that the Executive is doing should ensure that we get the balance right.

Dear Ms Ferguson,
In view of your responsibilities for culture, I would like to ask why there is no right of appeal against a decision by Historic Scotland/local authority planning departments to list a building given that listing imposes significant extra burdens on a proprietor and may have a human rights aspect? Would the Executive be prepared to consult on this issue?

Sharon McCord, Scottish Tourism Forum asks:

Does the Minister support the Scottish Tourism Forum’s call for the setting up of a Scottish Tourism Skills Partnership?

Sharon, thanks for this, I will answer your questions in the order you posed them. It is vital that people working in the tourism industry have the skills they need to add positively to every visitor experience. That's why skills and training were key parts of the Tourism Framework for Change, and it's why we've asked People 1st to put together a new skills strategy. I will be meeting with the Scottish Tourism Forum soon, and hope to discuss their proposals for a Scottish Tourism Skills Partnership then. That will give me a better idea of how this could contribute to the growth ambitions which I share with the industry.

Sharon McCord, Scottish Tourism Forum asks:

Does the Minister see the potential of the Forums call for the broadening of the Route Development Fund into an Access Development Fund supporting air, road, rail and ferry?

It's important that we support all forms of transport for tourism purposes. We must all work together to make our tourism industry more sustainable, so encouraging visitors to use low-carbon forms of public transport is particularly important, and I am therefore pleased that the Sustainable Tourism Partnership is looking closely at transport issues. Again, I hope to discuss these proposals with the Scottish Tourism Forum when we meet soon.

Sharon McCord, Scottish Tourism Forum asks:

Does the Minister support the Forums call for the establishment of new Challenge Funds to support skills and e-commerce capacity building within the Scottish tourism industry?

VisitScotland's marketing challenge fund has certainly been very successful in encouraging tourism businesses to work together to market their product or area. I would be interested to hear how the Scottish Tourism Forum consider this might work in relation to skills and e-commerce, so I look forward to meeting them and finding out more about their proposals

Liz Walker asks:

How can Minister justify the desecration of Scotland with wind turbines. We all know it's a major con trick on the people of Scotland. The expense of subsidies and energy used in manufacture and transport of turbines alone far outweigh any gain. Tourism will collapse and what will then be a major employer?

Liz I have responded to another question about this issue posed by Ian Douglas of Lochwinnoch I hope it covers the issues you raise.

Minister

While wind farms have a physical and aesthetic impact, to what extent are we now paying for lack of commitment by a succession of governments (irrespective of party) such that in the short term wind farms may be the least worst option?

On behalf of members of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association (VAGA), 

I would like to ask how you see the vital network of major regional and internationally focussed organisations (such as the Fruitmarket gallery in Edinburgh or Dundee Contemporary Arts) interacting with what seem to be very local, instrumentalist community planning processes outlined by the Executive and how you intend to ensure these organisations (independent of local authority structures and not seeking 'national' status) will continue to be resourced to realise their ambitions.

Ben Spencer (question posted earlier by email)

Mark Anderson, Executive Director, The Arches asks:

In Jack McConnell's 2003 St Andrews Day speech, he said the following - 'Our devolved government should have the courage and the faith to back human imagination, our innate creativity, as the most potent force for individual change and social vision. I believe we should make the development of our creative drive the next major enterprise for our society. Arts for all can be a reality, a democratic right and an achievement of the 21st century. I believe this has the potential to be a new civic exercise on a par with health, housing and education - the commitment to providing and valuing creative expression for all.' (Source: First Minister Jack McConnell, MSP; St Andrew's Day 2003)

Even with the recently announced £20m additional funds for the arts in Scotland the entire arts budget still accounts for less that 1% of the Executive's total budget. Can the Minister confirm that the arts will be treated on a par with health, housing and education and be given a budget to match?

Hello Mark.

The increased budget for culture which I announced in January boosted our previous financial commitment to culture by almost 10%. That was unprecedented.

In fact, the figures demonstrate clearly that we do already spend at least 1% of our budget on culture.

Since St Andrew’s Day 2003, regular meetings have taken place between the Minister for Culture and all other Portfolio Ministers, exploring our shared agenda to make culture a significant commitment across the Departments of the Executive. That work continues, and I plan shortly to publish another statement of our achievements which will include the financial contributions other portfolio Ministers make to culture.

The new policy statement on culture which I launched in January gave practical force to our ambitions to create a new civic exercise designed to bring more people across Scotland into contact with the arts and culture, as a potent and inspirational force in their lives.

Our policy for cultural planning will promote cross-service application of culture within Scotland’s local authorities – while local cultural entitlements will promote greater participation in culture, delivered in ways that seek to meet local people’s aspirations.

The draft Culture Bill and guidance that I shall launch shortly will spell out what we have in mind.

Ronnie Gurr, expert in Scotland’s contemporary music industry asks:

How would the culture Minister expect the new body Creative Scotland to assist the contemporary music industry in relation to culture and the arts?

On behalf of members of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association (VAGA), 

I would like to ask how you see the vital network of major regional and internationally focussed organisations (such as the Fruitmarket gallery in Edinburgh or Dundee Contemporary Arts) interacting with what seem to be very local, instrumentalist community planning processes outlined by the Executive and how you intend to ensure these organisations (independent of local authority structures and not seeking 'national' status) will continue to be resourced to realise their ambitions.

Ben Spencer (question posted earlier by email)

Ronnie, good to hear from you.

With the establishment of the new agency, we will assess the extent to which there are gaps in the support services for the creative industries, including contemporary music. This could include a transfer of functions and funding between Scottish Enterprise and the Agency, or a specific new role for Scottish Enterprise.

From Callum Macdonald (HOME)

I would just like to ask the Minister whose interests she feels the current not-for-profit cultural approach being imposed on Scotland's creative community by The Scottish Arts Council / Creative Scotland best serve / protect, and how she feels this policy can be reconciled with Scotland's ambition to promote itself globally as a contemporary, innovative and forward thinking new economy nation.

In what way does the minister think that potential wind turbine developments located near to our best tourist assets and historic buildings like Culzean Castle in Ayrshire would improve tourism?

In what way do the new planning laws protect these valuable landscapes?

How do you propose to protect our cultural heritage from these barbaric developments?

Colin Rennie, National Playing Fields Association Scotland asks:

When does the minister / the Executive intend on having the new planning guidelines into effect?

If there were to be a surge in planning applications ahead of the new guidelines coming into force which would affect

sporting fields and grounds, would the minister intervene to safeguard them?

Hello Colin,

As I think you know, this is an area I am particularly interested in. The consultation period for SPP11 ended on the 3rd November and I am grateful to National Playing Fields Association for taking part in that exercise. We will now analyse the 143 responses received and hope to be in a position to publish a finalised SPP11 on Physical Activity and Open Space in the spring.

I am not expecting a surge in planning applications and am not aware that that is the case. However, any applications will be dealt with through the existing system and I am confident that sportscotland will continue to play a crucial role in the process

Claire Mands, Scottish Disability Sport asks:

Do you feel that enough is being done to include people with disabilities in sport? If not, what do you see as the priorities for allowing people with disabilities to be included in sport?

Dear Claire,

Can I firstly recognise the excellent job that Scottish Disability Sport does in supporting disabled athletes and in lobbying on their behalf.

You will be aware that through sportscotland the Executive provides grant aid to Scottish Disability Sport which in the current year is some £205,000.

Funding awarded by sportscotland is always made on the basis that the organisation receiving grant can demonstrate that it has an all-inclusive policy.

sportscotland has also worked with the other Sports Councils in the UK to develop and implement the Equity Standard which is a framework to guide sports and community organisations towards achieving equity.

David Little, National Secretary, Scottish Youth Football Association asks:

In light of recent revelations that the cost of the London Olympics in 2012 will rise to around £10billion, could the minister clarify whether that means support at Westminster and Holyrood for the Commonwealth Games in 2014 is still as strong?

The last two audits carried out by SportsScotland highlighted that a spend of around £3billion is needed for swimming pools in Scotland, and that playing fields showed a deficit of £2.4billion. If for ease of arithmetic we call that £5.5billion that is needed in investment for in these vital areas, how does the Scottish Executive intend to ensure that resources and facilities are in place so that we have a generation of athletes capable of completing in Scotland in 2014?

I agree that the audit report on sports facilities didn’t make particularly good reading but it is a very useful document and shows that we were right to commission it. It highlights the fact that we need to ensure that regular maintenance and refurbishment is factored in to any facility development. We have a lot of facilities but investing additional money in the existing stock is not always the answer. Some of the existing facilities do not cater for current demand and are in the wrong place. We need to be more creative in developing new facilities that meet the needs of a wide range of sports and are flexible to meet changing trends.

The starting point as recommended in the report is for local authorities to prepare facility strategies which will include a more detailed audit of existing facilities. [Future funding from sportscotland will be dependent on where the facility sits within a local authority’s facility strategy.]

Quality facilities are essential if we are to achieve our ambitions for sport in Scotland.

With regard to your point about the Commonwealth Games and Scotland’s bid to host the 2014 games in Glasgow I can confirm that support across the UK is very strong. All of my counterparts in the devolved governments and adminstartions in the UK as well as at Westminster are right behind the bid and are providing as much help and support as they can.

Louise Yeoman asks:

Some of Scotland's most important historical and archaeological sites, often with strong tourist potential, are battlefields - but these sites are not protected by scheduling like other ancient monuments, and are proving vulnerable to developers - examples of battlefields threatened at the moment include Bothwell Bridge in Lanarkshire and Sheriffmuir near Stirling. What measures will the minister take to stop these sites being damaged and destroyed, and to protect them for the future?

Thanks for your question Louise – It is an issue Historic Scotland are working on at the moment and we hope to be able to publish the results of that work in the near future.. One of the problems we have is that many of our battlefields are not clearly defined sites, not least because many of the battles which took place involved skirmishes ranging over a large area, so defining the area to be protected can be tricky. I agree with you, however, that it is an area where some protection needs to be considered.

Charles Earley, secretary, West Lothian Voluntary Arts council asks:

As volunteers, there is a limit of what we can do to support the arts in our area, when balanced against full time jobs and family life. But without the efforts of volunteers, much of the arts activity in our area would be lost.

Would the Minister support having a dedicated post within Creative Scotland that will champion and support financially the efforts of volunteers in the Arts?

Thanks Charles. The Executive is very aware of the important contribution made by the voluntary arts and cultural sector in Scotland and values that work too.

That is why we stated in Scotland’s Culture that the new cultural development agency, Creative Scotland will be asked to develop guidance on strategic ways to develop cultural volunteering and the contribution of that sector. That work will, of course, be undertaken in full consultation with relevant stakeholders.

The introduction of Cultural Entitlements will, I hope, also encourage both additional volunteers to come forward and an enhanced role for those volunteers with skills and expertise to offer.

Thank you for your question, Ben. The new cultural development agency, Creative Scotland, will have a role to develop talent and excellence, and will be able to support nationally-important cultural bodies, that meet their criteria, whether or not they form part of the established national infrastructure. Local authorities, as at present, will also be able, in delivering cultural entitlements, to promote the contribution of their existing local infrastructure, which may have a key delivery role.

This debate is now closed. On behalf of the newspaper and its readers, sundayheraldtalk would like to thank the Minister for her time. Come back soon for more digital debates.