Further to the answer to question S1W-31034 by Dr Elaine Murray on 19 November 2002, whether it will list for each of the last five years t…

I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to reply. His response is as follows:The term historic buildings can refer to both listed buildings and scheduled monuments, although the latter covers a much wider range of types of monument. No record is kept by the Scottish Executive of the number of historic buildings for which a new use has been found. Records on changes to scheduled monuments are available for the last five years but these do not distinguish between different types of work for which consent is sought. Thus it is not possible to provide information on scheduled monument applications for the re-use of historic buildings.The granting of consent for a change of use to a listed building is a matter for the relevant planning authority to determine. Where a change of use involves an alteration or extension to a building listed at category A or B for which listed building consent is required, the local planning authority, if they are minded to grant consent, refer the matter to Historic Scotland for clearance. No such referral is required for buildings listed at category C(S), except in the case of demolition. Historic Scotland dealt with some 12,000 clearances in the five years up to 31 March 2002, with 97% cleared within 28 days.Monuments of national importance are added to the schedule for the purpose of preservation and this guides all consent decisions. The granting of consent for any works to a scheduled monument for the purpose of repairing it or any part of it or of making any alterations or additions to it is a matter for Historic Scotland under statutory powers delegated by the Scottish ministers. The total number of scheduled monument consent applications received in the five years up to 31 March 2002 totalled 1,097. In the vast majority of those cases the work was considered to be appropriate and consent was granted, often subject to conditions. Only a very small number of those applications involved the re-use of historic buildings and in those cases the preservation needs of the monument were the principle consideration.