- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s seventh quinquennial review of schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, what assessment it has made of the potential removal of schedule 5 legal protection for mountain hares, and whether it would support such a recommendation.
Answer
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) published stakeholders consultation https://consult.defra.gov.uk/joint-nature-conservation-committee/911c8988/ , including a list of provisional recommendations regarding the addition, retention, regrading or removal of each species on 08 November 2021. Those proposed recommendations do not include the removal of schedule 5 legal protection for mountain hares.
We will carefully consider the JNCC recommendations of the seventh Quinquennial Review. Before making any recommendations regarding species removal from schedule 5, we must be satisfied that there would be no detrimental impact to the individual species or to the wider biodiversity and environmental landscape in Scotland.
Mountain hares are now a protected species following the passage of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act in June 2020. The protection came into force on 1 March 2021, meaning that the species can no longer be taken for sporting or recreational purposes. We will also continue to work with several partner organisations to continue to improve our understanding of mountain hare populations across Scotland, along with other work, to support the conservation status of this iconic species.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how its Housing Strategy supports social landlords to ensure ageing properties meet current energy efficient standards.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2021
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the proposed reforms to the methodology for designating animal and plant species with legal protection under Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as outlined by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in the information pack for its 7th Quinquennial Review of the Schedules 5 and 8, which was published on 1 July 2021.
Answer
Section 24 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 places an obligation on conservation bodies to review every five years Schedules 5 and 8 and advise Scottish Ministers whether, in their opinion: (a) any animal should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 5; (b) any plant should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 8.
Revised criteria for the review process were agreed by the Chief Scientist Group representing the three statutory nature conservation organisations, including NatureScot. It is not for the Scottish Government to approve the method by which the review mentioned above is undertaken.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) the resumption of work on its Fuel Poverty Strategy and (b) the appointment of the statutory Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.
Answer
The Fuel Poverty Strategy was laid in Parliament on the 9th November and, as set out in the Programme for Government 2021, will be published by the end of this calendar year.
The public appointments process for the independent statutory Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel has been progressed and an announcement on the appointment of the Chair and members of the Panel will be made shortly.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when the Ferry Industry Advisory Group will next meet, and for what reason it has not met since October 2019.
Answer
There are no plans to hold a further Ferry Industry Advisory Group (FIAG) meeting. Ministers are grateful to former FIAG members for their contributions to the work of the group, which was wide ranging. But by mutual consent of the parties following the last meeting on 17 October 2019, a more targeted approach is now adopted to stakeholder engagement. This continues to ensure that policy decisions are informed by the knowledge and experience of international ferry industry best practice, alongside views of local authorities and the communities served by the ferry services operated on behalf of Scottish Ministers.
Our significantly improved approach to community engagement for new vessel projects is evidenced in positive feedback from the Islay community on their new vessels. We are also working closely with Ferries Community Board to ensure community input into policy development such as regarding fares and managing demand.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils completed cycling proficiency training courses in each year since 2018-19, and how many are expected to do so in the 2021-22.
Answer
| | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
2018-19 | 20,201 | 21,671 | 180 |
2019-20 | 9,300 | 6,678 | 111 |
2020-21 | 21,158 | 19,140 | 48 |
Participation data for 2021-22 will be available in September 2022.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many schools will offer cycling proficiency training to pupils in 2021-22.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold that information. Annual school cycle training performance figures for 2021-22, including delivery data from all participating local authorities, will be available in September 2022.
Through Bikeability Scotland, cycling training is available to every primary and secondary school in participating local authorities via a named coordinator. The programme is run by Cycling Scotland and delivery has now resumed following Covid-19 related disruption. Cycling Scotland is now supporting Bikeability coordinators to implement and update their pre-pandemic delivery targets, with the objective that every child has access to on-road cycle training as a life skill.
Through funding from Transport Scotland, Cycling Scotland provides free access to resources and instructor training, and supports local authorities with grant funding totalling over £600,000 per annum to overcome local barriers and increase access to the programme.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) formal guidance on its red list, which states that "(t)he Red List should [therefore] not be interpreted as a means of priority setting. The difference between measuring threats and assessing conservation priorities needs to be appreciated."
Answer
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a globally respected organisation and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive data resource on the status of species. The List does not however, include all Scottish species and for most of those that are included, assessments are for Great Britain as a whole.
In addition to Red List accounts, NatureScot also considers other factors when providing advice on priority setting, including information on species’ status in Scotland, as well as social and economic factors. This enables the inclusion of species for which there are not yet IUCN assessments available, and allows the Scottish Government to respond to new threats that may not yet be recognised in the Red Lists, which are typically updated every 10 years.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage (a) of sheep flocks being inspected have to undertake a full flock head count and (b) of full flock head counts undertaken in each of the last five years relate to inspections carried out in Shetland.
Answer
Up-until 2020 100% of sheep flocks selected for inspection had to have a full head count.
For 2020 in order to minimise Covid-19 related risks for farmers/crofters and Scottish Government inspectors the requirement to undertake a full head count at every inspection was removed.
For 2021 a partial head count was reinstated but only for sheep maintained on a farmer/crofter's main holding and sheep maintained on other land within a 5 mile radius of the main holding.
For 2020 and 2021, for farmer/crofters primarily with small flocks or where significant errors are found, some of the inspection controls have the same effect as undertaking a full head count.
The percentage of full flock head counts undertaken in each of the last five years which relate to inspections carried out in Shetland are set out in the following table. Figures for the current year aren't available as inspections are ongoing.
Year | % of full head counts for inspections carried out in Shetland |
2016 | 7.8% |
2017 | 5.2% |
2018 | 7.3% |
2019 | 5.4% |
2020 | 1.3% |
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 2 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many on-street bike hangars (secure, covered spaces for residents to park their bikes) are available across Scotland, and what demand there is for bike hangars.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on the total number of on-street bike hangers across Scotland, or on the demand for bike hangers. Individual local authorities may hold this information for their respective areas.
