Seòmar agus comataidhean

“Tranche two” Marine Protected Areas are included in work currently ongoing to implement fisheries management measures within existing Marine Protected Areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20143 on 15 August 2023 for details of the timescale for this work.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering fisheries management measures for existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where such measures are not already in place, as well as key coastal biodiversity locations outside of these sites. As outlined in the Parliamentary Statement of 29 June 2023, due to the complexity of the of the inshore area and the number of sites, the fisheries management measures will not be delivered before March 2024. The Scottish Government will consult on the proposals for offshore areas after summer recess and on proposals for inshore areas in 2024.

The Bute House Agreement builds on the actions in our Fisheries Management Strategy which sets out our approach to managing Scottish sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders, to deliver the best results for the future of our marine environment, our fishing industry and the communities that rely on them.

Observing our co-management approach, policies relating to inshore fishing will be progressed further through our Regional Inshore Fisheries Group network and Fisheries Management and Conservation group, prior to full consultation.

While the Scottish Government does not currently hold land use data for land as categorised in the question, it does hold information in relation to land use for specific purposes. For example, the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Division hold data on the use of land parcels where farmers make applications for funding. The claimant may not, however, be the owner of the land.

Individual land holdings of over 500 hectares will often have a mixture of uses. For example, Scottish Forestry has engaged with 324 separate areas of privately owned land over 500 hectares that are under forest cover and used primarily for timber production and carbon sequestration. These can be broken down as:

• 4 forest management plans over 500 hectares have been approved by Scottish Forestry (Scottish Government agency) since 2011;
• 310 Long Term Forest Plans over 500 hectares have been approved by Scottish Forestry since 2009; and
• 10 Forestry Grant Scheme Woodland Creation cases over 500 hectares have been approved since 2015.

These areas of land will also contribute to natural heritage and nature recovery as they all include areas of native woodland and other habitats.

As outlined in the Scottish Government’s consultation for the forthcoming Land Reform Bill, proposals for compulsory Land Management Plans for large land holdings will require land holders to detail the use and management of their land. This will further improve transparency of land ownership and empower communities.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that on 19 July 2023, out of the 2040 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 809 are owned exclusively by one or more natural persons. A further 15 titles are leased exclusively by one or more natural persons and 2 are mixed tenure titles registered under the Land Registration (Scotland) 1979 Act.

These figures exclude titles where a natural person may be acting in a special capacity (e.g., as a trustee or partner), as well as titles with a complex proprietorship structure consisting of a mix of natural and non-natural persons acting in various capacities.

Of the 615 areas of unregistered land over 500 ha, which have been linked to a Sasines Search Sheet in the Registers of Scotland Unlocking Sasines dataset, an estimated 244 are indicatively owned exclusively by one or more natural persons.

A breakdown by region is provided in the following table. 10 Land Register titles over 500 ha Register are near shore or offshore and therefore fall outwith the mapped boundaries of Scottish Local Authority areas.

Table: Land Register Titles/Unlocking Sasines polygons held by one or more natural persons

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that the Registers of Scotland does not collect information that is meant to identify land as publicly owned. Estimates are highly dependent on how public bodies are defined and searched for (by name) in the Land Register of Scotland and the Registers of Scotland Unlocking Sasines dataset.

Using available data sources, we estimate that on 21 July 2023, public sector bodies (including local authorities) held approximately 32,882 holdings across all tenure types, covering a combined area of approximately 884,350 ha.

288 holdings exceed 500 ha.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that on 19 July 2023, out of the 2040 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 434 are owned exclusively by one or more companies. A further 212 titles are leased exclusively by one or more companies and 2 are mixed tenure titles registered under the Land Registration (Scotland) 1979 Act.

These figures exclude titles with a complex proprietorship structure consisting of a mix of natural and non-natural persons which may include a company.

Of the 615 areas of unregistered land over 500 ha, which have been linked to a Sasines Search Sheet in the Registers of Scotland Unlocking Sasines dataset, an estimated 188 are owned exclusively by one or more companies.

A breakdown by region is provided in the following table. 5 Land Register titles over 500 ha are near-shore or offshore and therefore fall outwith the mapped boundaries of Scottish Local Authority areas.

Table: Land Register Titles/Unlocking Sasines polygons held by one or more companies

The main aim for the private water supply connections project is to build resilience to private water supply communities affected by water scarcity. The funding is being spent to determine whether a connection to the public water main is a viable option and some communities will be shortlisted to have the public water network extended into their area so households can make a connection.

So far, five pilot projects in Aberdeenshire have been chosen and Scottish Water have carried out Water Impact Assessments for each to better understand the feasibility and cost of connections. Three of the pilot communities have been shortlisted to have the public water network extended into their areas using a selection criteria that maximised the connection potential and ensured value for money. They will be notified shortly and the design of the new public water network for these areas is underway.

Overall, the results of the Water Impact Assessments were positive. The studies indicated that there was capacity in the network to support all of the pilot communities. The process also highlighted that these studies can remove a significant cost barrier for groups seeking a connection, which can range from between £3,000 and £25,000 without a guarantee that a connection can be made. As a result, I have asked my officials to establish a two-year, Scotland-wide Water Impact Assessment programme so that other regions impacted by water scarcity can benefit. Local authorities have been asked to nominate eligible communities.

It takes some time to carry out these assessments, liaise with communities, design and then deliver the project and therefore no properties have been connected since June 2022. I have asked Scottish Water to hire a project manager to work on the project full- time. When this in place I expect further progress to be made.

The latest annual report was published on 30 June 2023 at https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotland-hydro-nation-annual-report-2022/

11 July 2023

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour Party): To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on large-scale water infrastructure development projects, such as reservoir expansions, to increase Scotland’s water resilience in the future.

Scottish Water, as the publicly owned provider of services in Scotland, is required to plan for the future provision of water through a sustainable water resource management approach; planning ensures that Scottish Water secures continuous, safe, clean drinking water for customers whilst supporting economic growth and protecting the environment. Scottish Water’s water resource planning looks 25 years ahead, taking account of water resource availability and the changing demands for water and making sure that these balance. Scottish Water also uses climate change scenarios to inform long-term investment requirements which may include additional sources of water or increased connectivity across the country. Scottish Water currently has no plans to build additional reservoirs.

Investment needs are reviewed for each regulatory period. This will consider the need to invest in resilience measures to ensure that services can be maintained and protected given the growing impacts of climate change. An example of this is the Glasgow Resilience Project, details of which are on Scottish Water’s website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/in-your-area/investments-in-your-area/220421-glasgow-resilience-project .

Scottish Water also has well-developed drought plans and has put these in place to ensure that public supplies are maintained. Investment in resilience measures over many years means that Scottish Water has ensured that supplies have been maintained through prolonged dry periods in recent years. Scottish Water will continue to focus on the efficient management of its existing water resources, which includes a range of measures from leakage reduction to encouraging customers to use water efficiently. Considering how we all use water and can minimise consumption is important in improving resilience to climate change and protecting the environment.