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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-29290

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the annual deer cull figures in Scotland in each of the past five years.

Data from the reported annual cull returns is set out in the following table:

Season	Red	Roe	Sika	Fallow	Total	Mortality
2019-20	60711	38499	6964	2211	108385	617
2020-21	66373	36587	8154	2521	113626	4529
2021-22	66575	43455	8495	2640	121165	1079
2022-23	73251	48662	9427	2582	133922	1016
2023-24	31739	14940	2961	928	50568	TBC

NatureScot regularly publish this data and further breakdowns can be found on their website https://www.nature.scot/doc/naturescot-deer-census-results which includes a breakdown of reported cull information from 1996 – 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-29291

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot will consider the new research findings published in the British Ecological Society journal, Ecological Solutions and Evidence, outlining the ecological benefits of leaving deer carcasses in their environment in appropriate and defined circumstances.

Wild Deer Best Practice (WDBP) covers the practice of leaving carcasses on the hill and this guidance is regularly reviewed through the steering group to ensure it provides accurate and up to date information.

NatureScot recognises the benefits of leaving carcasses on the hill (in line with WDBP guidance) for nutrient cycling and food sources for wildlife. Decisions on when to leave carcasses is at the discretion of the land owner / manager and in many properties (including NatureScot properties) a proportion of culled deer are not removed.

Question reference: S6W-29292

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures and incentives it is considering in order to reach its commitment to increase the national deer cull by 25% or 50,000 deer each year.

The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a range of actions to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme has been set out as part of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. The Natural Environment Bill will be introduced this Parliamentary year, which will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

In the meantime we are working on those Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.

In addition to this there are three pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot and the Cairngorms National Park Authority which will launch this autumn to financially support deer managers to control numbers of deer in specific parts of Scotland in response to the climate and nature emergencies.

Question reference: S6W-29293

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most recent deer culling figures broken down by (a) public bodies and (b) private landowners.

Question reference: S6W-29294

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how NatureScot (a) assesses, (b) monitors and (c) publicises routine progress toward reaching the additional 50,000 deer cull target.

NatureScot’s Deer Work Programme Action Plan and spreadsheet showing progress on delivery of the Deer Working Recommendations are on their website (https://www.nature.scot/doc/deer-work-programme).

These show progress across the range of projects, initiatives and activities that are aimed at increasing culls to achieve a more sustainable deer population in Scotland.

NatureScot are also working to improve cull data collection and presentation to better monitor progress.

Question reference: S6W-29658

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how any funds for a sports facility at Park of Keir will be re-allocated, in light of the withdrawal of the project.

We recognise the enormous contribution the Murray family has made to tennis in Scotland and we are committed to delivering a tangible and fitting legacy.

sportscotland’s provisional allocation of up to £5m for the development of a potential tennis facility at Park of Keir remains in place to deliver a suitable Murray Legacy in Scotland.

We will work with sportscotland, the Murray family, and wider partners, to ensure that we capitalise on the achievements of one of Scotland's greatest ever athletes.

Question reference: S6W-29374

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when NatureScot will be revising its Scottish Biodiversity List of species and habitats that Scottish Ministers consider to be of principal importance for biodiversity conservation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government and NatureScot have been focused on the development of the final draft of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and supporting Delivery Plans, which will be published later this year. The Scottish Biodiversity List remains an important part of this framework. NatureScot has already undertaken some preparatory work which will help inform this task, and we will continue to work together to produce a revised list in due course.

Question reference: S6O-03727

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Prison Service to discuss the findings of HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland's report on the full inspection of HMP YOI Stirling.

Question reference: S6W-29136

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland report, HMP & YOI Stirling, Full Inspection, 19 February to 23 February 2024.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS welcomes the inspection report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS), and we are encouraged to hear that the Chief Inspector believes that Scotland is ‘leading the way when it comes to managing women in custody’.

SPS acknowledges that it has been just over a year since the opening of HMP & YOI Stirling, and although the report highlights many areas of good practice, there are areas where further development is needed. We are in the process of working through these areas for those in our care, our staff, and our neighbours.

SPS will work collaboratively with HMIPS on the recommendations made and will provide updates to HMIPS on the actions taken forward in the areas that require further development.

We are confident that our transformative and groundbreaking Strategy for Women in Custody, supported by significant investment from the Scottish Government, has delivered a step change in how we support the rehabilitation of women in our care.

Question reference: S6W-28692

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28363 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 July 2024, what consideration it will give to potentially extending the boundary of the (a) Cairngorms National Park and (b) Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to incorporate parts of the Tay Forest National Park bid area.

On 22 July 2024, the Scottish Government announced that Galloway has been proposed as the location for Scotland’s third National Park. A detailed investigation will now be carried out on its suitability including extensive engagement and consultation with local communities, businesses, interest groups and representatives from the agriculture, forestry and other land-based sectors given their importance in the area. NatureScot has been asked to take forward this investigation and to provide a report to Scottish Ministers by 28 April 2025.

New National Park nominations were also received from groups in Loch Awe, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.

I have written to all of the groups that submitted nominations, including for Tay Forest, to offer meetings with Scottish Government officials to discuss the outcome of this process and any reflections they may wish to share following its conclusion.

These meetings with officials will offer an opportunity for groups to make the case for such proposals and, where relevant, groups may wish to explore particular elements of their nominations that would merit further consideration. For example, they may wish to explore potential opportunities to support nature restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation.