Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not intend to permit a cull of white-tailed eagles.

The species has the highest levels of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 being listed on Schedules 1, 1A and A1. Schedule A1 of the 1981 Act lists bird species whose nests are protected at all times from disturbance, including outwith the breeding season. Schedule 1A of the 1981 Act lists those bird species which are protected from harassment.

We accept that sea eagles may sometimes take lambs and thereby have a financial impact on farmers and crofters. NatureScot operates the Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS) which supports farmers and crofters to manage impacts. The SEMS was significantly revised in 2020 following consultation with local and national stakeholder groups, including National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Crofting Federation representatives. Further information on the scheme is available via the following web link: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-wildlife/sea-eagle-management-scheme

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-08524 on 19 May 2022 and S6W-08585 on 7 June 2022. 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

Official Statistics on Scottish greenhouse gas emissions are based on a disaggregation of the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. At the time of writing, the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory does not allow for the isolation of data for emissions from the incineration of fossil carbon hence statistics at this level are not available.

The timing of the next report on roads will be a matter for Audit Scotland to consider in the planning of their work programme. The Accounts Commission and Auditor General for Scotland last published their report on Maintaining Scotland’s Roads in August 2016.

The Audit Scotland report on Maintaining Scotland’s Roads provides information on how road maintenance funding, spending and condition is measured and published. It is for Audit Scotland to determine how it does this.

The National Defibrillator Network Project, “The Circuit” developed by British Heart Foundation and Microsoft, is a UK-wide registry of defibrillators. It integrates with the existing Scottish Ambulance Service defibrillator database. In an incident of cardiac arrest, Scottish Ambulance Service call handlers use the database to locate nearby devices and direct bystanders to it.

The development and implementation of The Circuit is an operational matter for Scottish Ambulance Service, the British Heart Foundation and Microsoft, rather than Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00689 on 2 July 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Written questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .

Over £23 million has been awarded to 15 local authorities, to date, through the Recycling Improvement Fund. This marks one of the biggest investments in recycling in a generation.

These initial investments have the potential to reduce CO2e emissions by 29,746 tonnes each year.

Carbon savings information for unsuccessful projects is not available, primarily due to insufficient evidence available to produce estimates.

Where a local authority has been unsuccessful in gaining funding, they receive feedback from Zero Waste Scotland. Zero Waste Scotland also offer support to explore funding opportunities and support the development of proposals.

Zero Waste Scotland will publish the next update of the Carbon Metric for waste in March 2023.

The publication of the Carbon Metric in March 2023 will be the last time the tool, in its current format, will be used.

From 2023 a report on the carbon impacts of Scotland’s waste from a whole-life carbon perspective will be produced using the newly developed Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT). The SWEFT tool performs the same functions as the carbon metric but has the additional benefit of measuring a wider range of indicators beyond carbon.

We have committed to update Parliament regarding publication of the Project Neptune report and planned next steps and will do so after the summer recess.

The Scottish Carbon Metric measures the whole-life carbon impacts of Scotland’s waste, and is a vital tool in our work to address the climate emergency. The most recent data shows that in 2018 the carbon impacts of Scotland’s waste fell to the lowest on record, 30% below 2011 baseline levels.

Most recently, the metric has provided key evidence to inform the development of proposals set out in our Waste and Circular Economy Route Map consultation. The Carbon Metric, and the newly developed Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT), will continue to play a key role to help ensure that the Scottish waste and resources sector plays its full role in tackling the global climate emergency.

The Carbon Metric reports also contribute to the evidence base for Outcome 1 (Responsible Consumption) from Zero Waste Scotland's Corporate Plan, highlighting the environmental impact of over-consumption, and allowing their activities to be targeted for maximum impact. Additionally, insights from the most recent Carbon Metric report contributed to the evidence base for developing existing Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland activities, such as supporting the Circular Textiles Fund.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00689 on 2 July 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Written questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .