Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of how effectively Scotland’s national parks are being governed.
Scotland’s two iconic national parks were established in 2000 as Non-Departmental Public Bodies and their governance arrangements were set down in Designation orders thereafter.
NDPBs operate at arms lengths from Scottish Government and are wholly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The relationship with government is set out in a Framework Agreement between the body and Scottish Ministers, both national parks have these agreements in place.
Scottish Ministers regularly meet both National Parks to discuss a range of matters, including governance.