Chamber and committees

There is no specific requirement to keep bulls indoors in the winter. However, the Welfare of Farm Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2000 state that animals not kept in buildings must, where necessary and possible, be given protection from adverse weather conditions, predators and risks to their health and, at all times, have access to a well-drained lying area. This applies to all farmed animals. Groups planning to acquire a bull will need to consider these regulations before proceeding.

The building of wintering facilities is an eligible operation within the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme. Only crofters, and others of like economic status, are eligible for the scheme and, although part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme, the application process for the scheme is non-competitive. Grants will be made subject to eligibility and other conditions of the scheme.

Future arrangements for providing assistance to mitigate the transport costs of bulls to and from remote areas are expected to extend to the costs associated with the overwintering of crofter-owned bulls on the mainland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17655 on 14 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17644 on 14 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17640 on 14 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The ending of the Bull Hire Scheme does not raise any novel animal welfare issues. New owners and keepers of animals will have a responsibility to ensure their welfare in accordance with the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farm Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2000. There are also health and safety considerations in relation to the keeping of bulls and the Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Cattle contains advice on the keeping of bulls. Crofters Commission staff will be available over coming months to assist with the training of crofting groups who wish to take on a bull.

It is too early to say what the arrangements for EU support might be after 2013.

The June 2007 Agricultural Census indicates that 470 registered crofts, or holdings containing crofts, had a total of 735 bulls on them. In the same year, the Crofters Commission provided a total of 121 hires. It is not known how many of the remaining bulls were owned by crofters. As at 13 November 2008, there are 17,885 crofts registered with the Crofters Commission.

The requested information is given in the following table:

Number of Suckler Cows by Agricultural Region

	Suckler Cows
	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Agricultural Region	Number	Number	Number	Number	Number	Number
Shetland	2,022	2,001	2,111	2,038	1,934	1,960
Orkney	28,486	28,938	28,362	28,096	27,259	26,565
Eileanan an Iar	2,854	2,895	2,886	2,873	2,870	2,799
Highland	55,119	55,657	55,184	53,817	52,210	51,242
North East Scotland	95,399	95,854	96,260	95,352	94,471	92,626
Tayside	38,124	38,247	37,601	37,440	36,397	36,065
Fife	14,239	14,122	13,899	14,503	13,951	13,722
Lothian	13,476	13,711	13,721	13,622	13,436	13,696
Scottish Borders	48,853	49,137	50,290	49,331	46,789	45,371
East Central	13,561	13,679	13,643	13,475	13,152	12,976
Argyll and Bute	22,852	23,297	22,958	22,251	21,300	20,901
Clyde Valley	33,197	34,323	34,415	32,900	31,896	31,543
Ayrshire	30,589	30,804	31,017	31,222	29,993	30,168
Dumfries and Galloway	88,362	90,208	89,972	90,274	86,566	84,720
Scotland	487,133	492,873	492,319	487,194	472,224	464,354

Source: Scottish agricultural census. Data refers to first, non-Sunday, day in June each year.

The information for 2003 to 2007 is already available, through separate publications for each year, in the annual Scottish Agricultural Census Summary Sheets publication.

The information can be accessed through the agriculture and fisheries statistics website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Agriculture-Fisheries/PubScottishCensus.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17650 on 14 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17638 on 14 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.