Chamber and committees

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: S4W-17137

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of deer damage to (a) forestry and (b) agricultural production in each of the last 10 years.

No figures are available for the overall cost of deer damage to agricultural production in Scotland. However, by way of a comparator, an analysis commissioned by SNH has put the annual cost of lost agricultural production in England at £4.3 million (see Putman, R. (2012) Scoping the economic benefits & costs of wild deer and their management in Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 526).

No figures are available for the overall cost of deer damage to the forestry sector, however surveys on the national forest estate indicate that 15-20% of young trees have suffered some deer damage.

Question reference: S4W-17133

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many deer have been culled by Forestry Commission Scotland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by species.

The number of deer culled by Forestry Commission Scotland on the National Forest Estate from 2003-04 to 12-13, broken down by species is set out in the following table:

Year	Total Red Cull	Total Roe Cull	Total Sika Cull	Total Fallow Cull	Total Deer Cull
2003-04	10,263	12,922	2,562	273	26,020
2004-05	10,436	12,794	2,662	274	26,166
2005-06	9,414	12,282	2,830	434	24,960
2006-07	9,027	11,659	2,913	426	24,025
2007-08	8,821	11,485	2,662	367	23,335
2008-09	8,579	12,063	2,639	419	23,700
2009-10	11,523	12,315	2,775	332	26,945
2010-11	11,157	12,255	3,196	424	27,032
2011-12	10,633	13,254	3,247	408	27,542
2012-13	11,854	14,259	3,241	432	29,786

Question reference: S4W-17136

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid to landowners in grants in each of the last 10 years to support activities designed to protect agricultural and forestry production from damage by deer.

The amount of grants paid out in each of the last 10 years to support activities designed to protect agricultural and forestry production from damage by deer is shown in the following table. The figures include legacy agri-environment and Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme payments and the current SRDP Rural Priorities. The figures include all participants who have claimed these grants, not just landowners. The costs also include “one off” capital works such as fencing:

Year	Legacy Agri-Environment	Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme - Grant S2 Reducing Deer Numbers	Rural Priorities	Total
2004	18,134	192,681	-	210,815
2005	11,304	667,551	-	678,855
2006	22,191	148,555	-	170,746
2007	18,700	120,809	-	139,509
2008	14,098	6,706	-	20,804
2009	13,451	16,791	349,886	380,128
2010	4,248	347,245	1,931,831	2,283,324
2011	7,628	112,823	3,416,241	3,536,692
2012	685	79,972	3,093,543	3,174,200
2013*	-	1,561	2,000,025	2,001,586

Note: *The 2013 figure is the position at 18-09-2013.

Question reference: S4W-17127

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what voluntary control agreements under section 7 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 (a) are in force and (b) have expired since 2000, broken down by (i) location, (ii) estate and (iii) area covered.

Information is available from 2003. The following table gives detail on the Section 7 agreements signed since 2003:

	Area	Year Signed	Status
1	Ardvar	2009	Current
2	Beinn Dearg SAC	2010	Current
3	Ben Wyvis SAC	2010	Current
4	Breadalbane	2010	Current
5	Caenlochan	2003	Current
6	Fannnichs SAC	2010	Current
7	Inverpolly SAC	2010	Current
8	Kinveachy	2005	Current
9	Mar Lodge	2010	Current
10	Glenfeshie	2000	Concluded
11	Inchnadamph	2003	Concluded
12	Glen Prosen Agreement Area ( Caenlochan Extension)	2005	Current

The following tables list Section 7 Agreements currently in force broken down by (i) location, (ii) estate and (iii) area covered:

Caenlochan - Angus / Aberdeen - shire
Property	Planar Area (ha)
Alrick (Part)	1,406
Auchavan	952
Balmoral (Bachnagairn)	3,411
Corrie Fee	164
Glen Isla	1,544
Glencally, Fergus and Glenmarkie	2,077
Invercauld (Glencallater) (Part)	6,111
Invercauld (Glenshee)	4,057
Tulchan	4,926
Fcs Glendoll	690
Total Area	25,338

Caenlochan Extension - Angus
Property	Planar Area (ha)
Glen Prosen	5,707
Glenhead / Glen Damff	2,700
Total Area	8,407

Ben Wyvis SAC - Ross -shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Ben Wyvis Nnr	2300
Clach Liath	998
Wyvis Estate	7848
Total Area	11,146

BeinDearg SAC - Ross-shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Alladale and Deanich	9,245
Braemore	4,433
Corriemulzie	9,595
Inverlael	5,893
Inverlael Farm	1,536
Loch Droma	569
Strathvaich and Strathrannoch	15,156
Total Area	46,427
Breadalbane DMG - Perth-shire

Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Auch Estate	3,524
Auchessan	1,147
Auchlyne/Bovain	4,138
Ben Lawers	4,803
Blackmount (East Of Railway)	3,431
Blackmount Dalness andEtive	2,171
Blackmount West Of Railway	5,208
Boreland	6,227
Carie Farm	526
Cashlie	3,007
Chesthill North	2,746
Chesthill South	1,509
Coire Carie	1,090
Croftintygan	133
Crossmount	1,595
Dalchosnie	350
Dun Coillich	411
East Schiehallion	793
Fcs Lassintulloch	210
Fcs South Rannoch	3,522
Finnart	2,468
Garth	1,679
Glenlochay	5,171
Glenlyon Estate	3,006
Innerhadden	1,743
Innerwick	2,395
Innischoarach	2,106
Inverinian	837
Invermearan	7,811
Kiltyrie Farm	77
Kirkton and Auchtertyre	2,209
Kynachan	1,314
Lochdochart	2,443
Lochs	7,193
Meggernie	7,427
Morenish	150
Rannoch Moor Nnr	1,416
Roro	2,996
Tirarthur	213
West Tempar	737
Total Area	99,932

Ardvar Woodlands - Sutherland
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Ardvar	1,881
Quinag	3,563
Total Area	5,444

Mar Lodge - Aberdeen - shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Mar Lodge	29,322
Total Area	29,322

Fannich Hills - Ross-shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Fannich	3,761
Strone (Foich)	3,945
Kinlochewe, Loch Rosque and West Fannich	12,702
Kinlochluichart	9,611
Total Area	30,019

Inverpolly Ross-shire / Sutherland
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Inverpolly Estate	4,885
Eisg-brachaidh Estate	2,000
Drumrunie	4,764
Total Area	11,649

Kinveachy - Inverness-shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Kinveachy Estate	5,335
Total Area	5,335

The following tables list Section 7 Agreements which have expired since 2000 broken down by (i) location, (ii) estate and (iii) area covered:

Inchnadamph - Sutherland
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Inchnadamph Estate	3,600
Total Area	3,600

Glen Feshie - Inverness-shire
Property	Planar Area (Ha)
Glenfeshie	17,212
Invereshie	3,078
Killiehuntly	1,787
Mar Lodge (part)	2,951
Total Area	25,028

Question reference: S4W-17130

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) areas are covered by deer management groups, (b) groups have deer management plans in place that are regarded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) as competent and (c) groups have implemented plans in a way regarded by SNH as competent.

(a) A link to a map showing areas covered by deer management groups (DMGs) and a table setting out the area of land covered by each DMG are as follows:

http://www.deer-management.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/dmgmap.jpg

DMG	Area (Ha)
North Uist	30,016
Harris and Lewis	109,468
South Uist	30,765
Skye	174,730
Rum	10,731
Northern	180,963
Gairloch Conservation Group	42,600
West Ross	113,493
West Sutherland	149,344
North Ross	148,432
North West Sutherland	169,975
East Ross	20,476
East Sutherland	127,141
South West Ross	64,434
South Ross	222,475
Glenelg	38,394
Knoydart	77,416
West Lochaber	51,937
Moidart	22,010
East Loch Shiel	47,972
Morven	48,607
Ardnamurchan	22,827
Mull	88,171
Jura	36,505
Islay	14,081
Arran	21,832
Monadhliaths	175,734
Cairngorm/ Speyside	104,493
Mid West Association	109,602
West Grampians	80,852
East Grampians	263,586
Blackmount	112,533
East LochEtricht	35,261
Breadalbane	95,135
Strathtay	17,324
South Perthshire	76,910
Inveraray and Tyndrum	56,982
Cowal	86,430
Balquhidder	46,172
West Loch Lomond	36,081
East Loch Lomond	20,306
Glenartney	20,063
Total Upland DMG Area	3,402,259

Lowland DMGs
South West Scotland	681,571
North Lanarkshire	47,212
South Lanarkshire	158,531
West Lothian	43,159
Borders	129,346
Eskdalemuir	125,694
Buchan	693,459
Total Lowland DMG Area	1,878,972

(b) There are 42 areas identified as upland DMG areas in Scotland, of which two no longer function (Cowal and West Loch Lomond). Of the remaining 40 groups, 16 have current deer management plans in place, 13 have plans in development or which require review, and 11 groups have no current deer management plan.

(c) For privately funded deer management plans, SNH are not required to assess the competence of their implementation. Deer managers are beginning to implement the SNH Code of practice on Deer Management, agreed by the Scottish Parliament in 2012, to which a deer management planning process is central. SNH is required to assess overall compliance with the Deer Code and is working with the deer sector to develop an agreed methodology.

In cases where plan development has been in receipt of public funding, SNH take an active role in the plan development, ensuring plans are competent in content and will, along with DMG members, monitor implementation.

Question reference: S4W-17128

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many compulsory control schemes have been implemented since the introduction of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1959, broken down by (a) location, (b) estate and (c) area covered.

Question reference: S4W-17139

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what cost has arisen from road traffic accidents caused by collisions with deer in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S4W-16879

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to restrict overtaking by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on three-lane sections of trunk roads.

Question reference: S4O-02412

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how the Youth Music Initiative dovetails with voluntary sector programmes such as Scotland Sings and the Feisean movement.

Question reference: S4W-16880

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which supermarket chains have made use of rail freight grants on the Highland mainline.