- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many hen harrier nests there were on (a) RSPB and (b) non-RSPB reserves in each of the last six years, and what information it has regarding how many failed to have any chicks fledge, broken down by the reason for such failures.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on hen harrier nests broken down by nature reserves on which the nests are located, or on reasons for nest failure.
The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme (SRMS) and the RSPB have provided the data in Table 1 for RSPB reserves. The data are from 2013-2017.
Table 1
Year | No of pairs monitored | Successful | Failed/Outcome unknown |
2013 | 37 | 12 | 25 |
2014 | 37 | 13 | 24 |
2015 | 43 | 15 | 28 |
2016* | 60 | 12 | 48 |
2017 | 37 | 5 | 32 |
Around 80% of the records in Table 1 are from RSPB Orkney reserves. The Orkney harrier population is well known for high levels of polygyny with males often breeding with 2 or 3 females. Most of these additional females either fail or produce very few young, as normally males struggle to feed more than one female and brood. This affects the failure rate overall and the proportion of successful nesting attempts is higher on non-Orkney RSPB reserves compared to Orkney reserves.
Table 2 provides data on breeding hen harriers across Scotland from the SRMS. It does not include the data included in Table 1.
Table 2
Year | No of pairs monitored | Successful | Failed/Outcome unknown |
2013 | 210 | 97 | 113 |
2014 | 256 | 164 | 92 |
2015 | 233 | 105 | 128 |
2016* | 279 | 119 | 160 |
2017 | 215 | 114 | 101 |
* 2016 was the national survey year for Hen Harriers, so more data reached the SRMS for this species than in other years.
The number of Hen Harrier pairs recorded and monitored in and out of RSPB reserves should not be regarded as a complete inventory. Coverage of this species in Scotland is incomplete, so some pairs are not reported to SRMS.
Moreover, coverage on RSPB reserves may not be the same as coverage elsewhere. This means that the proportion of records the SRMS holds from RSPB reserves does not necessarily indicate the proportion of the population that breed on reserves.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a national concessionary fare scheme for train travel for (a) disabled people and (b) people aged 60 or over.
Answer
The Scottish Government provides funding to Scottish local authorities for the provision of a range of local services and it is for these local authorities to decide how best to use that funding for the benefit of local people. Some local authorities offer rail discounts for older people and those with disabilities, while others do not.
The Scottish Government also ensures participation by the ScotRail franchisee in a range of UK-wide discount schemes, including: free travel for individuals who are blind; half price travel for wheelchair users; and Railcards, both for those with disabilities and for older people, which offer one third off most fares for an annual fee of £20 and £30 respectively.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to Dumfries and Galloway Council to help deliver its vision for reshaping Stranraer.
Answer
The Scottish Government looks forward to engaging with Dumfries and Galloway Council on the new strategic plan for the development of Stranraer and its wider area. We share the Council’s view that Stranraer has significant strengths, and a range of opportunities to build a sustainable economic future. We look forward to receiving detailed proposals from the Council, and are committed to working with them to help deliver those plans.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether shipping containers are appropriate for the storage of the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.
Answer
Appropriate storage for section 5-prohibited items is assessed by Police Scotland on a case-by-case basis. Scottish Ministers will only grant section 5 authorities subject to a police recommendation that security is of a standard to present no danger to public safety or the peace.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many licences to issue the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 have been granted in each year since 2011, broken down by local authority; what checks must be undertaken prior to a licence being granted; what follow-up checks are made, and how many licences were revoked (a) following a follow-up check and (b) for other reasons, broken down by reason.
Answer
The number of section 5 authorisations granted by Scottish Ministers
in each year since 2011, broken down by local authority area, is
provided below. This includes new, renewed and amended section 5
authorisations. Some authorisations will be granted for short periods
to cover specific activities (e.g. visiting international athletes). In a
small number of cases it is not possible to specify a local authority
area due to the type of section 5 authorisation.
| | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Aberdeen City | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Aberdeenshire | 5 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
Angus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Argyll & Bute | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Clackmannanshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 4 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
Dundee City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
East Ayrshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
East Dunbartonshire | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
East Lothian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
East Renfrewshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Edinburgh, City of | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Eilean Siar | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Falkirk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fife | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Glasgow City | 3 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
Highland | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Inverclyde | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Midlothian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Moray | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
North Ayrshire | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
North Lanarkshire | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Orkney Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Perth & Kinross | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Renfrewshire | 5 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
Scottish Borders | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Shetland Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Ayrshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
South Lanarkshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stirling | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
West Dunbartonshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
West Lothian | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Local Authority
information
unavailable | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 5 |
Firearms law is reserved and the Home Office issue guidance on its application, including
the process of section 5 authorisation and checks involved. The Home Office Guide on
Firearms Licensing Law April 2016 can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment
_data/file/518193/Guidance_on_Firearms_Licensing_Law_April_2016_v20.pdf
Section 5 authorisations usually last for 3 years and are subject to full reapplication process
on renewal. Police Scotland carry out routine follow-up checks while an authority remains
valid, as regularly as is deemed necessary. Since 2011 Scottish Ministers have revoked one
section 5 authority following a Police Scotland recommendation that the dealership could
not continue without danger to the public safety or to the peace .
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many firearms dealers in each local authority area are licenced to issue the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.
Answer
The number of firearms dealers currently authorised by Scottish Ministers to possess section 5-prohibited items, broken down by local authority area, is as follows (local authority areas with no authorised dealers are excluded):
Aberdeen City - 3
Aberdeenshire - 8
Angus - 1
Argyll & Bute - 1
Ayrshire - 1
Dumfries & Galloway - 8
East Dunbartonshire - 1
Edinburgh, City of - 9
Eilean Siar - 3
Fife - 4
Glasgow City - 7
Highland - 6
Moray - 1
North Ayrshire - 2
North Lanarkshire - 2
Perth & Kinross - 2
Renfrewshire - 10
Scottish Borders - 1
South Ayrshire - 2
Stirling - 1
West Dunbartonshire - 1
West Lothian – 1
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the creation of new national parks.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a mechanism in place whereby communities or individuals can claim compensation should wind farm developers be found to demonstrate an outstanding lack of integrity within the planning process.
Answer
There is no such compensation mechanism in the planning system. Planning makes decisions about future development and use of land in the long-term public interest. A range of enforcement powers are available to planning authorities where any developer has acted in breach of the terms of any planning permission or without any necessary permission.
Without knowledge of any specific circumstances the member may have in mind, I would suggest remedies may also be available through the Courts.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its post-2020 biodiversity goals.
Answer
The Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CoP15) will take place in Beijing, China in October 2020 to finalise the next set of international biodiversity targets. Scotland is working with other UK administrations to contribute to the development of these targets.
In due course, it is intended to prepare a refreshed biodiversity strategy for Scotland to take account of the new international targets.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether Crown Estate Scotland has fulfilled its biodiversity and biodiversity reporting duties for 2017-18.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management)(CES(IM)), I have written to Simon Hodge, Chief Executive of CES(IM). His response is as follows:
Our Biodiversity Statement was published in February 2018 http://www.crownestatescotland.com/maps-and-publications/download/146 and we will provide a publicly available report on actions taken to meet our biodiversity duty in 2021.
Biodiversity and broader environmental sustainability of Scottish Crown Estate assets is key to our business. We work with the Scottish Government, business partners and communities to encourage sustainable practices, and continue to invest in public access and education facilities to enhance the public use and understanding of the natural environment.
