Chamber and committees

The majority of new woodlands created in Scotland will, over a 20 year period, sequester more carbon than is released during cultivation, and will continue to absorb carbon for the rest of their growing period. Scotland’s forests are predicted to remain a net sink through the period to 2045 and beyond.

In certain circumstances, where tree growth is expected to be moderate and where the soil is of a particular type carbon accounting can be less predictable and in those situations, greater attention is paid to the method of ground preparation as required through our new cultivation guidance. Scottish Forestry has engaged Forest Research (FR) to examine the impact of carbon release caused by forestry ground cultivation in organo-mineral soils, and is using that evidence to put in place methodologies that will ensure that growing trees will reabsorb carbon released from cultivation as quickly as possible.

Scottish Forestry will no longer approve high impact cultivation techniques, including shallow ploughing and other forms of linear cultivation on peat soils which are over 10cm in depth. Research evidence from FR demonstrates that by doing so there will be no net loss of carbon over a 20 year period, and afterwards the growing trees will continue to sequester and absorb carbon for the rest of the forest rotation.

The Scottish Government takes the protection of its ancient woodlands seriously and there are several existing areas of legislation and policies in place to provide that protection.

NatureScot use the planning system to protect ancient woodland through their engagement with the preparation of development plans. Furthermore, protection for all woodland is in place via felling regulations under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 and the Scottish Government’s Control of Woodland Removal Policy , where there is a strong presumption against removing ancient semi-natural woodland.

Anyone wishing to fell trees in Scotland must apply for a Felling Permission and thiswill only be granted if it complies with the principles of sustainable forest management, as set out in the UK Forestry Standard .

The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Position Statement , sets out our expectation that NPF4 will strengthen our approach to protecting and restoring the health and quality of Scotland’s natural environment, including considering how we can promote nature based solutions and strengthen policy on woodland protection in association with development, aligned with new provisions on forestry and woodland strategies.

Scottish Forestry and NatureScot are working together to deliver those key recommendations in the Scottish Government’s official response to the Deer Working Group Report relevant to forestry. This includes developing a vision for woodland deer management based on protecting public interests within the context of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, and developing actions to deliver these aims through the Wild Deer National Approach.

We are also committed to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands and will work with owners and agencies to maintain and protect them.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20139 on
‎ 26 August 2021. 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

The process to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the private sector continues and decisions have still to be taken in relation to the prospective sale of the business. We have committed to updating Parliament on the sale process at the appropriate stage and to protect the integrity of the process we will not be making any further comment at this time.

The loan was impaired on the basis of the risk of an Expected Credit Loss as we are required to do in accordance with IFRS 9. The loan has been impaired in the accounts but it has not been written off and legally the full value and its accrued interest remains repayable.

Prison infrastructure projects are large and complex. The timing of the HMP Glasgow, which will replace HMP Barlinnie, has been impacted by challenges in identifying and securing a suitable site as well as market conditions. An extensive search was required to identify a suitable site within the Glasgow City boundary and the acquisition of the site near Provanmill was completed in December 2020. Procurement activity is now underway and construction work is currently scheduled to commence in 2023.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is operated on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government, in compliance with our obligations under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU.

Prestwick Airport continues to develop as a specialist airport, carving a niche in a very competitive aviation market. It is for the airport’s management team to consider all potential business opportunities to maximise the use of the assets of the airport and build on the progress which has already been made.

The Scottish Government's new air quality 'Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone' is accompanied by a Delivery Plan which summarises the strategy actions, the dates by when they will be achieved and the organisations responsible for delivering each action.

The Delivery Plan confirms that the Scottish Government will undertake a review of nature based, green and blue interventions which can benefit air quality, using the outcomes to develop a database of potential solutions for both regeneration and new developments, by 2024.

This information is not currently collected centrally. However, local health and social care partnerships, and their store services, will collect data on the number of loans, and returns, of mobility equipment, including short-term wheelchair loans. As part of our evaluation we will work with local areas to put processes in place to collate this data at a national level .

The process to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the private sector continues and decisions have still to be taken in relation to the prospective sale of the business. With the process to return Prestwick Airport to the private sector continuing, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment further at this time.

We have committed to updating Parliament on the sale process at the appropriate stage and to protect the integrity of the process we will not be making any further comment at this time.