Question reference: S6W-04043
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 1 November 2021
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Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 November 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the proposed reforms to the methodology for designating animal and plant species with legal protection under Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as outlined by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in the information pack for its 7th Quinquennial Review of the Schedules 5 and 8, which was published on 1 July 2021.
Answer
Section 24 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 places an obligation on conservation bodies to review every five years Schedules 5 and 8 and advise Scottish Ministers whether, in their opinion: (a) any animal should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 5; (b) any plant should be added to, or removed from, Schedule 8.
Revised criteria for the review process were agreed by the Chief Scientist Group representing the three statutory nature conservation organisations, including NatureScot. It is not for the Scottish Government to approve the method by which the review mentioned above is undertaken.