Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15423 on 7 March 2023. 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

Over the last 5 years, there have been 781 large outdoor fires, 243 of which were deliberate (31%). Th Scottish Fire and Rescue Service does not routinely gather information on the number of wildfires that happen as a result of Muirburn. However, a 2019 sample of the available evidence for the most severe wildfire incidents concluded that out of control burning was a relatively rare cause of these incidents.

The Scottish Government remain committed to making regulations which will enable marriages to change to civil partnerships. As part of this work, we need to ensure that as well as providing mechanisms so marriages can change to civil partnerships, provision is made to protect couples’ rights and responsibilities. Some of these rights and responsibilities are reserved which is why we need consequential legislation at Westminster. The UK Government is considering our proposal for an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998.

The Green Heat Finance Taskforce will publish the interim report in spring this year. This report is one of a number of documents relating to Heat in Buildings that will be published this year, such as the Consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, introducing powers to create a regulatory framework which drives energy efficiency and zero direct emissions heating across Scotland’s building stock.

We have no current plans to legislate on (a) collection and reporting of data related to, (b) management of and (c) release of non-native gamebirds. However, as outlined in response to S6W-14758 on 1 March 2023, we plan to gather further information on the impact of non-native gamebird releases.

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 publication of the Agricultural Reform Route Map was announced on 10 February. The route map provides more detail on how SG will deliver the transition process and the steps that will be taken to get there. Furthermore, the route map sets out the timescales for information and interaction with the agricultural industry and is regularly updated to ensure that the most up to date information is available.

Decisions on the future support framework will be determined as part of the wider agricultural reform process. Work is ongoing and we remain committed to a co-design approach. This includes continued work with the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), engagement with wider industry, all committed to a vibrant and successful rural Scotland and drawing on the responses from the recent Bill Consultation.

It is in this further context that I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12369 on 2 December 2022. 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-answer

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The release of non-native common pheasant and red-legged partridge for shooting purposes is permitted under Section 14 (2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There is no statutory requirement under this legislation (or any other) requiring those releasing non-native gamebirds to submit records of release sites.

The Scottish Government plans to gather further information on the impact of non-native gamebird releases. Part of this work will be to consider whether further data on numbers of birds released and on location of release sites should be collected.

All applications for a European Protected Species (EPS) licences must provide the number of individual animals affected by the proposed work, and applicants must show how this number was calculated.

Marine Scotland has published a document that provides guidance and advice for any aquaculture production business that wishes to apply for a licence to disturb EPS as a result of ADD use - faq_adds_and_eps_including_annex_1_and_annex_2_-_version_5_-october_2021_-_final.pdf (marine.gov.scot) . The guidance provides links to how areas are defined and the cetacean abundance estimates that should be used for calculations, While this document focuses on finfish farms, the information provided can be of use to anyone applying for an EPS licence.

While not published yet, Marine Scotland are in the process of updating its guidance on the use of finer scale distributions to account for uneven densities of marine mammals across SCANS blocks. Previously, the block estimates from SCANS III (Hammond et al. 2021) were recommended, however finer scale density surfaces are now available: Modelled density surfaces of cetaceans in European Atlantic waters in summer 2016 from the SCANS-III aerial and shipboard surveys (Lacey et al. 2022) . These estimates can be downloaded as shapefiles for each species here , and are considered the best available density estimates to use in EPS license assessments. Finer scale density estimates allow for a better characterisation of uneven distributions within SCANS blocks however the issue of temporal effects remains a challenge. For a specific site, there may be other, more suitable information on the cetacean species likely to be present along with their densities. However, MSS would only recommend using robust, effort-related survey data that is appropriate for absolute density estimation.

Marine Scotland bases its decisions on the best available scientific evidence at any particular time including any relevant peer reviewed literature. Any such literature is subject to a critical review to determine its applicability. Marine Scotland’s decisions will reflect the outcome of this process as well as consideration of information provided by the applicant and any expert advice received.

Marine Scotland is currently updating the above guidance to include finer resolution species density surfaces and this will be published in 2023. All applications for EPS licences will be expected to follow the updated guidance.

(a) The current outbreak season started on 1 October 2022. As of 17 February 2023, 12 wild birds in Moray were tested for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) under the GB dead wild bird surveillance scheme. Of these, 10 were positive and consisted of one Pink footed goose, four Herring gulls and five gulls for which the species could not be specified. The two birds that tested negative were a Kestrel and a Cormorant.

(b) HPAI was confirmed at a premises in Forres, Moray, on 14 December 2022. Within the Protection Zone around the infected premises near Forres two veterinary surveillance visits were made. Both were to the same premises and sampling was carried out. On each occasion, 14 ducks were sampled, giving a total of 28 samples which all tested negative for HPAI.