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On 21 March 2016 Keith Brown, as Cabinet Secretary of Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, and Robert Goodwill MP, Transport Minister at the UK Government, announced that the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland would take forward work in this control period [2014-19] with Network Rail to identify any and all options with strong business cases, for consideration for implementation in CP6 and 7 [2019-29] that can improve journey times, capacity, resilience and reliability on routes between England and Scotland. The Department for Transport and Transport Scotland officials are currently in the process of setting up a joint working group with Network Rail as a vehicle for taking this commitment forward.

The Scottish Government made representation to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to ensure that services to Scotland were protected and improved. It was however for the ORR, as the independent regulatory body, to come to a determination on open track access on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

In responding to the ORR’s consultation, the Scottish Government set out the following principles that any bid, and the ORR in assessing bids, for open access operation on the ECML should observe:

There must be no material abstraction of ScotRail revenue.

Fast journey times between Scotland and London are critical in facilitating the desired shift of cross border travel to rail as a more sustainable mode, but any open access operation has to a ensure that overall journey times on the route improve, and that there should be no worsenment.

That the open access operator pays their fair share for the impact on the infrastructure.

That there must be no diminution of frequencies of service and journey times to Scottish Stations as a consequence of any open access operation, and where possible there should be improvements.

That no service shall operate so as to unbalance the provision of internal Scottish services.

That new open access services should result in enhanced choice for passengers in terms of journey time, fare levels, passenger service and connectivity.

That there should be no significant disruption of efficient timetabling and connections on other services.

No European beavers have been autopsied since January 2016.

The Scottish Government does not support large, indiscriminate culls of mountain hares in Scotland and recognises the concerns that have been expressed about the status of mountain hare populations in Scotland. The Scottish Government acknowledges that mountain hares are a legitimate quarry species and that there may be local requirements to control mountain hares to protect gamebirds and young trees. Any control of mountain hares should be undertaken in accordance with obligations under the EU Habitats Directive.

Given the concerns about possible over-exploitation, information on the management of hares has been reviewed by independent experts from the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scientific Advisory Committee. This review was published in October 2015 and is available at: http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A1765931.pdf. The review identified the need for improved monitoring and data to assess national trends of mountain hare populations.

This work is underway in the form of a collaborative four year study (2014-17) involving SNH and scientists in the James Hutton Institute and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, on trialling various methods of counting hares. The study has the aim of developing a reliable and cost-effective means of assessing mountain hare population density.

SNH is also working with Scottish Land & Estates to encourage greater transparency in the reasons why estates cull hares and to encourage estates to collaborate and develop a more measured and coordinated approach to sustainable hare management.

Scotland's biodiversity strategy, Scotland's Biodiversity: It's in Your Hands, was published in 2004 and sets out how the government will conserve biodiversity for the health, enjoyment and wellbeing of the people of Scotland now and in the future. Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy (SBS), the ‘2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity’ was launched in 2013 and focuses on our desired outcomes for 2020. It is Scotland's response to the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2020 and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity 'Aichi' targets. It shows how the Scottish Government, its public agencies, Scottish businesses and others can contribute to the strategy's aims as well as supporting sustainable economic growth. It has adopted an ‘ecosystems approach’ which focusses on the need to protect ecosystems in order to support nature, wellbeing and a thriving economy.

In order to streamline effort, Scotland’s Biodiversity - a Route Map to 2020 was published in June 2015 to guide work towards the 2020 Aichi targets. The route map brings together the key work needed to deliver on the SBS, grouped under ‘Six Big Steps for Nature.’ Each of these steps include a range of actions that that are practical, delivered in partnership with others, and focus on delivering real improvements to biodiversity on the ground. There are 12 priority projects; 64 route map actions and 8 areas of supporting work in the route map. Both planning and implementation of the work in the route map has been through a cooperative approach with the Scottish Government, its agencies, environmental non-government organisations and others with a key role or interest in looking after Scotland’s biodiversity. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a role in leading the delivery of the route map.

In order to monitor progress towards the Aichi targets SNH provides a six monthly update on progress with the SBS and route map. The most recent of these was published in December 2015 and it provided a selection of achievements in the first six months of route map action presented as Route Map Highlights.

These were:

Peatland restoration, ongoing on 5,580 ha through 107 agreements with land owners/managers.

National Peatland Plan published in August 2015.

Forestry Grant Scheme launched – first awards in November 2015.

INNS control ongoing in native woods in the National Forest Estate.

Physical restoration work ongoing on 14 water bodies across 5 catchments.

The Natural Capital Asset Index update presented to the World Forum on Natural Capital in November 2015.

The Outdoor Learning Directory was officially launched in September 2015 to provide a portal to services supporting outdoor learning provided by Scottish Government agencies with an environment and heritage remit.

The latest NHS greenspace demonstration project at Ailsa and Ayr hospital was formally opened in October 2015.

Doubled the number of citizen science and action projects being advertised from 40 - 80.

Five estates joined the ‘Heads Up for Hen Harriers’ project.

Volunteers being recruited to help deliver the wild cat monitoring programme.

Environmental Cooperation Action Fund launched in October 2015.

Final plans for management of 11 Marine Protected Areas and 10 Special Areas of Conservation published.

A further report on progress will be prepared for June 2016. With the support of SNH, the Scottish Government is closely monitoring progress towards the 2020 Aichi targets.

The Scottish Government wrote on 24 February 2016 to the Chair of the Wildlife Crime Penalties Review Group, Professor Mark Poustie, with a formal response to the report. The letter can be read in full at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0049/00494565.pdf

The ten recommendations were wide ranging in their scope. Some of the recommendations will require primary legislation and the appropriate vehicle for that will need to be identified, while others will require extensive discussion with other parties to establish the next steps. We will take forward work in these areas in the new parliamentary session.

A decision on whether to extend the investigatory powers of the Scottish SPCA will be announced in due course.

The United Kingdom is party to the Convention on Biological Diversity which agreed the so-called ‘Aichi targets’ at its 10th conference of parties in Nagoya in 2010. Target 11 requires that at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape.

Protected areas in Scotland already exceed this target, with some 18% of Scotland’s land-mass designated as either a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Site of Special Scientific Interest under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, respectively.

The Scottish Marine Protected Area network presently covers 20% of the marine environment and represents the range of biodiversity found in our seas. Each site has a strict level of protection though the marine licensing system, and there is an on-going programme to deliver requisite fisheries management measures across the network.

The Scottish Government’s national indicator to improve the condition of designated sites continues to show progress as provided in the recent official statistics publication for Scotland on the proportion of Scotland's protected sites in favourable condition. The main findings showed that of the more-than 5,000 Scottish natural features on protected nature sites, 80.4% are either in favourable condition, or unfavourable but recovering towards a favourable condition. This figure represents a 1.1 percentage points rise in the proportion of natural features in favourable or recovering condition between 2015 and 2016. There has been a nine percentage points increase since assessment reporting began in 2005.

A decision will be announced later in 2016. The decision will be compliant with the requirements of the EU habitats directive.

The potential formal reintroduction of beavers raises complex issues around their management and legal protection. Scottish Ministers are considering these issues carefully before making a decision on the future of beavers in Scotland.