- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 July 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of Scotland's growing waste incineration capacity on recycling targets.
Answer
Along with Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA, we are closely monitoring the impacts of the development of new incineration capacity on Scotland's recycling targets.
Regulations are in place to ensure that separately collected recyclable material cannot be incinerated.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Wightman (on behalf of the SPCB) on 26 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the system used for the selection of members to ask portfolio questions is operating as planned.
Answer
The randomised draw system that is used to allocate General and Portfolio questions is working as expected and in accordance with the Parliament's requirements. The Chamber Desk routinely monitors each draw to ensure that there are no discrepancies or unusual patterns arising that would suggest any problems, and has not identified any issues in this regard. A verification of the system was also undertaken in January 2018 by BIT, which found that the randomized functionality works as expected. As a matter of good practice, the Presiding Officer has asked for a full statistical analysis of draw results to be undertaken in the summer recess by SPICe.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how much and (b) what proportion of Scottish Natural Heritage's budget for national nature reserves has come from (i) the Peatland Action Fund and (ii) other similar sources in each of the last five years.
Answer
Year | SNH NNR budget from PAF (£) | Proportion of SNH NNR funding from PAF (%) | * SNH NNR budget from other similar sources (£) | Proportion of SNH NNR funding from other similar sources (%) |
2017-18 | 12,514 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
2016-17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015-16 | 16,419 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2014-15 | 350,358 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
2013-14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SNH = Scottish Natural Heritage.
NNR = National Nature Reserve.
PAF = Peatland Action Fund.
Scottish Natural Heritage was not eligible for and did not receive any other Scottish Government sourced funding in addition to its Grant-in-Aid (*). The budget figures used above comprise operational/project spending only, staff costs are excluded.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which national nature reserves are (a) owned and (b) managed by Scottish Natural Heritage, and how much area they cover.
Answer
Details of the National Nature Reserves owned by Scottish Natural Heritage and their area, with information on management responsibility and tenure, are provided in the following table.
NNR name | Documented NNR area (ha) | Management (lead/ secondary/ tertiary) | Tenure |
Abernethy | 12,754.59 | RSPB / SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease; RSPB |
Ariundle Oakwood | 69.71 | SNH | SNH owned |
Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands | 4,958 | SNH | SNH part owned; NTS |
Ben Wyvis | 2,300.39 | SNH | SNH owned |
Blawhorn Moss | 108.48 | SNH | SNH owned |
Caerlaverock | 8,184.78 | SNH | SNH NRA/lease |
Cairnsmore of Fleet | 1922 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease |
Clyde Valley Woodlands | 318.42 | SLC / SWT/SNH | SH part owned; SWT; SLC |
Corrie Fee | 164 | SH | SH owned |
Craigellachie | 257 | SNH | SNH NRA/lease |
Creag Meagaidh | 3,948 | SNH | SNH owned |
Flanders Moss | 821.6 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease |
Forvie | 973 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease |
Glasdrum Wood | 169 | SNH | SNH owned |
Glen Nant | 388.5 | FCS/SNH | SNH NRA/lease; FCS |
Glen Roy | 1,168.3 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease |
Glen Tanar | 4,185 | SNH/Glen Tanar estate | SNH part owned; Glen Tanar Estate |
Hermaness | 964.4 | SNH | SNH NRA/lease |
Invereshie and Inshriach | 3,730.85 | SNH/FCS | SNH part owned; FCS |
Isle of May | 56.6 | SNH | SNH owned |
Knockan Crag | 22.15 | SNH | SNH owned |
Loch Fleet | 1,057.5 | SNH | SNH NRA/Lease; SWT |
Loch Leven | 1,823 | SNH/RSPB | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease; RSPB |
Loch Lomond | 428 | RSPB/ LLTNPA/ SNH | SNH part owned; RSPB; LLTNPA |
Moine Mhor | 492.5 | SNH | SNH owned |
Muir of Dinnet | 1,166.17 | SNH | SNH NRA/lease |
Noss | 313 | SNH | SNH NRA/lease |
Rum | 10,839.2 | SNH | SNH owned |
St Cyrus | 92 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/ Lease |
Taynish | 370.3 | SNH | SNH part owned/ NRA/lease |
Tentsmuir | 563.84 | SNH/FCS | SNH NRA / lease; FCS |
NRA = Nature Reserve Agreement (SNH managed land).
SNH = Scottish Natural Heritage.
FCS = Forestry Commission Scotland.
LLTNPA = Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.
NTS = National Trust for Scotland.
RSPB = Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Scotland).
SLC = South Lanarkshire Council.
SWT=Scottish Wildlife Trust.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-16040 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 May 2018, how the loss of the six staff will impact on Scottish Natural Heritage's capacity to deliver biodiversity conservation on its national nature reserves.
Answer
In its ‘Making Connections-Year 1’ business plan, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) indicates a planned reduction across the organisation of 1,460 days for its Managing Nature Reserves Activity, which includes the management of its 30 nature reserves with the National Nature Reserve accolade. SNH continues to prioritise the use of its resources in line with its Corporate Plan and business plans.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Natural Heritage-owned national nature reserves have received less than £5,000 for habitat management and species conservation, excluding for access and other infrastructure projects and promotional events, in each of the last five years.
Answer
Year | Number of SNH-owned NNRs receiving <£5k for habitat and species conservation |
2017-18 | Figures not available |
2016-17 | 28 |
2015-16 | 26 |
2014-15 | 28 |
2013-14 | 24 |
Notes:
NNR = National Nature Reserve.
SNH = Scottish Natural Heritage.
The figures exclude the costs of nature reserve agreements, management agreements, leases and rents; staff time and costs, and volunteer costs.
The figures are net of income (e.g. from venison sales and external funding).
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which Scottish National Heritage sites have been delisted as national nature reserves in each of the last 10 years, and for what reason.
Answer
‘De-listed’ is not a formal event recorded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Instead, the information in the following table is based on the dates of statutory de-declaration when SNH formally withdrew the National Nature Reserve accolade.
Year | Number of NNRs de-declared | NNRs de-declared | Reasons for de-declaration |
2018-19 | 6 | Ben Lui | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
Kirkconnell Flow | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
Monach Isles | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
Rona and Sula Sgeir | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
Silver Flowe | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
Whitlaw Mosses | Poor fit with 2013 criteria |
2017-18 | 0 | | |
2016-17 | 0 | | |
2015-16 | 0 | | |
2014-15 | 0 | | |
2013-14 | 1 | Rassal Ashwood | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
2012-13 | 3 | Keen of Hamar | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Cragbank Woods | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Den of Airlie | Fail to meet 1995 purposes |
2011-12 | 7 | Braehead Moss | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Mealdarroch | Fail to meet 1995 purposes |
Nigg and Udale Bays | Fail to meet 1995 purposes |
Claish Moss | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Glencripesdale | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Loch Druidibeg | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Rannoch Moor | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
2010-11 | 1 | Glen Diomhan | Fail to meet 1995 purposes |
2009-10 | 2 | Inchnadamph | Fail to meet 2002 purposes |
Eilean na Muice Duibhe (Duich Moss) | Fail to meet 1995 purposes |
Notes:
NNR = National Nature Reserve.
The NNR Partnership’s current criteria for selection of land to be awarded the NNR accolade are available at: https://www.nnr.scot/Partnership .
Copies of earlier criteria/purposes are available on request from SNH nnr@snh.gov.uk .
The above excludes de-declaration of Abernethy Forest NNR which was subsumed and re-declared as Abernethy NNR in 2010-11.
In addition to the reasons given above, in many cases the relevant private owners were unwilling to enter new nature reserve agreements to allow Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to meet the relevant criteria and/or purposes. Relevant sites are not identified as this could identify the individuals involved.
The SNH Board has approved a further four SNH nature reserves for de-declaration and these are no longer promoted as NNRs. For various reasons the formal de-declarations have not been progressed.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which national nature reserves that have invasive non-native species that are considered to be a risk to other species and habitats (a) have and (b) do not have a fully-resourced plan in place to eradicate or control these, and what criteria Scottish Natural Heritage uses to determine whether to introduce such a plan.
Answer
For each of its National Nature Reserves, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a management plan that describes the site and its interests, the prevailing pressures including any Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), and outlines SNH’s planned actions for a period of 10 years. SNH generally does not produce specific INNS plans though it may do so for specific projects. Resourcing of reserve management identified in these plans is subject to the setting of annual priorities in line with its Corporate Plan and business plans.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how much and (b) what proportion of Scottish Natural Heritage's budget for national nature reserves has been spent on habitat management and species conservation, excluding for access and other infrastructure projects or promotional events, in each of the last five years.
Answer
Year | Spend on habitat and species (£) | Spend on habitats and species as a proportion of NNR spend (%) | SNH NR (incl NNR) spend (from published Annual Reports (£M) |
2017-18 | Figures not available | 1.612 |
2016-17 | 145,774 | 10 | 1.510 |
2015-16 | 145,635 | 9 | 1.603 |
2014-15 | 27,222 | 1 | 2.058 |
2013-14 | 197,556 | 10 | 1.889 |
Notes:
NNR = National Nature Reserve.
SNH = Scottish Natural Heritage.
The figures exclude the cost of nature reserve agreements, management agreements, leases and rents.
The figures are net of related income (e.g. from venison sales and external funding received).
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how Scottish Natural Heritage ensures that sites that have been delisted as national nature reserves, but remain designated as sites of special scientific interest, special protected areas or special areas of conservation, have management measures in place to conserve their qualifying biodiversity interests.
Answer
Prior to approving the de-declaration of a National Nature Reserve (NNR) following a recommendation by Scotland’s NNR Partnership and the approval of the Board of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), SNH requires the assurance of the relevant Director (and ultimately, SNH’s Chief Executive) that any necessary conservation measures are in place, or will replace those provided by NNR-related arrangements. In some cases, where an SNH NNR has been on land leased from another public body, that body assumes management responsibility under the requirements of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
