- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 10 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the environmental effect of retaining, amending or revoking legal agreements associated with planning consents will be taken into account under the new provisions introduced on 1 February 2011.
Answer
There is no change to existing criteria against which the need for any subsequent obligation would be assessed.
The requirement for a) environmental impact assessment and b) habitats regulations appraisal, is provided by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (as amended), and The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) respectively. Where an environmental impact assessment or habitats regulations appraisal is required, that assessment or appraisal must be undertaken prior to the grant of planning consent and must consider all significant effects likely to arise from the proposed development.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an exit strategy for the Knapdale beaver trial should it find that the reintroduction of beavers is not appropriate and, if so, how such a strategy would be implemented
Answer
The licence application by the Scottish Wildlife Trust/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland contains an exit strategy for implementation during, or at the end, of the trial. The exit strategy contains four options for implementation. These are:
Option 1: Repatriation of animals to the country of origin/transfer to other reintroduction programmes;
Option 2: Housing of animals in zoological collections;
Option 3: Capturing, neutering and returning animals to live their life span in the wild; and
Option 4: Humane control of animals.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for beavers to be permitted to become established in the wild
Answer
The licence application by Scottish Wildlife Trust/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for the Knapdale Trial contains criteria for the success or failure of the beaver trial. If the Knapdale trial is judged successful these criteria could be used to inform the development of wider criteria relating to the possible establishment of beavers in the wild.
Scottish ministers will not only assess the results of the Knapdale Trial, but also take into account other relevant information such as experience from Europe and North America and information from the Beaver-Salmonid Working Group which reports to the National Species Reintroduction Forum.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the beaver captured in the River Ericht is alive and, if so, where it is kept
Answer
No beaver has been trapped by Scottish Natural Heritage in the River Ericht.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beavers have been captured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage and where each is kept
Answer
One beaver has been captured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage and is currently being kept at Edinburgh Zoo by the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the impact on otters and other protected species by the trapping of beavers on Tayside.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) staff and volunteer trappers have conducted an informal assessment of the trapping sites and use local knowledge of the presence of otters and other protected species prior to making the decision to proceed with trapping. SNH does not conduct beaver trapping within 30 metres of otter holts.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal basis permits Scottish Natural Heritage to capture beavers on land where landowners are not willing to give them access
Answer
There are no powers which enable Scottish Natural Heritage to gain access to land to capture beavers where landowners are not willing to give them permission.
However, The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which was passed on 2 March 2011, introduces a new regime of species control orders that would enable access to land to control invasive non-native animals or plants.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the (a) Tayside and (b) Knapdale beavers are legally termed as (i) res nullius or (ii) private property
Answer
This would be a matter for the courts to determine.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive where the replacement beavers for the Knapdale trial originated.
Answer
The replacement beavers were brought from the Telemark area of Norway.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beavers are resident in the Knapdale trial area and, of these, how many (a) are the original beavers introduced, (b) have been born, (c) have died and (d) have gone missing during the trial.
Answer
There are 12 animals resident in the Knapdale trial area as of 18 February 2011.
Specifically:
(a) Six beavers of the original release and four from subsequent releases since June 2009 are currently resident in the Knapdale trial area.
(b) Two beavers have been born within the site.
(c) Two beavers died at the trial site (one of the original animals and one released since June 2009), and one animal (one of the original animals) was removed due to welfare reasons and later died at Edinburgh Zoo.
(d) Three beavers have gone missing from the trial area and are now assumed to have died.
