- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Forestry and Land Scotland has reportedly ceased offering sporting leases to the public, and what evidence supports the reported claim that previous leaseholders failed to reduce deer numbers effectively.
Answer
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has evolved its current deer management model, that has increased the annual cull by 35% since 2015/16. This model—delivered through a combination of Wildlife Rangers, professional contractors, and recreational stalkers—has proven more effective in reducing deer impacts on Scotland’s national forests and land (SNFL), while supporting broader land management goals and protecting public investment.
Sporting leases, often lacked the flexibility and responsiveness needed to manage deer populations effectively, the current model allows year-round culling across varied terrain using specialist equipment. Professional Rangers and contractors ensure a targeted and efficient approach.
Additionally, increasing sporting leases would significantly raise the cost of sporting rates payable by FLS to local authorities along with the increased administrative burden, especially compared to more direct delivery models.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration Forestry and Land Scotland gave to alternative lease models, such as a community-only stalking lease, before introducing the policy of exclusive use of paid contractors for deer management.
Answer
FLS does not have a policy of exclusive use of paid contractors for deer management.
FLS currently achieves its annual deer cull via:-
- FLS Wildlife Rangers (x 50), delivering 24% of cull.
- Professional Culling Contractors (x 115), delivering 74% of cull.
- Recreational Stalkers (x 50), delivering 2% of cull.
This model was developed over several years and has helped FLS facilitate a 35% increase in its cull from 30,700 deer in 2015/16, to 41,500 deer in 2024/25.
Higher culls result in reductions in deer numbers and associated deer damage impacts.
Across SNFL there are currently 23 recreational deer leases and permissions covering 24,700 hectares.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, what (a) assessment it has made of the potential impact that increased nature restoration targets might have on domestic food production and (b) action it is taking to reduce Scotland’s reliance on food imports.
Answer
(a) The introduction of statutory nature restoration targets is key in delivering the vision of restoring and regenerating biodiversity in Scotland by 2045 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Scottish Government is undertaking a 4-step process for the selection of nature restoration targets which includes engagement with expert groups using the best available scientific evidence and includes carrying out any necessary impact assessments. This process is being underpinned by stakeholder engagement with a range of stakeholders including land managers, farmers, ENGOs and other business. Any targets which are set much be adaptable to the unpredictability of ecological responses and climate impacts.
Within the Biodiversity Delivery Plan Biodiversity: delivery plan 2024 to 2030 - gov.scot it outlines the importance of the Vision for Scottish Agriculture for delivering the 2045 ambition and to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The Delivery Plan includes actions which will be incorporated into the new agricultural support system to help farmers and crofters transition to practice generating substantial regeneration in biodiversity, ecosystem and soil health and significantly reduce carbon emissions while sustaining high quality food production.
(b) Scotland’s food and farming sectors have a critical role to play in Scotland’s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth £8 billion in March 2025. Our strong trade relationships are also vital. Our imports ensure the availability of a wide choice of food throughout the year and so we are not reliant on any one country of origin.
High quality food and sustainable production chains are an outcome of the Vision for Agriculture. The Proposed Good Food Nation Plan has outcomes which reflect both the need for Scotland’s food system to be sustainable and contribute to a flourishing natural environment and be food secure and food resilient. A suite of indicators for the Plan were published and can be viewed at: Proposed National Good Food Nation Plan - gov.scot.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding their winter resilience plans.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40202 by Neil Gray on 25 September 2025, how long it gave NHS boards to submit bids for the newly announced recurrent funding for specialist support for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and other similar conditions.
Answer
NHS boards were contacted on 10 January 2025 inviting feedback by 22 January on activities which could be delivered and supported by single-year funding of £4.5 million allocated on a non-recurring basis in the financial year 2025-26. A further opportunity to provide feedback was provided on 29 January with feedback invited by 4 February.
To enable a case for multi-year funding to be considered, on 2 May NHS boards were requested to provide by 16 May an indicative multi-year proposal covering the financial years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. Responses beyond this date were accommodated in instances where NHS boards indicated that additional time was required.
On 6 August NHS boards were requested to provide finalised versions of the indicative proposals supplied in May. Boards were provided with the option of two deadlines for returns, 18 August and 11 September.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives on 18 September to confirm that NHS boards’ shares of the available 2025-26 funding would be allocated in full on a recurring basis. These shares were reflected in NHS boards’ allocation schedules for September 2025.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 14 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on piloting a community-only deer management leasing scheme that prioritises residents with appropriate qualifications.
Answer
Answer expected on 14 November 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 12 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect private water supplies when determining applications for energy infrastructure developments under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Answer
Answer expected on 12 November 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 3 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether all school staff receive training in recognising anaphylaxis and administering adrenaline auto-injectors.
Answer
Answer expected on 3 November 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 28 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of a 5.1% rise in food and drink prices in the year to August 2025, what its position is on whether Scotland is facing a cost of food crisis, and what action it can take to address food affordability.
Answer
Answer expected on 28 October 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 26 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what training is provided for (a) police officers and (b) dog wardens to recognise the difference between dog breeds, such as the Cane Corso and XL Bully.
Answer
The two main pieces of dog control legislation are the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act”) and the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). In general terms, Police Scotland will deal with offences under the 1991 Act, and local authority dog wardens will deal with matters under the 2010 Act.
The training of police officers in relation to the enforcement of the 1991 Act is an operational matter for Police Scotland to consider. Equally, the training of local authority dog wardens is an operational matter for local authorities.
The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with Police Scotland, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders, in order to consider any issues, concerns, or barriers to effective dog control enforcement including in relation to how best dogs can be identified.
Earlier this year the Scottish Government provided Police Scotland with funding to assist with the training of police officers who would be tasked with identifying prohibited dog breeds. Separately, the National Dog Warden Association also received funding from the Scottish Government to help improve how dog wardens are trained.
Please see the news release issued by the Scottish Government on 8 April 2025 for details: https://www.gov.scot/news/investing-in-community-safety/.
