Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36770

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local residents regarding concerns in relation to reports of a goat cull being carried out by Oxygen Conservation, and what assurances have been sought that the existing population will be maintained albeit at lower levels.

As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, as the landowners, it is for Oxygen Conservation Limited to consider how any reduction in the feral goat population should be achieved in practice. I understand that the landowner is not calling for eradication of the feral goats and that all future herbivore management will be informed by monitoring the species.

To address concerns on this issue, Oxygen Conservation have produced a question and answer document as well as a newsletter which has been circulated to all local residents.

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

Question reference: S6W-36771

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further consideration it has given to the protected status for feral goats in the Eskdale area, in light of media and public interest, including the reported gathering of 4,000 signatures by campaigners.

As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, the Scottish Government does not intend to provide feral goats with protected status. Feral goats are a non-native species and it is an offence to release any non-native species without a licence from NatureScot.

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

Question reference: S6W-35715

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permissible for private businesses to fund the employment of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

There is no provision in the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 allowing for the private funding of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

Under Section 7 of the 1965 Act, every local registration authority (which is also the local authority) shall appoint an appropriately qualified district registrar of births, deaths and marriages for their registration district. A local authority may also appoint additional district, senior and assistant registrars of births, deaths and marriages, for its registration district as it considers necessary. The local authority must consult the Registrar General under the 1965 Act when appointing additional district and senior registrars.

Section 17 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 permits the Registrar General for Scotland to appoint as many district registrars as is thought necessary for the purpose of affording reasonable facilities for the solemnisation of civil marriages throughout Scotland. The Registrar General may also appoint assistant registrars to districts where a district registrar has been appointed under Section 17. Under the 1977 Act, only district registrars and assistant registrars employed by the local registration authority may conduct civil marriages in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-35716

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to digitalising the M10 Marriage Notice - Scotland form.

I have asked Alison Byrne OBE, Registrar General for Scotland and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Statutory forms relating to marriage are prescribed by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Marriage Notice form (M10) was last amended in 2023. There are currently no plans to review and amend the Marriage Notice form.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) remains committed to improving and modernising its services, evidenced by the increasing number of birth and death registrations now carried out remotely following implementation of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022. Further digital improvements will be considered by NRS in the future.

Question reference: S6O-04490

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities with managing planning applications.

Question reference: S6W-35532

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that retired police officers affected by the 2018 McCloud judgment receive a remediable service statement by the 31 March 2025.

I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to respond. His response is as follows:

The current position for the delivery of remediable service statements to retired police officers is set out in the Scottish Public Pension Agency’s website: https://pensions.gov.scot/police/police-remedy-hub/police-remedy-im-retired

SPPA will keep retired officers informed through updates to its website and with a dedicated newsletter which is due to be issued by the end of March 2025.

Question reference: S6O-04450

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health of police officers and ensure that they have access to the appropriate specialist services.

Question reference: S6W-35250

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the reported community concerns regarding the culling of feral goats in Eskdale, and whether a form of protected status is a potential option to preserve their existence.

The Scottish Government understands that feral goat populations may need to be managed as part of a sustainable grazing management plan. Sometimes feral goat numbers need to be reduced to prevent damage to sensitive habitats or forestry interests, in much the same way deer are required to be managed. As the landowners, it is for Oxygen Conservation Limited to consider how any reduction in the feral goat population should be achieved in practice. I understand that the landowner is not calling for eradication of the feral goats but that all future herbivore management will be informed by monitoring the species.

The Scottish Government does not intend to provide feral goats with protected status. Feral goats are a non-native species and it is an offence to release any non-native species without a licence from NatureScot.

Question reference: S6W-34351

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to distribute the additional £4.5 million in its draft Budget 2025-26 for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other similar conditions.

Work is ongoing to determine how the additional £4.5 million announced in the draft 2025-26 budget to deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions will be allocated.

Allocation of this resource is subject to the passage of the Budget (Scotland) (No. 4) Bill and we continue to ask Parliament to unite behind the Budget to ensure this funding reaches the people who need it.

Question reference: S6W-33844

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on GPs visiting patients in care home settings.

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