- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the current anticipated timescale is for the completion of HMP Glasgow.
Answer
The design of HMP Glasgow concluded in summer 2024, in line with the PCSA programme. Full acceptance of this design will be completed in conjunction with the pricing and commercial process which is ongoing at present prior to the planned award of the construction contract that is scheduled for autumn 2024. Until the construction contract is signed, timescales cannot be confirmed.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all licences issued by NatureScot for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, broken down by the (a) geographical location of the area covered by each licence, (b) purpose of the maximum number of dogs permitted in each case, (c) minimum number of guns required in each case and (d) period of time for which each licence is valid.
Answer
All licences issued by NatureScot to date, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been for preventing serious damage to livestock, woodlands, and crops. No licences have yet to be issued for environmental benefits.
NatureScot publishes a summary of licences issued on their website at https://www.nature.scot/doc/summary-licensing-data
Commence Date | Expiry Date | Locations | Annex II Permitted Dates | Maximum number of dogs permitted | Minimum number of guns required |
30-Nov-23 | 30-May-24 | Perth and Kinross | 30 Nov 2023 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
19-Dec-23 | 19-Jun-24 | Perth and Kinross | 19 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 13 |
20-Dec-23 | 20-Jun-24 | Perth and Kinross | 20 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
21-Dec-23 | 21-Jun-24 | Perth and Kinross | 21 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 14 |
21-Dec-23 | 21-Jun-24 | Perth and Kinross | 21 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 18 |
18-Jan-24 | 18-Jul-24 | Perth and Kinross | 18 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 14 |
18-Jan-24 | 18-Jul-24 | Perth and Kinross | 17 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 13 |
19-Jan-24 | 19-Jul-24 | Argyll & Bute | 18 Jan 2024 - 15 March 2024 | 12 | 20 |
19-Jan-24 | 19-Jul-24 | Perth and Kinross | 19 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 13 |
25-Jan-24 | 25-Jul-24 | Perth and Kinross | 25 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 10 |
26-Jan-24 | 26-Jul-24 | Highland | 26 Jan 2024 - 15 April 2024 | 18 | 10 |
30-Jan-24 | 30-Jul-24 | Highland | 29 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 16 | 15 |
01-Feb-24 | 01-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 10 |
01-Feb-24 | 01-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
01-Feb-24 | 01-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 15 |
02-Feb-24 | 02-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 02 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 14 |
05-Feb-24 | 05-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 05 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
05-Feb-24 | 05-Aug-24 | Stirling | 05 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
06-Feb-24 | 06-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 06 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
08-Feb-24 | 08-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 08 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 14 |
08-Feb-24 | 08-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 08 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 15 |
13-Feb-24 | 01-Jul-24 | Scottish Borders | 13 Feb 2024 - 31 March 2024 | 20 | 8 in three locations, 15 in one location and 17 in one location |
28-Feb-24 | 28-Aug-24 | Perth and Kinross | 21 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 8 |
01-Mar-24 | 01-Sep-24 | Perth and Kinross | 01 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
01-Mar-24 | 01-Sep-24 | Perth and Kinross | 01 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
05-Mar-24 | 05-Sep-24 | Highland | 05 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 16 | 14 |
07-Mar-24 | 07-Sep-24 | Perth and Kinross | 09 March 2024 - 17 March 2024 | 16 | 10 in two locations and 15 in one location |
11-Mar-24 | 11-Sep-24 | Scottish Borders | 11 March 2024 - 31 May 2024 | 25 | 15 |
14-Mar-24 | 14-Sep-24 | Midlothian | 14th March 2024 - 31 March 2024 | 20 | 15 |
18-Mar-24 | 18-Sep-24 | Scottish Borders | 18 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 8 |
23-Mar-24 | 23-Sep-24 | Argyll & Bute | 23 March - 31 May 2024 | 20 | 20 |
25-Mar-24 | 25-Sep-24 | Scottish Borders | 25 March 2024 - 31 May 2024 | 16 | 30 |
27-Mar-24 | 27-Sep-24 | Argyll & Bute | 27 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 15 | 20 |
28-Mar-24 | 28-Sep-24 | Dumfries & Galloway | 28 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 18 | 5 |
28-Mar-24 | 28-Sep-24 | Perth and Kinross | 30 March 2024 - 30 May 2024 | 20 | 10 |
28-Mar-24 | 28-Sep-24 | Perth and Kinross | 28 March 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 12 |
04-Apr-24 | 04-Oct-24 | Scottish Borders | 04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 15 | 15 |
04-Apr-24 | 04-Oct-24 | Perth and Kinross | 04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 6 |
04-Apr-24 | 04-Oct-24 | Scottish Borders | 04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 20 |
09-Apr-24 | 09-Oct-24 | Perth and Kinross | 09 April 2024 - 30 April 2024 | 20 | 15 |
26-Apr-24 | 26-Oct-24 | Dumfries & Galloway | 26 April 2024 - 31 May 2024 | 18 | 5 |
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the outcome of its consultation, Managing deer for climate and nature.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report.
The responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of uptake in the NHS Highland area for immunisation against pertussis (whooping cough), as a percentage of the total number to be immunised under the programme, is acceptable, and what the level of uptake has been in the NHS Highland area for each period for which records have been kept since March 2023.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to reach the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 95% uptake of childhood vaccinations.
The most recent childhood data for NHS Highland, which includes quarterly data since 2015, is published by Public Health Scotland: Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Quarter and year ending 31 March 2024 - Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland
The trend data for NHS Highland shows that as of March 2024, the uptake rate of children who have received the 3-dose full primary course of the 6-in-1 vaccine by 12 months of age is 90.2% and by 24 months of age it is 94.4%. Since March 2023 this shows a decline of 3.2% uptake by 12 months of age and an increase of 0.4% uptake by 24 months of age.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many licences issued by NatureScot for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been in relation to a mounted hunt.
Answer
Licence applications to NatureScot, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, only requires the details of the dog handler and any potential assistants. There is no requirement for any mounted hunt associated to be named within the application.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discretion exists for bus service operators to charge booking fees to passengers making journeys under concessionary travel schemes.
Answer
Bus operators use their own commercial judgement to decide on service routes, frequency and fare structure, including booking procedures. Any changes must be consistent with the processes enforced by the Traffic Commissioner.
Day to day operational activity and booking processes are the responsibility of individual bus operators in line with their conditions of carriage. The choice to offer advanced booking and charge a fee to passengers including National Entitlement cardholders is at the operator’s discretion.
Where a booking fee is charged it is not part of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme reimbursement process and the Scottish Government does not cover the cost.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting standards for bird-dissuading mesh so that the deterrent does not trap or threaten the safety of birds.
Answer
There is no legislation that specifically prevents the installation of netting around buildings. However, Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981 does make it an offence to obstruct or prevent any bird from using its nest during the nesting season and this would include the use of bird-dissuading mesh.
The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce standards for the use of bird-dissuading mesh.
NatureScot have published advice which outlines that all exclusion measures [including netting] must be appropriately maintained to avoid welfare issues such as entanglement: Guidance - gull management | NatureScot .
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have a leaflet on bird netting which recommends that netting is checked regularly for both trapped birds and to ensure that it is in good repair : Wild birds and netting.pdf (rspca.org.uk)
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds also recommends that exclusion nets, on both buildings and elsewhere should be checked at least daily, and any trapped birds or other wildlife should be released immediately: The use of netting to stop birds nesting - what you need to know (rspb.org.uk)
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27967 by
Jenni Minto on 14 June 2024, how it evaluates the effectiveness of fracture liaison
services across Scotland in the absence of any centrally held data.
Answer
Fracture liaison services across Scotland are managed and evaluated by territorial NHS Boards.
The forthcoming national audit of Fracture Liaison Services will assist in that evaluation.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government which forthcoming Bill will contain proposals to modernise deer management, in light of its Managing deer for climate and nature consultation.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a wide range of actions to deliver this commitment.
The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether any information held by NHS Highland in relation to the comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through the (a) GP practice-delivered and (b) NHS board-delivered vaccination service in Argyll and Bute, against illnesses such as pertussis (whooping cough), has been withheld from GPs practicing in the Highlands; if this is the case, for what reason; whether any information not provided to Highland GPs has been shared with the Scottish Government by NHS Highland, and, if so, on what dates any such information was shared.
Answer
NHS Highland was escalated to stage 2 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework for their vaccination services in late 2023 and since then Scottish Government officials have been engaging closely in an improvement and assurance process which includes the Board Chief Executive and Director of Public Health. As part of this process, the Scottish Government receives a wide range of management information from NHS Highland. The best available information on comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through GP practice-delivered and NHS board-delivered vaccination services in Argyll and Bute was shared by NHS Highland with the chair of the GP committee in Highland on 2 July.