Chamber and committees

It is much lower. I would have to work the number back. Fifteen per cent of all deer that are culled are culled out of season, but it is 48 per cent of all culled male deer. I would have to do the maths to get that figure, but only a very small percentage of culled females are culled out of season.

Although no welfare concerns have been identified in the evidence base that we have for culling male deer out of season, there are potential welfare concerns with culling female deer out of season, particularly if they are suckling young, because that could lead to suffering for the young. It can be done, but only under very specific authorisation, and the stalker has to be sure to get both. As I said, it is done a lot less than with male deer.

We can monitor the number of road traffic accidents in Scotland. The SSI is part of a larger package of measures. As we reduce the number of deer in Scotland, the number of collisions with those deer will reduce.

That is correct.

Does one of the officials want to come in on that?

I will bring in my official on that point.

It should be also noted that nations within the EU might diverge on policy on the environment—for example—but the internal market act prevents nations in the UK from diverging in the way that we would have been able to if we were a member of the EU.

The content of legal advice is confidential, and long-standing conventions—

The member will appreciate that we are working with industry to launch the scheme and that the matter of compensation is not part of the Scottish budget.

Do any of the officials have a comment to make about that?

The Scottish Government’s position is that, although we recognise the steps that businesses have taken to get ready for the DRS, ministers have been required, in the past few weeks, to make a significant response to challenges imposed upon us by the UK Government. We do not consider that any action that we have been required to take gives rise to any obligation for us to pay compensation.