The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1909 contributions
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
I listened to what was said about the loss of livestock. Do any of the panel members believe that there should be a provision in the bill for compensation in the case that it is not possible to control predators?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
I know that the RSPB is evidence led. Are there any provisions in the bill that do not allow the RSPB to take a view in relation to an approach that protects species?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
Lastly, for clarification, the RSPB does not use dogs for pest control, where there is no other method for effective control. Is the pest control done purely by shooting? Who does that? I know that the RSPB shoots hundreds of foxes across the United Kingdom every year. How do you actually do that? Do you have contractors?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
As this is an important point, would it be okay to hear from the rest of the panel, convener? Ian Duncan Millar, would you like to say something?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
My second question is for Jake Swindells. Has your working group met Màiri McAllan?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
We have not really touched on Jake Swindells’s point about resourcing. It is important to recognise the vast land mass in Scotland on which we need to control pests. It is a huge area for NatureScot to cover. If every NatureScot person has to go on farm every 14 days, how many people will that involve, and how many millions of pounds? That is just a comment.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
Penny, am I right in saying that the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021, which the Parliament passed last year, is an avenue for compensation for the loss of livestock?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
Is the RSPB signed up to the shared approach?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
On the point that you made about there being an unintended consequence—I believe that I am right in saying that that is what you are implying, Barrie—do you and the rest of the panel believe that it would be right, in an animal welfare sense, for us to look at excluding rabbits from the scope of the bill?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Rachael Hamilton
We are short of time, so I am looking for a yes or no answer. Most of you have spoken about the term “under control”. Do you think that that should be revised and that the wording from the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 should be used?