Chamber and committees

How many working days was that?

Is that not a key figure that you should be considering in bringing the legislation forward?

Yes, but it is not like bringing in seat belt legislation, when everybody wears a seat belt and we cut the number of road traffic accidents. It is not like that, because you are trying to bring forward something that a group of people believe is detrimental to the welfare of female deer in particular.

I forgot to ask you something, minister. When farmers and land managers talked to me about the issue, they brought up the agri-environment climate scheme. The scheme asks them to control bracken through the use of Asulam. Will AECS change to reflect your decision on the use of that pesticide? What are your views on that?

I will go back to a point that I made earlier regarding the year-round culling of male deer near pregnant hinds. It is likely that hinds will bolt, which will use up reserves, and that they will not be able to get through the winter because of that. The likely welfare issues will be starvation and mortality through starvation. What consideration has the Scottish Government given to the impact of the SSI on the welfare of female deer?

On the land that Forestry and Land Scotland manages, how many applications for general authorisation certificates have been turned down? If you are trying to cut red tape, is it a problem that applications for general authorisation certificates, which cover shooting male deer out of season, have been turned down?

Right. So, this is a burden on NatureScot’s administration.

Thank you.

We have not got to that point, so how do you know that it will do so? Is that part of the agreement?

I am sorry—I meant the Scottish Government and not the minister.