Chamber and committees

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-34477 on 24 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The content of the guidance has been discussed in meetings and through written correspondence over a period of more than eight months. The drafting of the guidance seeks to combine and integrate comments from different stakeholders.

Meetings with representatives of the stakeholders listed in S3W-33993 were held on 26 October 2009 and 29 April 2010. Additionally, drafts of the guidance document Licensing The Control Of Predatory Birds To Protect Livestock (Game Birds) “ Guidance for Applicants were circulated to these organisations for their comments on 17 February 2010, 8 April 2010, and 25 May 2010.

Section 18(2) of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 specifies that the provisions of the Act will come into force at the end of the period of 9 months beginning with the date of Royal Assent. With Royal Assent having been received on 26 May 2010, this means the act''s provisions will come into force on 26 February 2011.

We plan to engage with all key stakeholders later this year ahead of publishing guidance to assist with implementation of the act ahead of the enactment of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, which comes into force on 26 February 2011.

The licences are permitted under Section 16(1)(k) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The act requires that licences are to prevent serious damage to livestock, and that there should be no other satisfactory solution. The Scottish Government would also not issue any licence that threatened the conservation status of the species concerned. No further detailed guidelines were published in conjunction with the legislation provisions. The Scottish Government is currently in the process of consulting with stakeholders to establish what, if any, guidelines might be required before any such licences could be granted. This process has not been concluded.

As part of the SEARS Programme, staff of the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspection Directorate (SGRPID) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) combine diffuse pollution compliance assessments, on behalf of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, (SEPA) during scheduled inspections of rural land.

	No. of SGRPID/SNH inspections 2008-09	No. non-compliant farms 2008-09	No. of SGRPID/SNH inspections 2009-10	No. non-compliant farms 2009-10
DP GBR 18	896	10	857	10
DG GBR 19	896	36	857	32
DP GBR 20	896	7	857	2
DP GBR 21	896	7	857	2
DP GBR 22	896	5	857	2
DP GBR 23	896	4	857	3
DP GBR 24	391	11	273	5
Total	1,287	80	1130	56

Notes:

DPGBR 18:   The storage and application of fertiliser

DPGBR 19:   Keeping of livestock

DPGBR 20:   Cultivation of land

DPGBR 21:   The discharge of water run-off via a surface water drainage system to the water environment.

DPGBR 22:   Construction and maintenance of waterbound roads and tracks

DPGBR 23:   The application of pesticide

DPGBR 24:   Operating sheep dip facilities

DPGBRs18-23 are checked together. DPGBR 24 is checked at a different time.

All 80 breaches in 2008-09, and all 56 breaches in 2009-10 were remediated or are in the process of being remediated.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33991 on 10 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33993 on 9 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.