Chamber and committees

The Report of the Independent Working Group on Snares was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In response to the recommendations in the working group''s report, Defra has commissioned research into the use of snares and into their humaneness, including the effects on non-target species. Scottish ministers will read any report on the research findings with interest with a view to considering whether they have any application in relation to the use of snares in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that it is highly unlikely that louping ill can be completely eradicated. However, a ministerial working group with representation from a wide range of key stakeholder interests, has been set up to look at ways of controlling ticks and the problems which they can create which include the spread of louping ill. The group will assess the scale of the problem and consider possible solutions.

The Scottish Government does not require sporting estates to have a long-term strategy to control louping ill in mountain hares.

Good field craft should minimise the risk of any accidental capture of Scottish wildcats. Should any Scottish wildcat be accidentally caught in a legally compliant snare operated in accordance with industry best practice guidelines, the land manager should be able to release the captured animal unharmed.

Licences to snare mountain hares were issued in 2006 and 2007 with a total bag limit of 90

We do not hold comprehensive figures for mountain hares killed by snaring in 2006 and 2007. However, the recently published report from Scottish Natural Heritage The distribution of Mountain Hare (Lepus Timidus) in Scotland (2006-2007) estimated that 5,078 mountain hares were killed by snaring between January 2006 and February 2007. Scottish ministers take the view that the snaring of mountain hares is an offence unless it is done under the terms of a licence. This view has not however been tested in the courts.

The recently published document by Scottish Natural Heritage called The distribution of Mountain Hare (Lepus Timidus) in Scotland (2006-2007) considered, amongst other issues, the implications of large scale culling of mountain hares. The Scottish Government also seeks advice from Scottish Natural Heritage on a case by case basis when a licence is sought to take mountain hares.

The decision by the Department for Transport to uprate Bus Service Operators Grant in line with the fuel duty rise does not affect the amount of money coming to Scotland. As such, no extra money was made available by the UK Government in relation to Bus Service Operators Grant.

Recent proposals for change to the standard assumptions and allowances used when calculating subsidy reflect the actual performance reported by associations, which includes only those rent increases that housing associations themselves are projecting. Rent levels are a matter for individual associations to agree in consultation with their tenants.

Decisions on the allocation of the £25 million over the next three years to incentivise new council house building will be reached following discussions with our partners in local government.

Scottish ministers have issued screening decision on 14 projects under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, and the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 which they replaced. For 12 of these projects it was decided that there were no significant environmental effects and the applicants were notified appropriately. It was decided that the remaining two projects were relevant projects likely to have a significant effect on the environment and accordingly could not be carried out without consent of the Scottish ministers. If those projects are to proceed Environmental Statements are required in order to assess environmental impact and to determine if consent can be given. Environmental Statements are awaited from these applicants and consequently no consent decisions have been made.

Rural Payments and Inspection Directorate (RPID) are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the regulations. It is for land managers to ensure that their farming actions comply with the regulations. RPID will offer advice and guidance on whether proposals fall within the scope of the regulations. An offence only occurs if works are covered by the regulations and the requirements of the regulations are not complied with. The regulations provide for powers of entry and inspection of land for the purposes of determining whether an offence under the regulations has occurred. Provision is also available to serve a stop notice to ensure that unauthorised works are stopped with immediate effect. The Scottish ministers may also serve a reinstatement notice upon persons responsible for committing an offence under the regulations requiring them to reinstate the relevant land to the condition it was before the project was commenced.

Details of proposals submitted for screening can be viewed on the public register maintained under regulation 7(7) (b) of the 2006 Regulations on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/Environment/16808/Publicregister/publicregister.

It was last updated on 10 April 2008.