Chamber and committees

The latest available information in our Criminal Proceedings database is for 2015-16 and this shows there have been no prosecutions under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 since it was introduced.

Information for 2016-17 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2016-17 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in early 2018.

The latest available information in our Criminal Proceedings database is for 2015-16 and this shows there have been no prosecutions under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 since it was introduced.

Information for 2016-17 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2016-17 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in early 2018.

The dates of all Scottish Government Official and National Statistics publications are pre-announced, and the up to date list of future publications can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics

The development of the Aberdeen MTC and the north region’s trauma network must be seen within the context of the development of the Scottish Trauma Network. The trauma network will include 4 four MTCs in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow operating as hubs for major trauma, which will require support from trauma units in hospitals across the regions and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

In my statement to Parliament in January, I advised that as part of the development of the network, I anticipated both Aberdeen and Dundee major trauma centres going live over the next 12 to 18 months (by June 2018 at the latest). This will be guided by the Scottish Trauma Network Steering Group which would set out in a national phased implementation plan, later this year.

The North of Scotland plans, which include proposals to have Aberdeen MTC up and running in 2018, are currently being considered alongside plans from the other regions and SAS, by the Scottish Trauma Network Steering Group. The Steering Group expect to build on these plans to produce a national trauma network implementation plan by the end of December.

The national implementation plan will help ensure a co-ordinated approach to the development of the Scottish Trauma Network.

(a) Forestry Commission Scotland has a statutory duty under the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 to screen forestry proposals with the potential to have a significant environmental impact; this could include planting schemes where curlew nesting habitats are present.

If after assessing proposals, FCS considers that the proposal will have a significant impact on the environment, then the land manager is required to formally apply for consent under the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. During this process expert organisations, such as SNH and RSPB, will be consulted. All forestry proposals also need to comply with the biodiversity requirements of the UK Forestry Standard as a prerequisite for grant support.

b) In relation to development proposals, all planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Scottish Planning Policy, which is a material consideration, makes clear the planning system should seek benefits for biodiversity from new development where possible, including the restoration of degraded habitats and the avoidance of further fragmentation or isolation of habitats.

Where a proposal is likely to have a significant effect on the environment, an Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be required to accompany the planning application.

As noted in the answer to question S5W-11280, the Scottish Government will consider whether to respond to UK Government and EU position papers on an individual basis following consideration of their content.

The UK Government has yet to publish a position paper on the financial settlement in the context of withdrawal from the EU. The Scottish Government will further consider the EU position paper once the UK Government has made its own position clear.

The most recent population estimate for breeding curlews in Scotland is approximately 58,800 pairs, with 66,000 pairs estimated in the UK in total. Scotland has approximately 89% of the UK population.

The most recent European estimate was published by Birdlife International in 2015, as 212,000-292,000 pairs. Scotland’s population represents 20.1% - 27.7% of this estimate.

Wetlands International estimate the global population of curlew at approximately 835,000-1,310,000 individuals.

In Scotland, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Breeding Bird Survey data suggests that curlews have declined by approximately 59% since 1994. Across the UK, the decline was estimated at 48% for the same time period. This compares to an estimated 30-49% decline in the global population of curlews over the last 31 years.

A recent study “Environmental correlates of breeding abundance and population change of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata in Britain”, published by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in 2017, looked in detail at the factors affecting the decline in curlew populations. This report identifies that degradation of habitat is a key driver of population decline, alongside impacts from afforestation of upland areas and intensive agriculture. The report also identified that generalist predators have an effect, with curlew numbers lower in areas with greater crow abundance and with a higher likelihood of fox occurrence. A decline in curlew populations is also greater in warmer, drier areas, potentially through impacts on curlew’s invertebrate food. These trends in curlew populations are summarised in “Official Statistic for Terrestrial Breeding Birds”, published by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in November 2016.

The Scottish Government’s Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) under the Scottish Rural Development Programme is the principal mechanism for delivering beneficial environmental management for a wide range of species including curlew.

There is a suite of management options that land managers can select as part of their whole farm application, including:

• Wader and Wildlife Mown Grassland: to benefit waders such as lapwing and curlew by extensively managing hay and silage fields which will reduce the risk of damage to birds, their eggs and fledglings from field operations. Leaving an area uncut will also provide cover for the birds.

• Wader Grazed Grassland: to benefit ground nesting birds, particularly waders such as lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew, by excluding or reducing the number of livestock in fields where birds are nesting to reduce the risk of damage to their eggs and fledglings from trampling or field operations.

• Creation of Wader Scrapes: to benefit wading birds, such as lapwing, snipe, curlew and redshank, by providing suitable wet areas within grassland to provide insect-rich feeding areas. Scrapes are shallow depressions with gently sloping edges, which will hold water during spring and early summer when waders are nesting and rearing chicks.

Many other AECS options should also benefit curlews, as they relate to grazing management and habitat creation and restoration and can include fencing to benefit particular areas of the holding requiring particular management.

Site protection, alongside habitat restoration and reducing the negative impacts of predators, are potential ways to reverse the decline in the curlew population. SNH is a partner in the Working for Waders project which is collating details on current work to help waders, including curlews, towards the development of national action. This will be achieved through practical actions, as well as research, data gathering and promotion of best practice management. An interactive map is currently being developed to show the geographical coverage of these local actions. The Working for Waders project will coordinate existing actions and stimulate new projects and activities by a number of stakeholders across Scotland.

The Third Special Protection Area Network Review listed curlew as having insufficient network coverage in relation to numbers, range and ecological requirements (breeding) and numbers and ecological requirements (non-breeding).

SNH has commissioned BTO to analyse data from the latest Bird Atlas to identify any areas that have a particularly high concentration of breeding curlew. Once this and other information has been assessed, SNH will provide advice to the Scottish Government on potential actions.

On a wider scale, the UK is party to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), under which a Single Species Action Plan has been developed to help conserve the curlew across its range. SNH is working with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to identify regional actions that may contribute to this Plan.