Chamber and committees

Following the publication of a Scottish Government-commissioned report in May 2017 into the disappearances of satellite-tagged golden eagles, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced a package of further measures to tackle wildlife crime.

These included setting up an independently-led group to examine how to ensure that grouse shooting businesses are sustainable and comply with the law. The group has been asked to examine options for regulation, including the possibility of licensing grouse shooting businesses.

The independent group has now been established and has held three meetings, on 16 January, 12 April and 9 May 2018. The group is due to report to the Cabinet Secretary by Spring 2019 and the Scottish Government will then consider any recommendations made by the Group.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16100 on 10 May 2018, for action taken to reduce deaths of birds of prey caused by illegal persecution. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877 .

The reintroduced white-tailed eagle population has been closely monitored by the RSPB and volunteers since the first birds were released. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) continues to jointly fund an East Scotland Sea Eagle Officer post with the RSPB. This post monitors the settlement of the most recently released white-tailed eagles in East Scotland and also new pairs from elsewhere that settle in the East of Scotland.

All the white-tailed eagles released in East Scotland were radio-tagged and are monitored. Since breeding of white-tailed eagles recommenced in East Scotland in 2013, nearly all of the fledged birds have been fitted with satellite or radio tags to allow their movements to be monitored and potential persecution incidents to be identified. In 2016, SNH provided a grant to RSPB for £7,000 for three satellite tags to be fitted to white-tailed eagles in the East of Scotland.

Guidance has been drawn up with the forestry industry on how to manage forests around White-tailed Eagles. Details can be found at the following link https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcpn101.pdf/$file/fcpn101.pdf .

Potential risks to white-tailed eagles from action to prevent livestock predation are managed under the national White-tailed Eagle Action Plan: its steering group comprises SNH, RSPB, Scottish Government’s Agricultural Policy Delivery Division, National Farmers Union Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scotland’s Rural College.

The Scottish Government has taken a number of actions to protect birds of prey from persecution. These include:

• Introduced vicarious liability so that landowners can be held responsible for crimes against wild birds committed by their employees;
• Set up a poisons disposal scheme to remove poisons used to kill wild birds;
• Introduced restrictions on licences for those operating on land where it is suspected that wildlife crime has taken place;
• Commissioned a report into the disappearance of satellite-tagged golden eagles, which showed that of around one third which have disappeared in suspicious circumstances many were in clusters on or near driven grouse moorland;
• Set up an independent group to examine options for regulating grouse shooting businesses, including the possibility of licensing this activity;
• Provided financial support through Scottish Natural Heritage to fund over £100,000 of satellite-tagging work since 2009;
• Provided finance for an additional wildlife crime detective post at the National Crime Campus;
• Provided finance for a pilot project of a new group of Special Constables recruited and trained to tackle wildlife crime in the Cairngorms National Park, which will be rolled out across Scotland if the pilot is successful;
• Police Scotland have senior officers responsible for overseeing work against wildlife crime. They also have wildlife crime liaison officers in every police division in Scotland, plus more than 100 officers with wildlife crime training;
• The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has a dedicated Wildlife and Environmental Crimes Unit with experienced prosecutors tackling wildlife crime;
• Provided ongoing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU);
• Provided ongoing funding through the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime Scotland to support the RSPB Investigations Team;
• Recently announced the successful outcome of research work carried out by the Scottish Police Authority, Scottish Government and University of Strathclyde which will enable recovery of human DNA from traps and baits intended for raptors;
• Supported new work at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture to develop databases of golden eagle and hen harrier DNA, which will help investigate wildlife crime.

The Scottish Government is always keen to welcome people to Scotland. As with all our major events, Euro 2020 provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our warm hospitality and inclusive outlook. Planning for the event will ensure that all of our visitors can enjoy both the sport and their time in Scotland in a safe and friendly environment.

Our welcoming approach is supported by Scotland Is Now, our new collaboration with VisitScotland, Scottish Development International and Universities Scotland, which I was pleased to help launch recently. Scotland Is Now will build a unified brand to market Scotland internationally, encouraging people to live, work, study, visit and invest here.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15424 on 18 April 2018. The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to understand the impact on households across the income distribution of the combined income tax and UC policies before deciding what action, if any, is taken. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The UK Government has confirmed that Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be taxable.

As set out in our responses to S5W-14498 and S5W-15050 on 23 March 2018, the legal definition of income for tax purposes remains reserved to the UK Government and legislation related to this is a matter for the UK Government. This was agreed by the Smith Commission and is set out at paragraphs 75-77 of the Smith Commission report. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

HMRC are responsible for operating Scottish income tax which includes the collection of data of Scottish taxpayers. We are in discussions with HMRC regarding this data. However, work by Scottish Government analysts indicates that only a small number of people who will receive Carer’s Allowance Supplement would be taxed on their income.

This analysis, using Family Resources Survey (FRS) data, suggests it is unlikely that Carer’s Allowance recipients in employment would be subject to tax because of the earnings threshold which applies to Carer’s Allowance. With the increase through Carer’s Allowance Supplement, a carer would have to have weekly taxable income (in addition to Carer’s Allowance) of £154 before they had to begin paying income tax – and the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance is set at £120 per week for 2018-19.

It also indicates that individuals required to pay income tax while in receipt of Carer's Allowance may be those with non-work income, such as an occupational pension, or those who give up employment part way through a year to take on a caring role.

I enclose a list of the grant awards for the Sexual Health and Bloodborne Virus Framework Third Sector Funding Programme, payable over the financial years 2018-19 to 2020-21 . The list has been published on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Sexual-Health/SHBBV-Grants .

The following table provides details of the 316 Scottish Government Suppliers who received a letter: