Chamber and committees

There is no change to existing criteria against which the need for any subsequent obligation would be assessed.

The requirement for a) environmental impact assessment and b) habitats regulations appraisal, is provided by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (as amended), and The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) respectively. Where an environmental impact assessment or habitats regulations appraisal is required, that assessment or appraisal must be undertaken prior to the grant of planning consent and must consider all significant effects likely to arise from the proposed development.

Where an application is made to a planning authority for the modification or discharge of a planning obligation, the authority is required to notify any person (other than the applicant) against whom the obligation is enforceable and provide them with details of the application, including how to make any representations. The planning authority must set a date by which representations are to be made which must be a minimum of 21 days from the date notification of the application is served.

There is no requirement to notify any individuals or organisations not party to the obligation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39655 on 10 March 2011. 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.

No beaver has been trapped by Scottish Natural Heritage in the River Ericht.

There are no powers which enable Scottish Natural Heritage to gain access to land to capture beavers where landowners are not willing to give them permission.

However, The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which was passed on 2 March 2011, introduces a new regime of species control orders that would enable access to land to control invasive non-native animals or plants.

This would be a matter for the courts to determine.

The replacement beavers were brought from the Telemark area of Norway.

There are 12 animals resident in the Knapdale trial area as of 18 February 2011.

Specifically:

(a) Six beavers of the original release and four from subsequent releases since June 2009 are currently resident in the Knapdale trial area.

(b) Two beavers have been born within the site.

(c) Two beavers died at the trial site (one of the original animals and one released since June 2009), and one animal (one of the original animals) was removed due to welfare reasons and later died at Edinburgh Zoo.

(d) Three beavers have gone missing from the trial area and are now assumed to have died.

The licence application by the Scottish Wildlife Trust/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland contains an exit strategy for implementation during, or at the end, of the trial. The exit strategy contains four options for implementation. These are:

Option 1: Repatriation of animals to the country of origin/transfer to other reintroduction programmes;

Option 2: Housing of animals in zoological collections;

Option 3: Capturing, neutering and returning animals to live their life span in the wild; and

Option 4: Humane control of animals.

One beaver has been captured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage and is currently being kept at Edinburgh Zoo by the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland.