Chamber and committees

Every business has a legal responsibility to manage the waste it produces and we encourage businesses to support their customers by reducing waste and preventing litter.

Zero Waste Scotland produced guidance on takeaway litter (Tackling Takeaway Litter) which was published in 2017. Zero Waste Scotland also supports business who want to develop individual action plans to prevent litter, and those that want to work with their wider communities - including local government, other businesses and volunteers - to develop a wider approach tailored to local circumstances.

The information on fines collection that the SCTS holds is not broken down to specific charges, such as fly tipping. Fine accounts are connected to a person rather than one charge, therefore fines imposed and collected for multiple charges will appear on one account.

As set out in my response to question S5W-13949 and the Statement I delivered to Parliament on 23 January 2017, my approval of these proposals is conditional on: NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde maintaining and developing community based paediatric services, thereby maximising local provision where clinically appropriate; and on the Health Board working directly with families from the Paisley area on specific treatment plans. These plans must be in place before any service changes are made, and will ensure that there is a full understanding of what services and support will be available to local families and from where. This will include transport and financial support advice. The Royal Hospital for Children has a dedicated Family Support Information Service which offers support for families accessing the hospital. It provides funding to cover transport, fuel, travel expenses, or other forms of assistance identified by the family or medical and nursing staff on the wards.

In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment)(Scotland) Regulations 2017 Scottish Water has submitted an EIA Screening Opinion Request to the planning authority.

As set out in my response to question S5W-13949 and the Statement I delivered to Parliament on 23 January 2017, my approval of these proposals is conditional on: NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde maintaining and developing community based paediatric services, thereby maximising local provision where clinically appropriate; and on the Health Board working directly with families from the Paisley area on specific treatment plans. These plans must be in place before any service changes are made, and will ensure that there is a full understanding of what services and support will be available to local families and from where.

The current public consultation on regulation of animal sanctuaries recognises that rehoming activities involve organisations or individuals operating without premises to keep animals, as well as those with fixed premises. The consultation outlines a possible approach to regulation based on the numbers of animals being rehomed by individuals or organisations as well as the number of animals being kept. Detailed regulations will be prepared based on the results of this consultation. The consultation may be found at https://consult.gov.scot/animal-welfare/animal-sanctuaries-and-rehoming-activities.

The volume of fly-tipped material on farmland isn’t held centrally. Information in the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland database does not identify the type of land where fly-tipping has occurred.

A survey of the Tay and Earn undertaken in 2012 estimated that there were 38-39 groups of beavers present in the Tay catchment area, equating to approximately 146 individual beavers. This survey has been repeated in 2017, the results of which it is expected will be available early in 2018.

The survey methods used in the 2017 survey were the same as in 2012 to allow comparison. The 2017 survey was not a comprehensive survey of the entire catchment as this would have been prohibitively expensive. Rather, it relied on extending the search beyond the locations identified in 2012 and also surveying additional areas where beavers had been reported since 2012. Just prior to the 2017 survey, SNH requested records of beaver presence from land managers to further inform the survey area.

I announced on 24 November 2016 that the Scottish Government was minded that the beaver populations in Knapdale in Argyll and in the Tay and Earn catchments could remain, and that their range can expand naturally. The Cabinet Secretary also stated that any further unauthorised releases or escapes of beavers would not be tolerated.

The precise response to any unauthorised release would be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it is expected that in most circumstances the Scottish Government would seek to remove the beavers in question.

Police Scotland would also be asked to investigate whether an offence had been committed under s14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The release of beavers into the wild without the necessary licence from Scottish Natural Heritage is an offence, punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

Assessments have been carried out as follows.

Ecosystem disruption

To assess the potential disruption to the ecosystem by beavers, Scottish Natural Heritage assessed the potential interaction between beavers and ecosystems on Tayside and Knapdale and habitat which may be occupied by beavers in the future. This is reported in Chapters 3.4.1 to 3.4.10 of the Beaver in Scotland report published in June 2015 and available at the following link http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/research/Beavers%20in%20Scotland%20-%20Final%20-%2010%20June%202015.pdf.

This assessment was further updated through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), published by the Scottish Government on 12 December 2017, which is available at this link http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/12/7354. This assessed the likely impacts to protected habitats and species from the two current beaver populations as well as an element of range expansion.

These assessments looked at the potential for positive and negative effects, including whether and how mitigation could be used to avoid or minimise the potential for disruption to the ecological function of key habitats and their species.

Spread of disease among native species

SNH assessed the likely implications to public and animal health associated with the beaver populations at Knapdale and Tayside and considered any implications for wider expansion across Scotland. This is reported in Chapter 4.6 pages 142 -146 of the Beavers in Scotland report and in the SEA.

Flooding and adverse watercourse condition risk, and infrastructure damage as a result of the recent establishment of beaver populations

Chapter 4 of the Beaver in Scotland report assesses the likely flooding and adverse watercourse condition risk and infrastructure damage. Thisincludes a summary of experience prior to 2015 of beaver and impacts on forestry, agriculture and infrastructure/general land use. Chapter 3.4.2 and 3.4.3 assessed potential for changes to water chemistry. The SEA and the Tayside Beaver Study Group final report (2015) updated this and included findings of recent cases where beavers had been cited as having an impact on material assets, flooding and arable farmland.