Chamber and committees

Of the habitat types and species listed on Annexes I and II (respectively) of the EU Habitats Directive, 57 habitat types and 20 species occur in Scotland.

26 of the species listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive occur in Scotland.

Lists of these habitats and species are published by Scottish Natural Heritage on its website and can be accessed via the following web links:

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/C210224.pdf

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B469679.pdf

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B483371.pdf

Natura 2000 is the EU-wide network of protected areas created under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. Sites designated under the Habitats Directive are called Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Sites of Community Interest (SCIs), the latter being the penultimate stage in the designation process for SACs. Sites designated under the Birds Directive are called Special Protection Areas (SPAs).

In Scotland there are 239 SACs (including 3 cross-border sites), 2 SCIs, and 153 SPAs (including 1 cross-border site). These figures do not include the 15 proposed SPAs in the marine environment for which consultation recently ended, or the Inner Hebrides and the Minches candidate SAC which has been submitted to the European Commission in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of the Habitats Directive.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are constrained within the seaward limits of local authority areas or the “Mean Low Water Spring” mark. “Underpinning” is a non-technical term used to denote that in most cases additional statutory protection is afforded to Natura 2000 sites in Great Britain via co-designation with SSSI (largely via the list of operations requiring consent associated with each SSSI). There is no such relationship between Marine Protected Areas and Natura 2000 sites although SNH advises of some 25 instances of overlap. Details of Natura 2000 sites underpinned by SSSI in Scotland are as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07395 on 7 March 2017. 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

Under the 2007-2013 Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), funding for protected areas, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Natura sites, was delivered under the Rural Priorities scheme. Additional funding for protected areas was provided through Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Management Agreements. Of a total of £43.4m of funding commitments for protected areas entered into during 2007-13, £39.4m (91%) was committed through SRDP and £4.0m (9%) was committed under SNH Management Agreements.

Under the 2014-2020 SRDP, funding for protected areas is provided through the Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme (AECS). Additional funding continues to be provided through SNH Management Agreements. Following two AECS funding rounds in 2015 and 2016, a total of £24.5m has been committed to maintain or improve the condition of protected areas. Of this total, £23.5m (96%) has been committed through SRDP and £1.0m (4%) through SNH Management Agreements. Additional funding for protected areas will be committed during the remainder of the 2014-2020 SRDP and through further SNH Management Agreements.

The figures provided on funding commitments for SNH Management Agreements exclude expenditure on additional works agreed during the course of contracts.

The Scottish Government has already confirmed that it will be passing on the current UK Government guarantees in full to Scottish stakeholders (announced by Mr Mackay on 2 November), which will provide stability and certainty to approved Interreg, LIFE and similar EU funded projects where activity continues after the UK has left the EU. The UK Government has given no further guarantee on replacement or equivalent funding. At a meeting between the UK Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom and devolved administrations, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Minister for UK Negotiations Michael Russell pressed for the UK Government to guarantee that Scotland will continue to receive funding at least at current levels provided from Europe.

The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions to help recruit teachers. We are spending £88 million this year to make sure every school has access to the right number of teachers, we have increased student teacher intake targets for the sixth year in a row, we are setting targets to train teachers in the subjects where they are needed most, and we are supporting innovative projects including a new route with the University of the Highlands and Islands.

We also launched a new teacher recruitment campaign on 8 February 'Teaching Makes People'. This builds on the success of last year’s 'Inspiring Teachers' campaign which helped drive an increase in PGDE applications to Scottish universities.

The partnership between Lochaber Housing Association and the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust is an excellent example of organisations utilising local skills and resources to deliver affordable housing. Having secured £2.5M through the Scottish Government’s bond scheme, Lochaber Housing Association will be able to deliver 50 new homes to the area.

I hope to have discussions with the UK Government and devolved administration Ministers on these very matters when we meet tomorrow.

Should Scotland be dragged into a hard Brexit by the Tories, this Government expects the devolved powers over agriculture that currently sit with Brussels to come directly to Scotland. We may choose to share some aspects on a UK wide policy basis but that would be our decision to make.

Similarly, while funding is reserved, we would expect Scotland to receive its fair share of equivalent EU funding and for us to determine how to use that to support you, other farm and croft businesses and our rural and coastal communities.

That as you know, is not the view of UK Ministers nor of the Scottish Tory leader. As the First Minister has previously pointed out, we have a bit of a battle on our hands to win this one but it is important for farming and food production in this country, that we do win it.

Under the current round of Climate Justice-supported projects (funded since 2014), two projects, led by SCIAF and Christian Aid, are dedicated to sustainable agriculture methods, in Rwanda and Malawi respectively. Combined funding for these projects is £1,275,382, representing 20% of the overall Climate Justice Fund spend since 2014.

The Scottish Government is an active and internationally-recognised supporter of clean energy projects in developing countries, with nearly £4m allocated to renewable energy projects in Malawi since 2012, bringing new energy access to over 80,000 people in rural communities. These projects have however been funded from the International Development Fund rather than the Climate Justice Fund.

The current Climate Justice Christian Aid project referred to above is delivering agricultural irrigation via solar powered pumps, and is therefore also bringing a form of clean energy access to people in poverty. Its funding of £602,169 represents 10% of the overall Climate Justice Fund spend since 2014.

Three tax incremental financing pilots are currently in the construction phase. They are in Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Glasgow. A pilot for Fife has been approved in principle with the final agreement anticipated to be signed soon.

Due to changed market conditions, and with the agreement of the relevant local authorities, the pilots for Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire are not proceeding as planned. However, other options to support economic growth are being taken forward or are being considered.

Scottish Futures Trust has written to all local authorities in Scotland inviting them to submit proposals to replace the two pilots not being taken forward and will work with my officials to identify which of the proposals submitted will be taken forward as a pilot.