Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-03736

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government asdfadsf

Question reference: S6W-28382

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government sdfsadf

Question reference: S6W-28383

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answer expected on 31 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government asdfa

Question reference: S6W-28229

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19612 by Mairi Gougeon on 13 July 2023, what it is doing to reduce the number of red squirrel kits that are killed, and what its prediction is for the number of killed red squirrel kits in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 based on the current felling and harvesting programme.

Forestry and Land Scotland reduce impacts on red squirrel by scheduling operations to avoid the breeding season in areas that are thought to hold higher than average densities of red squirrels. Prior to any harvesting operation, a pre-operational survey is carried out to assess the extent of use of the felling coupe by red squirrels, and to locate squirrel dreys.

If red squirrels are identified as being present, various mitigation may be enacted, such as retaining drey trees, avoiding areas with dreys until after the breeding season, and directional felling to slowly usher adults and kits into adjacent stands. During operations machine operators are required to report any dreys felled with kits in them. No such reports have been made in 2024 or 2023 seasons.

It is impossible to know with certainty whether in fact any kits are killed each year , for example if unobserved dreys are felled, which are consequently unreported by machine operators. FLS have therefore calculated a hypothetical maximum assuming worst case scenarios in all assumptions. Based on the current felling and harvesting programme, the potential numbers for a) 2024 and b) 2025, is:

a) 903 (or 1.2% of the estimated population of kits in Scotland)

b) 876 (or 1.17% of the estimated population of kits in Scotland)

This will change as the programme is adjusted and finalised.

Only a small proportion of the theoretical deaths of squirrel kits due to forest operations would be extra mortality, as over 70% of young kits naturally die during their first winter.

Question reference: S6W-28105

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27677 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024, whether it will clarify what the (a) format and (b) anticipated timing is of its consideration of the Teacher Induction Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-28296

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test 14

Question reference: S6W-28293

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test 12

Question reference: S6O-03657

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body test 13

Question reference: S6W-28123

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it recognises the use of the value of prevented fatality (VPF) approach as a suitable calculation to quantify the impact of public policy, and, if so, whether it has used a VPF approach to assess the potential impact of the proposed overnight closure of the minor injury units in Huntly, Fraserburgh and Peterhead.

Question reference: S6O-03639

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the education secretary last met with Aberdeenshire Council, and what was discussed.

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