Found: climbs by £8.2bn [Accessible with subscription], 15 April 2024 13 For more information on the Environment Bill

Found: the Government on all the excellent work they are doing in preparation for COP 29 and in the Environment Bill

Found: climbs by £8.2bn [Accessible with subscription], 15 April 2024 13 For more information on the Environment Bill

Found: for Farming, Nature for Climate Fund and Biosecurity, Borders and Trade Programme, and the Environment Bill

Found: Environment, Agriculture and Food in Northern Ireland has sought general primary powers in the Environment Bill

Found: scheme proposals and to lay out the powers required to implement the scheme in the forthcoming Environment Bill

Found: It has a long way to go before it is fit for purpose to support the Environment Bill, and even then

Found: The Environment Bill is legislating wide-reaching waste reforms – including extended producer responsibility

Found: Biodiversity Net Gain and the Environment Bill – what does it mean for LPAs?

Found: This is the recognised metric for measuring biodiversity, as proposed in the Environment Bill.

Found: The Environment Bill Defra has introduced an Environment Bill that contains several measures with

Found: tatement that biodiversity net gain for development will be mandated through the forthcoming Environment Bill

Found: requirement for the planning system to deliver biodiversity net gain (BNG) through proposals in the Environment Bill

Found: metric 3 (together with the updated SSM) be put to formal consultation, as required under the Environment Bill

Found: departmental land, estates, development, and operations (aligning with the new duty in the Environment Bill

Found: The Deputy First Minister also pointed to the planned Natural Environment Bill, which aims to ensure

Found: proposals to amend the National Parks legislation through provisions in the forthcoming Natural Environment Bill

Found: Strategy and proposals to establish statutory targets for nature restoration through a Natural Environment Bill

Found: Through the Natural Environment Bill we will put in place a framework for statutory nature targets

Found: take; and, • statutory Targets for nature restoration to be put in place through a Natural Environment Bill

Found: A new Natural Environment Bill to be introduced in year 4 of this Parliament will set out a framework

Found: Plan which includes a comprehensive set of cross sectoral actions o The proposed Natural Environment Bill

Found: • Bring forward a Natural Environment Bill to establish the framework for statutory targets to restore

Found: The proposed Natural Environment Bill, which will provide a framework for establishing statutory nature

Found: [REDACTED: REGULATION 11(2)] [REDACTED: REGULATION 11(2)] | | Policy Manager| Natural Environment Bill

Found: sea for nature by 2030 was to be undertaken in preparation for the introduction of a Natural Environment Bill

Found: will be submitting advice toMinisters shortly. · On one hand, including deer in the Natural Environment Bill

Found: . • Natural Environment Bill. • NHS Act Section 1 (1978). • Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

Found: We have previously expressed our support for the upcoming Natural Environment Bill and the proposed

Found: Just Transition Fund, Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy and the Natural Environment Bill: EIR release

Found: Just Transition Fund, Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy and the Natural Environment Bill: EIR release

Found: The forthcoming Natural Environment Bill will strengthen our legal commitments to restoring nature in

Found: This year we will: lBring forward a Natural Environment Bill to establish the framework for statutory

Found: peatland and create at least 10,000 hectares of woodlands.We will also bring forward a Natural Environment Bill

Found: . 11 Read -out Discussion with Ms Slater – 30 by 30, Protected Areas and the Natural Environment Bill

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Natural Environment Bill before the Christmas recess.

Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.

When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed Natural Environment Bill.

Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.

When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the WWF publication, 2024 Living Planet Report.

Answered by Allan, Alasdair - Acting Minister for Climate Action

The findings of the WWF Living Planet Report provide further evidence, if any were needed, that the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss represent the existential threat of our times. We know we must take urgent action to address them now.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its proposed Natural Environment Bill and the anticipated timescale for its progress through the Parliament.

Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy

The most recent Programme for Government (2024-25) sets out the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce the Natural Environment Bill in this current parliamentary year.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the specific case studies demonstrating that it had been unable to exercise powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, which have led to the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

The Scottish Government does not intend to publish details of any case studies in relation to regulatory powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

However any legislation brought forward under the Natural Environment Bill will be justified and accompanied by published policy notes and impact assessments.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the position is of NatureScot regarding the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and whether it will publish all of the correspondence and advice, including the minutes of any meetings, that it has received from NatureScot regarding these orders.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Natural Environment Bill will include provisions to modernise the way in which deer are managed in Scotland.

In January the Scottish Government consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management, including the introduction of new powers designed to secure effective deer management that supports Scottish Government nature and climate objectives (Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders). The 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. We received around 1600 responses and the full analysis report of the responses was published on 9 September 2024.

The Scottish Government is currently giving careful consideration to all of the consultation responses, which will inform the development of the provisions to be included in the future Natural Environment Bill.

We have no plans to publish all correspondence and advice on the development of planned legislation. The minutes of the Strategic Deer Board relevant to the legislation are published on the Scottish Government website.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of them currently delivering a reported 80% of the annual deer cull, how it will ensure that the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill will not adversely affect private deer managers, and what impact assessment it will carry out.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

We recognise the key role that private deer managers play in managing deer across Scotland. We expect to continue to work in collaboration with private deer managers in our objectives to modernise deer management across Scotland and want to work collaboratively with them.

As stated in the answer to S6W-30037 on 1 October 2024, we have consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management. Alongside our public consultation we will also continue to speak with stakeholders to help inform any new legislation.

In addition to this we will be undertaking a number of impact assessments in relation to any provisions included in the Natural Environment Bill, including a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA).

BRIAs are used to assess the costs, benefits and risks of any proposed or policy changes that may have an impact on the public, private, third sector or regulators. These impact assessments will be an integral and necessary part of evidenced-based policy development in relation to deer management.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures and incentives it is considering in order to reach its commitment to increase the national deer cull by 25% or 50,000 deer each year.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a range of actions to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme has been set out as part of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. The Natural Environment Bill will be introduced this Parliamentary year, which will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

In the meantime we are working on those Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.

In addition to this there are three pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot and the Cairngorms National Park Authority which will launch this autumn to financially support deer managers to control numbers of deer in specific parts of Scotland in response to the climate and nature emergencies.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to at least maintaining current funding levels for the Nature Restoration Fund during the remainder of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reported continuing loss of nature and the Fund's positive reputation amongst stakeholders.

Answered by Allan, Alasdair - Acting Minister for Climate Action

Protecting and restoring our natural environment is key to addressing the twin crises of nature loss and climate change. Our commitment to the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), and to introduce a Natural Environment Bill which will set a framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature, are reiterated in our most recent Programme for Government.

While capital funding of £5 million from this year’s NRF allocation to Local Authorities has been redirected to fund the public sector pay offer, it will be restored in 2025-26. The competitive strand of the NRF, administered by NatureScot, remains unaffected by this temporary reallocation of local authority funding.