Meeting of the Parliament 28 January 2026
I would like to keep this short. I want to point out some of the contradictions in the minister’s amendment 60 and speak to Douglas Ross’s amendments 149 to 151.
The minister will know that the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, through section 16(1), gives people the right to apply for licences to carry out activities that would not normally be allowed. The power to issue those licences was conferred on Scottish Natural Heritage, or NatureScot, under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011.
I have first-hand experience of applying for licences. When applying for licences, SNH is clear that, if a licence is being applied to control sawbill ducks, for example, counts must be carried out twice a year, with the information submitted to SNH. That is looked at over the whole catchment to see whether a licence should be issued. That is why amendment 60, which calls for reporting on population numbers, proves that there is an inadequacy. SNH is asking for full detailed counts, but the minister seems to think that it can do whatever it likes by simply producing a report.
Applying for licences is really difficult. I remember an incident in which a lady who cycled down a hill every day to get to work was attacked by a buzzard. First of all, it destroyed her cycling helmet. She was advised to take another route, but there was not one. The final advice from SNH, which refused to give a licence, was for her to cycle down the hill with an umbrella so that she would be protected from the buzzard. I say to the minister that that shows the inadequacy of SNH. If a human had attacked the lady and caused injuries, they would have been removed from that scenario and probably put in prison. However, it seemed fine for a buzzard to do that, because SNH did not want to issue a licence to control it.
I support Douglas Ross’s amendments 149 to 151. I do not really care where the licensing function goes, but all I know is that the licensing authority in NatureScot is dysfunctional.
I will leave it at that.