 The first item of business today is portfolio questions. Rural economy and connectivity. Yes. Can members hear me? Can I just check the microphones? Can you hear me now? Oh, there we are, right. Good. We have take-off. We will sort of do because question 1 has been withdrawn and the member is not present for question 2. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the installation of average speed cameras between Dundee and Stunhaven will have on road safety for communities living alongside the A90. Minister Humza Yousaf. A comparative assessment of average speed cameras, average speed camera technology on other routes demonstrates that introducing ASC technology can of course realise a range of benefits for local communities, including reduced incident frequency and impact, improved journey time reliability and speed limit compliance, with consequent reductions in the number of people killed or, indeed, seriously injured average speed cameras in the A90 will result in improved driver behaviour, fewer fines and points for drivers and, most importantly, safer roads for local communities and, indeed, all users of the A90. Thank you. As the minister knows from correspondence between us, exiting and entering the A90 via a series of junctions in the Tling area of my constituency can be fraught with difficulty and the road layout situations exacerbated both by the presence of slow-moving farm machinery and pedestrians coming across the carriageway at the village of Inveral, the access southbound buses. There were a number of serious, some fatal traffic incidents in the vicinity in recent years and, whilst I understand that road layout was not a significant contributor in the vast majority of those, the fact remains that this is not a stretch of road that users feel comfortable on. I very much welcome the minister confirming to me in a letter yesterday that, given the accident cluster further investigations that have been carried out, will all of the junctions in the vicinity be looked at and not just the Tling turn-off and might the options to be considered include introducing a 50-mile-per-hour speed limit in this area, something that has already been done elsewhere on the A90 at Lawrence Kirk? I thank the member for that question. I also thank him for his correspondence over the months on this issue. He will know that there was, of course, a recent fatality in Tling and Tling community council have mentioned that to me. I can just say, of course, that in these incidents, when these happen, our thoughts are first and foremost with the families of those affected. Road safety is, of course, of paramount importance. That is our number one objective in the work that we do. We use safety performance on the trunk road network, including the A90 junctions, and have identified the A90 Tling junction for further investigations, as the member alluded to in his questions. Our operating company has arranged to meet with Tling community council in July to gather feedback that will help to inform the report. The study was actually previously undertaken in 2012. This recommended signing improvements in Veralde, New Begin and Tling junctions, which were installed in 2012. However, I can give an assurance that the scope can be widened, and I will certainly look to do that. I will speak to my officials about widening that. We will continue to engage with stakeholders there. If at any point the member feels that there could be further engagement with other stakeholders, I would, of course, welcome him getting back in touch with me on that. Ross Thompson Minister, can the minister provide Parliament with a timeline for the completion of the improvements to the A90 junction at Lawrence Kirk? The member will know that it is going through the statutory process. I would often have this conversation with our late colleague Alex Johnson, who would rightly be pushing me for a further timescale, but it is going through the statutory process. I am happy to write to the member to explain to him. I am sure that he will be aware of some of that, but the detail of that statutory process. The danger, of course, would be that if we subverted that statutory process, I am sure that he would be the first one to jump down our throat and say, look, you have to listen to the objections or otherwise of local communities. We have to follow that statutory procedure. I do know that people in Lawrence Kirk, as my colleague Marie Evans has often mentioned to me, feel somewhat skeptical about whether or not the project will take off. I can give them an absolute assurance that we will commit the funding for that, but I will write to the member so that he has a little bit more detail on that process that must be fallen. I hope that that will give him the reassurances that he requires. Mark Ruskell. The minister will still be aware of a pilot project in Edinburgh to use average speed cameras to deter, rather than to detect, breaches of the speed limit in an urban setting, particularly applying to 40mph and 30mph limits. Is the Scottish Government also looking at how average speed cameras can be used to deter speeding within 20mph zones in urban areas? Minister. I am not aware of having looked at average speed cameras for a 20mph per hour zone, but again, if the member would wish me to do, I am more than happy to have a discussion with Transport Scotland. It would be fair to say that looking at average speed camera technology is not just for rural settings, but indeed also for urban settings in which it can drastically reduce the incidence of serious and fatal incidents. I have not looked at them for 20mph per hour zones, if the member wishes me to do, so he can correspond with me. I will happily have that conversation with Transport Scotland. Gail Ross. Can the minister advise me what the impact the installation of average speed cameras on the A9 between Inverness and Perth has had on fatalities, serious accidents and people caught driving over the speed limit? Minister. We just had recent statistics come out on this. They have been very positive in relation to the reduction of serious and fatal incidents on the A9 that I will come to in just a second. It is worth saying that when average speed camera technology was first rolled out in the A9, there were many detractors, many of those who objected to it. I think that the statistics now speak for themselves, why, when we are looking to install average speed cameras on the A90 on the Dundee to Stonehaven route, there has been little in the way of objection in terms of answering the member's question directly. For the last 27 months, since the installation, we have seen serious and fatal casualties between Dunblane and Inverness down by 43 per cent. There have been no fatal casualties between Dunblane and Perth in the last reporting period and a reduction of almost 40 per cent in fatal casualties between Perth and Inverness over the same time. I am on to that data, but I think that everybody would agree that those average speed cameras have been a great success. As I say, I hope that when we roll them out in the A90 between Dunblane and Stonehaven, we see very similar reductions in casualties and fatalities. Liam Kerr. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The minister will have seen the Press and Journal report this week on accidents on the A952 Cortless Junction A90 mintlot of Fraserborough Road. There are two deaths or serious injuries per month. Graham Day rightly highlights the junction at Teeling and the minister gave a reassuring and positive answer. Can the minister give similar assurances about this stretch of road and what will be done to prevent further serious injury and death going forward? Minister. The accident statistics and road safety statistics are paramount when we come to make a decision on where our average speed camera technology should be rolled out. That is the basis and that is the fundamental reason why we do what we do and where we choose to invest. He will understand that we have, of course, a finite resource. That is why we have to concentrate on where we can reduce those fatalities and casualties the most. The statistics on the A90 are horrifying for any member to see, and therefore I am very hopeful that the action that we take will reduce that. If any members—and it is not just for Liam Kerr, but any members across the chamber feel that there is a strong case for their communities to have traffic calming measures, to have average speed camera technology roll-out, et cetera, et cetera, I would, of course, welcome them to come towards me with the caveat, of course, that we do have that finite resource, but where there is a sensible option to help to reduce fatalities, to reduce serious incidents and accidents and injuries, that this Government will always take that as a priority. Question 4, Rona Mackay. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the Strathkelvin and Baresden constituency. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Fergus Ewing. The £400 million investment that the Scottish Government and our partners are making through the digital Scotland's superfast broadband programme will extend fibre broadband access to at least 95 per cent of premises by the end of this year. Without that investment, only two thirds, only 66 per cent of premises would have been reached. Although most of the superfast broadband roll-out in the Strathkelvin and Baresden constituency is being delivered commercially, by the end of last year, the programme had provided fibre broadband access to 7,450 premises in the area, 94 per cent of which were capable of accessing superfast speeds. Rona Mackay. Thank you for that answer. Many constituents who live in the Woodley village in Lensay and those in other rural areas in my constituency have raised concerns at my local surgeries over the roll-out of superfast broadband. Can the cabinet secretary give reassurances to those constituents that they will have access to superfast broadband within the timeframe set out by the Scottish Government? Cabinet Secretary. The digital Scotland superfast broadband programme has further fibre broadband deployment planned for the Woodley village in Lensay. Any premises that are not connected through the digital Scotland superfast broadband programme will be captured through our commitment to deliver 100 per cent superfast broadband access by 2021. Jamie Greene. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank the cabinet secretary for that update. One of the most important pieces in this jigsaw is achieving 100 per cent roll-out for small and medium-sized businesses, especially in rural areas. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what specific measures the Government will take to ensure that small business is very much at the forefront of any future roll-out in the R100 programme? Cabinet secretary. Of course we value the work that small businesses do. That is why we have the most generous business-related package for small businesses under our rates relief programme anywhere in the UK. Of course we are determined that they should have access, because in many cases that access will be critical to the effective conduct of their business. Of course the R100 programme aims to extend access to every house and every business premises by the end of this year. As the cabinet secretary is responsible, I am determined that every premise should have that access. Question 5, Dean Lockhart. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement the recommendations in full of the Audit Scotland report principles for a digital future when taking forward its R100 contract. Cabinet secretary. While the Audit Scotland report in question focuses primarily on lessons learned by the procurement of IT systems and services, I am pleased to confirm that the five key principles set out in that report are indeed reflected in our planning for the R100 programme. The R100 work will of course build on our existing digital Scotland programme. Members may also be aware that when Audit Scotland reviewed progress of this programme, Audit Scotland concluded that we are on track to meet our coverage targets with more premises than expected able to access superfast speeds. Ofcom's most recent Connected Nations report for Scotland also highlighted that superfast broadband coverage in Scotland had increased by 14 per cent over the last 12 months, the largest increase of any of the UK nations. Dean Lockhart, I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. In the report Audit Scotland in view of the cost overruns and challenges that were experienced in a number of recent IT projects, required the Government going forward to set out clear leadership that sets the tone and culture and provides accountability, as well as setting out appropriate governance structures and sufficient project oversight for future IT projects. Can the cabinet secretary outline what specific steps he is taking to ensure that those recommendations will be implemented in full? One might conclude from what the member has just said. Audit Scotland was critical of the Scottish Government's work in respect of roll-out of broadband. That is not the case. The member is talking about another Audit Scotland report, because Audit Scotland's report on our work on this programme, broadband, concluded, and I quote, "...good progress has been made and we remain on track to meet our targets." Far from being critical of the Government as the Conservative member seeks to imply, Audit Scotland praised the work that the Scottish Government has done and the record that we have achieved. That is because nearly three quarters of a million people, houses and businesses, now have access to superfan broadband, because of the efficacy and effectiveness of the programme that the Government carried out. Mauree Todd. Is that me? Mauree Todd. Mauree Todd, very pardon, dude. Mauree Todd. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm really pleased to hear that the Scottish Government is on track to deliver fibre access to at least 95 per cent of premises in Scotland by the end of 2017. Can I ask how this compares to how many homes would have received fibre access if the Government had decided not to intervene? Cabinet Secretary. Well, the total of the premises that would not have access had we not intervened, there are 740,000, and I may point out, Presiding Officer, that the broadband and indeed mobile telephony, they're not actually devolved, they're reserved. If we'd waited for the UK to act, we would be waiting for Godot, wouldn't we? And we would not have seen nearly three quarters of a million premises having the access that they now have. We didn't wait because we weren't prepared to wait because we know how important it is to rural Scotland. The Tories are shaking their heads. That's because they don't like the facts. They prefer their own smears to the facts when they hear them. We will continue to deliver good progress in rural Scotland whilst the Conservatives snipe from the sidelines. Listen, question number six, David Torrance. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage new plantings in forestry. The Scottish Government has taken positive action, including an increase in grant funding for woodland creation of £4 million, additional funding for the timber transport fund, more attractive grant rates for native woodlands in remote areas, an increase threshold for requiring EIA screening in low sensitivity areas and implementation of the McKinnon report to streamline the planting approval process. The result has been a substantial increase in the number of future woodland creation projects being developed and an enthusiastic response from across the forestry sector. David Torrance. Thank you, cabinet secretary, for that answer. Is the cabinet secretary aware that Labour has committed to planting 1 million trees of native species across the UK and that the Conservatives are intended to plant 11 million? Can the cabinet secretary advise how his targets compare with the Scottish Government's action on planting trees of native species in Scotland? Cabinet secretary? I do not think that they compare particularly favourably, but having said that, I am very keen that we should across this chamber approach the opportunities that forestry provides in a consensual fashion. That is why I am pleased that the Scottish Government target of planting 10,000 hectares per annum rising to 15,000 are aims that can be shared across the chamber. I was not aware of the Labour target putting a specific figure on it, but I do hope that they have that figure right. Edward Mountain. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet secretary, you just accused us on these benches of saying about facts and not smears. Let us give you some facts towards planting. In the last five years, every year you failed to meet the planting target. In fact, you are 28 per cent under what you set yourself. It seems difficult for us to have confidence in your target of reaching 12,000 hectares by 2020. If you have not reached that, will you make up the shortfall by increasing the plantings to make up the deficit that you have achieved over the last five years? Cabinet secretary? Of course, we have set ambitious targets. I thought that this was a matter of common ground among the political parties, but the member wants to make some political points instead if I can inject a few facts into the interchange. Can I point out that the shortfall in respect of the former plantings was not a result of the inadequacy of grant applications? It was because of the insufficiency of applications for new plantings. We cannot grow trees without applications. We need the applications to grow more trees. Fortunatly, because of the steps that have been taken over the last year of increasing the grant funding, the gentleman does not like it, but we are increasing the timber transport fund. I thought that he supported that. By increasing the funding for broadleaf plantations, by increasing the threshold below which screening is not required in sensitive areas, and finally, by implementing the 20 recommendations of the McKinnon report, we have built up an atmosphere conducive to investment, and all the signals that I am getting from the many meetings that I hold, and I have held three Forestry summits over the past year, are positive, and I understand that we should be very close to reaching our target shortly. I thought that that good use is something that even the Conservatives would welcome. Question 7, Stuart Stevenson. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect inshore fisheries against unlicensed commercial fishing. Cabinet Secretary. Measures under the Shellfish restrictions on taking by unlicensed fishing boats Scotland Order 2017 came into force on 17 April this year. They placed restrictions on quantities of shellfish that unlicensed fishing boats can take. Those measures support the right of people to enjoy fishing as a hobby, establishing daily catch limits, provide clarity and they tackle the issue of unlicensed illegal commercial fishing conducted under the guise of hobby fishing. To enforce those measures, Marine Scotland compliance uses rigid inflatable boats, ribs and conducts regular inshore patrols. Stuart Stevenson. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Advice on that particular order, which I am sure will be welcomed. Can I say that our inshore fisheries play an important part in our rural economy and provide absolutely superb food? Will the recently announced pilots seek to improve inshore fisheries and will they help us to make further improvements to support our coastal communities? Cabinet Secretary. I believe that the pilots will. Our fishermen and communities make the most of our inshore resource, and that is what the inshore fisheries pilots that were announced recently aim to achieve. They will explore two different management approaches to determine what works in terms of delivering greater economic, social and environmental benefits to coastal communities and our rural economy and to explore a more localised approach to fisheries management where fisheries interests work together to develop distinct arrangements that meet their needs. The learning from those pilots will help to inform a more strategic approach to managing inshore fisheries to ensure that we make the most from our valuable inshore waters and inform work of the future of fisheries management in Scotland in the next few years. Finlay Carson. Can I just check? Is this a supplementary order? Finlay Carson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In my constituency of Galloway and Western Frees, illegal electrofishing is taking place regularly in Fleet and Loose Bay with potentially hugely damaging effects in the long-term sustainability of the stocks. The Scottish Government has totally failed to control that. Indeed, some razor fishermen are concerned that stocks may be unrecoverable if the illegal fishing continues. I understand that there are planned trials of electrofishing in selected areas, but what steps are being taken to protect the areas not in the trial areas from continued illegal fishing? We are taking steps to ensure that electrofishing is properly dealt with and that pilots are carried out in order to demonstrate under strict regulation whether or not the conduct of fisheries by these methods can be safely and sustainably pursued. That is a measure that we are taking. I had thought that my meetings with the members were an indication that we were not dealing with this in a party political way. Perhaps I am too naive in that respect, because they now appear to be. Irrespective of that, I will continue to ensure that the Scottish Government does our best to respect the interests both of communities, the environment and the inshore fishermen. We will continue to work in the way that we have explained to Mr Carson on several occasions. We move now to Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Questions. Question 1, Donald Cameron. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in resolving the disputes between seafarers and management at Marine Scotland. Cabinet Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham. Constructive discussions are continuing between the Scottish Government and the recognised trade unions. We remain optimistic that this matter can be resolved amicably and without industrial action taking place. Of course, we play a vital role in the protection of Scotland's seas and the Scottish Government is very appreciative of the difficult work that it undertakes in helping to protect Scotland's marine environment and resources. Donald Cameron. I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for her answer, but representatives from both Marine Scotland and United Nations feel that there is a distinct lack of action being taken by the Scottish Government to resolve this. Given that there is now a real likelihood that industrial action would be dishappening by considering fairness between Marine Scotland seafarers and other public sector seafaring staff. Cabinet secretary. Marine Scotland management agreed in April to continue to pay the recruitment and retention allowance, which is at the heart of this at the current rate until the end of October 2017, which is when the business case for continuation of the supplement would need to return to the pay supplement panel for consideration and approval. Extending the allowance until October does allow time for Marine Scotland to continue to assess recruitment and retention issues in the sector and to allow the trade unions time to work in partnership with the Scottish Government on the pay comparability exercise, which is what is happening. Question 2, Liam McArthur. To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce the first pilot schemes for the management of the seabed. Cabinet secretary. We recently consulted on the long-term arrangements for management of Crown Estate assets in Scotland. The consultation contained our proposals on how Crown Estate assets in Scotland can be managed differently in future. The Government is involved in discussions with the three Holy Island authorities on potential pilot arrangements for enhancing local management of Crown Estate assets. Any proposal needs to contain appropriate arrangements and sufficient detail on how assets and liabilities would be managed. We have received inquiries from communities in the Western Isles and I remain interested in hearing about proposals for other community pilots. Liam McArthur. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response as she knows that there is a very strong and long-standing desire within Orkney for local control over the seabed assets. The desire shared by the communities in Shetland and the Western Isles will remain keen to take forward pilot projects under an agency agreement with Orkney. I welcome Roseanna Cunningham's willingness to discuss the island authorities on the issue, but can she clarify who specifically will make the decision on where any pilot projects will take place and can she commit to ensuring that those are in place before the end of the calendar year? From 1 April 2017, Crown Estate Scotland interim management has been managing the assets in Scotland. On that basis, the proposals on any potential pilot will be taken forward directly with the new body. I confirm that my officials will continue to be involved and they will participate in discussions between the island authorities and Crown Estate Scotland interim management on the possible pilot arrangements. Because it is a discussion involving the interim management body, I do not think that it would be right for me to commit to a timetable on that. Finlay Carson. Scotland is home to approximately 25 per cent of Europe's offshore wind resources. With management of the Crown Estate seabed assets now being devolved, what steps will the Scottish Government take to ensure the on-going viability of those existing assets? Cabinet Secretary. It would help enormously if the UK Government was to play slightly more fairly on the issue of renewables vis-à-vis Scotland. Crown Estate assets will continue to be managed on a commercial basis until such times as any changes are brought about by the subsequent consultation and subsequent legislation. For anybody on the Conservative benches to be challenging anybody in Scotland in respect of renewables I find quite astonishing. Question 3. Christina McKelvie. To ask the Scottish Government what action is taken to tackle wildlife crime. Cabinet Secretary. Members will be aware that in August of last year I commissioned a report to Asatin whether there was any suspicious pattern of activity associated with reports of the disappearance of satellite tagged golden eagles. That report is being published this afternoon on the Scottish Natural Heritage website. Its findings are extremely concerning in particular that between 2004 and 2016 almost one third of the 131 young eagles tracked have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. The conclusion that illegal killing is the most likely explanation for the disappearance of these birds and that there are clusters of disappearances associated with some driven grouse moors. That report provides clear evidence of deliberate and sustained illegal persecution in some parts of Scotland associated with those driven grouse shooting. Christina McKelvie. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and welcome the report being published this afternoon. I assure many of us that will be interested in the findings that the cabinet secretary has outlined. Can she tell us what specific steps she will take now to target those who continue to flout the law by killing birds of prey and damaging the reputation of decent, hard-working landowners, managers and gamekeepers in the process? In the light of the report and the environment, climate change and land reform committee's recent recommendation on licensing of shooting businesses, I can inform members that we are introducing a number of measures to build on those that we have adopted over the past few years. Those new measures include publishing a map showing the clusters of disappeared birds, asking Scottish natural heritage and my officials to explore options using existing powers which could be used to order the temporary or permanent cessation of activities linked to grouse moor management where we have good reason to believe that they are harming highly protected raptor species. I am content and prevention by working with Police Scotland to recruit a team of special constables focused on wildlife and other rural crime. After careful consideration, I have decided that this is a better route than giving further investigative powers to SSPCA inspectors. I am of course very grateful to the SSPCA for their public spirited offer and their patience while we have considered the proposal. I also want to establish a group to examine how we can ensure that grouse moor management continues to be environmentally sustainable and compliant with the law. We are commissioning research into the benefits and costs of large shooting estates to Scotland's economy and biodiversity. Of course, last but by no means least, I want to examine ways in which we can protect the employment and other rights of gamekeepers and their role in enhancing biodiversity, not just game interests. I will be announcing more details of those proposals in due course. David Stewart. While I generally accept the points that the cabinet secretary has made, I am disappointed that she is not willing to extend the powers of the Scottish SPCA inspectors to investigate wildlife crime. Given the new evidence about the appalling scale of persecution of Scotland's birds of prey, surely extending this power is a power whose time has come. We need to investigate more, not less, cabinet secretary. Cabinet secretary. I understand that David Stewart has a strong opinion about that. However, considerable difficulties involved in bending the law of evidence in Scotland to begin to allow the kinds of evidence that might be brought forward. We have seen in recent weeks how, if that does not work properly, it can jeopardise potential court cases. In my view, a better way forward is to use the existing law, the existing investigation authority, the police. They have the powers already. They can do the things that need to be done. I should also point out to David Stewart that choosing to go down the route of SSPCA powers would open the door to potentially others wanting the same powers, would create a big question mark over admissibility of evidence much more widely and would require primary legislation, which would take a considerable amount of time to bring forward. Question 4, Bob Doris. To ask the Scottish Government how its climate challenge fund supports projects in Glasgow, Maryhill and Springburn constituency. Since 2008, the climate challenge fund has provided funding of £3.9 million to support 37 community projects in the Glasgow, Maryhill and Springburn constituency. Bob Doris. I invite the cabinet secretary for that answer and I commend the impressive level of investment benefiting my constituents and draw attention in particular to the award of £139,199 to Lambhill Stables based at the Forth and Clyde canal in my constituency. I invite the cabinet secretary to visit Lambhill Stables to see for herself how the funding for the growing together in Greener Lambhill project is actively promoting and supporting lifestyle changes in the community by providing food growing spaces and workshops with new clubs, all with a green thread running through each activity by educating and showing how we can all lead more carbon friendly lives. Cabinet secretary. I am well aware of the good work that Lambhill Stables is doing helping to reduce local emissions in the north of Glasgow. It is an example of how successful the climate challenge fund has been across many different communities in Scotland. I was pleased to approve funding £40,000 this year for the project supporting the community to grow their own food and allotments and to make use of derelict and underused land and I have visited other projects doing a similar thing now. I think that in a lot of communities it is an enormous benefit to get that community growing become part and parcel of particularly urban communities. I am, of course, open to invitations. If the member wishes to write to me I will ensure that my diary is consulted appropriately. Maurice Golden. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Could the cabinet secretary confirm whether an assessment has been undertaken to compare the impact of climate challenge fund spend versus other climate change mitigation measures such as peatland restoration? Cabinet secretary. Just off the top of my head I am not conscious that we have looked at two things that are quite separate. Obviously, the climate challenge fund has particular aims and objectives beyond just the climate challenge issue because the climate challenge fund has an important socio-economic argument to make particularly in communities where there might not be anything else that links them to the arguments about climate challenges. It is as much an educational development as it is anything else. On the new regular assessments of the climate challenge fund, the member has raised an interesting question about that kind of cross comparison. I will ask officials whether or not it is something that is appropriately done. It may not be something that can be easily done and we will see whether or not there is a way to look at that in which case I would come back to him with more detail. Question 5, Angus MacDonald. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made following community requests to have a permanent SIPA presence in Grangemouth? SIPA staff play an important role in regulating industrial and other activity in the Grangemouth area supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities. Following discussion with the community council and local elected members, SIPA is considering the benefits and costs of establishing the Grangemouth site that can support the wider sterling-based area team. Angus MacDonald. To ask the cabinet secretary for her reply, she is clearly aware that I facilitated a problem-solving partnership recently involving SIPA, Falkirk Council and Grangemouth community council on this issue and I am pleased to report that SIPA have engaged positively and proactively with the local community. Clearly the Grangemouth community has lived cheek by joil with the petrochemical and agrochemical industries for decades and recognition has to be given to that. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that proper acknowledgement and consideration of SIPA is that there is a community of 18,000 people living in Grangemouth who all deserve to continue to live in a healthy environment and that the town is not just an industrial cash cow to boost Scotland's GDP? Cabinet secretary. I welcome Agus MacDonald's actions with the Grangemouth community to work in partnership with others to seek solutions. I am clear that my Government will place communities and environmental sustainability at the centre of our plans for economic growth. SIPA have an important role to play on Scotland's principal environmental regulator and I welcome Agus MacDonald's recognition of their positive contribution and I know that he will continue to be actively involved and interested in the conversations that are currently on-going about what may be the outcome in terms of moving or at least having a base in Grangemouth. Question 6. Clare Adamson. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle illegal snares and traps. The setting of snares and traps must be undertaken in accordance with section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and with the spring traps approval Scotland Order 2011 respectively. Enforcement of this legislation is the responsibility of Police Scotland. Through the partnership for action against wildlife crime in Scotland, the Scottish Government works together with key stakeholders including Police Scotland, land managers and conservation bodies to tackle wildlife crime in Scotland. Clare Adamson. Thank you, cabinet secretary. For that answer, she may be aware of a horrific incident near Ravenskirk Racial Sports Centre in my constituency where an 18-month Sprocker Spaniel Evie had her chest ripped open in what is a suspected deer snare. Can the cabinet secretary give advice to pet owners about how to keep their animals safe and also give advice on how to report such instance to ensure that the police can deal with those effectively? Cabinet secretary. In terms of keeping one's pet animals safe, I mean, quite clearly, one has to be very... if you're taking an animal out making sure that it's not out of your sight and knowing where you're going in the first place in terms of the kind of land that you're on. I am aware of the individual incident that the member refers to and I hope that that was immediately reported to the police. Reporting to the police is the most important thing that people can do most immediately and ordinary people will be our eyes and ears in a lot of rural Scotland of this as well as in other areas. I think that it's extremely important that we impress on people that when they see anything that does look suspicious that that's what they do. The independent working group on snares did note that there were numbers of non-target species caught in snares but we think that that can be reduced through training, through careful attention to best practice and to awareness and alertness on the part of ordinary people. Colin Smyth. Can I affirm members to my register of interest and my membership of the League Against Cruel Sports? Cabinet secretary will be aware of the disappointment that the recent Government commission reviewing to snaring by Scottish natural heritage assessed the impact on animal welfare of snaring. Will the cabinet secretary ensure that SNH revisits the report and this time considers all the evidence available of both legal and illegal snaring and the impact that it has on animal welfare of target and non-target species? Better still, will the cabinet secretary listen to the overwhelming view of the public and consult on a total ban on snaring and accept that you can't regulate cruelty? Cabinet secretary. As I indicated in the member's debate just a couple of weeks ago, we all accept that all forms of predator control will have their drawbacks. None of those methods of control are particularly attractive things to have to do but in large parts of Scotland they are regrettably necessary. The recent review referred to by the member which was undertaken by SNH was a review that arose entirely out of previous legislation and was dictated by that legislation. The terms of that review were part and parcel of the previous legislation. SNH were not doing a complete review of all snaring. That wasn't the requirement. I appreciate that this will go on being a live debate. I understand that people have very strong views on either side but one of the issues that we have to consider is managing effectively business on the countryside. Unfortunately, thus far, we haven't seen a predator control that will do as good a job as it does. Question 7, Adam Tomkins. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in meeting its emissions reduction targets. We are making splendid progress. The latest statistics on Scottish greenhouse gas emissions published in June last year show that the statutory emissions reduction target for 2014 was met and the reductions from baseline levels exceeded the level of the interim 2020 target. Statistics for 2015 will be published on 13 June. Adam Tomkins. She will be aware that Conservatives have called for a range of measures to be introduced to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles in Scotland to reduce emissions. Increased levels of uptake will mean increasing levels of demand on our power networks, particularly at peak times. How is the Scottish Government working with electricity companies to mitigate this concern in the long term? I'm sure that my colleague, Minister for Transport, would be able to give you a considerably more detailed answer than I am. In a report about the extended network for electric vehicles, which I think in Scotland is beginning to look rather good, I think that we're making great strides. Yes, there is an issue in terms of continued power use but, of course, the more of that power that we can produce from renewables, the less of a problem it will be in respect of climate change emissions. Thank you very much and that concludes portfolio questions.