Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch used a recent meeting of The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCE) to back the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF), by proposing to seek more detail from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse, in relation to questions that require answering on The Wild Geese Petition.

The petition by Patrick Krause on behalf of the SCF, calls on the Scottish Government to address the problems created by increasing populations of wild geese in crofting areas as a matter of priority and to discuss how resources can be allocated to ensure this threat to the future of crofting is averted.

Dave’s proposal to press for more detail was upheld and in doing so, all those present at the meeting agreed that the best way forward was to write to the Minister to seek more detailed answers to the committee’s questions.

Commenting on this, Mr Thompson said, “Our intention is to list very simply the questions that we think have not been answered in relation to the wild geese petition, as questions 1 to 6, for example, and ask for those questions to be answered properly”.

“I look forward to the response and some clarity on the matter”.

Notes:

Link to RACCE Report from meeting on 12 November 2014:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=9632

At the committee’s next meeting, on Wednesday 19 November, it will take evidence from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on the draft Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Amendment Order 2015, which is an affirmative Scottish statutory instrument, and then on the draft budget. The committee will also take evidence from Scottish Government officials on the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill.