Scottish Executive Question Time — General Questions – in the Scottish Parliament at 11:40 am on 10 June 2010.
Alasdair Allan
Scottish National Party
11:40,
10 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to assist crofting communities that are facing large increases in their local rabbit population. (S3O-10889)
Roseanna Cunningham
Scottish National Party
There are no plans to provide additional assistance to crofting communities for the control of rabbit populations, but there are wide-ranging consents that enable land managers to control rabbits. In addition, measures are available under the rural priorities element of the Scotland rural development programme to control rabbit populations, where those are directly linked to a management option.
Alex Fergusson
None
Mr Allan, I must ask you to be brief.
Alasdair Allan
Scottish National Party
I will be. I thank the Minister for her reply, but she will be aware that many communities, such as Ness in my Constituency, have seen the rabbit population grow to a ridiculous extent and would be grateful for any clarification of the legal options for dealing with the problem.
Alex Fergusson
None
Please be as brief as possible, Minister.
Roseanna Cunningham
Scottish National Party
Shooting, trapping, snaring, ferreting, long netting, gassing and the use of electric or other rabbit-proof fencing are all legal methods of rabbit control.
Alex Fergusson
None
Thank you for the brevity of that answer. That concludes general questions.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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