To ask the Presiding Officer what measures will be taken to ensure that the four water features opposite the entrance to the new Parliament building at Holyrood will not be occupied by water fowl such as Canadian geese, swans and ducks which currently inhabit St Margaret’s Loch in the Queen’s Park.

The possibility of wildfowl inhabiting the "water feature" pools at the Parliament buildings’ public entrance has been anticipated by the landscape architects, and is a common problem to be overcome when designing water features. The Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that at the moment the intention is for an underwater pumping system to be installed to discourage any wildfowl from attempting to settle in the water, which will be extremely shallow. However, further advice will be taken at the appropriate time.