Ministers vow they are ‘listening’ to concerns about Natural Environment Bill

The Scottish Government is “listening” to concerns about new legislation that aims to protect the country’s natural environment, MSPs have been told.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said she has “heard the concerns” about some of the measures in the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.

She sought to reassure MSPs as the general principals of the Bill were unanimously agreed at its first vote at Holyrood on Thursday.

Introduced in a bid to tackle problems such as species decline, the legislation, if fully approved, would place a new duty on Scottish ministers to set legally binding targets for nature restoration.

It would also reform deer management in Scotland, and modernise the powers of the authorities in charge of Scotland’s national parks.

Britain’s largest shooting body, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, has already said it has “significant concerns” about the impact of changes to deer management.

Opposition parties have also voiced their fears that part of the Bill could give “sweeping powers” to Scottish ministers.

Ms Martin however said the Government is “looking at potential amendments” as the legislation continues through the Scottish Parliament.

She sought to reassure MSPs such as Labour’s Sarah Boyack, who said the Bill could give ministers “sweeping enabling powers to amend the two cornerstone pillars of environmental protection” – habitat regulations and environmental impact legislation.

Ms Boyack added there is “deep unease about the breadth of these powers”.

The Labour MSP also said: “Many, many organisations are deeply worried that we could inadvertently reduce our environmental standards and impact on our nature safety.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Tim Eagle told of fears that “the extensive powers being proposed in relation to environmental impact assessment regimes and the habitat regulations among others could lead to radical changes to protected sites”.

Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell insisted this part of the legislation, as currently drafted, is “wholly inappropriate”.

He asked: “How can the Government give the power to itself, and all future governments, to water down European laws that have protected our nature from destruction for over 40 years?”

He said there are “no convincing reasons at all as to why these powers are needed” – saying Greens want to see this part of the Bill removed altogether.

Ms Martin accepted there are “concerns” the Bill could be used “to dilute environmental protection”.

But she told MSPs: “Let me be absolutely clear – the Scottish Government is unequivocally committed to protecting our environment.

“This has not been designed to dilute those environmental protections.”

While she said this part of the Bill aims to “address a legislative gap left by the EU exit”, she stressed: “I have heard the concerns, and I am listening.”

She added she is “committed” to making changes to the legislation as it progresses through Holyrood to “strengthen the safeguards for the future use of this power”.