Talking-up Scotland

On Wednesday 03 April 2019, in the Economy committee, Lewis McDonald, not MSP for Lewis, asked 7 questions about wading birds with 5 of them picking out the Curlew specifically. Now, I’m all for conservation and often observe a curlew or two on my daily dog-on-the-beach walks but could this not have been made a bit more concise, reducing time spent by civil servants?

1. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what recommendations it has received regarding the protection of the curlew under phase one of the 2016 Special Protection Area Review, and how it has taken these forward.
2. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to implement an action plan for the protection of curlew since the 2018 conference, the Status and Future of Curlew in Scotland; whether it will publish this plan, and what the timetable is for its completion.
3. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it is providing towards the conservation of wading birds [inc Curlew] in 2018-19 and plans to provide in (a) 2019-20 an (b) 2020-21.
4. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a wader sensitivity map for woodland expansion to help guide forestry planting decisions and protect sensitive areas for globally threatened species, such as
5. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent (a) conifer and (b) other non-native tree species spreading to non-forestry land outwith their native range, including open habitat that supports breeding waders [inc Curlew].
6. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the conservation of curlew is made a priority when it updates the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.
7. Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what steps Scottish Natural Heritage is taking to implement the recommendations of phase one of the 2016 Special Protection Area (SPA) Review, including the designation of internationally important curlew breeding sites as SPAs.

https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20190403.pdf

Is this really some Old Labour scheme to logjam committee business? Young Colin Smyth did his business in one question. Why can’t Lewis?

1. Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch its review on young people’s concessionary travel, including its appraisal of free bus travel for people under 26; what the terms of reference will be; who will carry it out, and by what date the findings will be published.

 Or is Operation Curlew, like Operation Yewtree, for example, cover for something else? Are these apparently innocent questions triggers for action by MI5? Does CURLEW stand for Conservative Unionist Reconciliation Labour England Wants? Is this all about preparing beach-heads for English landing craft in the event of Scottish UDI post-Brexit?

Take my medication?