Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: Analysis of consultation responses

Analysis of responses to the Scottish Government consultation on 'Managing deer for climate and nature'.


Annex 4: Question response rates

Please note that the response rates reported for closed questions in Chapter 2 (paragraph 2.10) exclude three closed questions: Question 3, Question 5 and Question 25. These three closed questions had lower response rates than all the other closed questions for the following reasons: Question 5 was not included in the online consultation questionnaire and only a very small number of respondents who submitted offline responses answered this question. Questions 3 and 25 were follow-on questions from Questions 2 and 24 respectively. They specifically addressed respondents who had answered ‘no’ to these previous questions, and thus they were answered by a subset of all respondents.

Respondent type Organisations Individuals Total
Question n % n % n %
Q1 (closed): Do you agree that NatureScot should be able to intervene, through DMNROs, to ensure that action is taken to manage deer, where deer management has been identified as a key part of nature restoration? 96 90% 1,486 99% 1,582 99%
Q2 (closed): Do you agree with our proposed criteria for a DMNRO? 97 91% 1,485 99% 1,582 99%
Q3 (closed): If you answered no to the previous question, what criteria, if any, would you recommend? 53 50% 642 43% 695 43%
Q3 (open): Please provide reasons for your answer here. 52 49% 384 26% 436 27%
Q4 (closed): Do you agree that NatureScot should be able to require a person who is subject of a DMNRO to undertake a range of actions to achieve deer management objectives in these circumstances? 95 89% 1,485 99% 1,580 98%
* Q5 (closed): Do you agree that if financial incentives for deer management are created, individuals subject to DMNROs should be automatically eligible for such support? 16 15% 3 0% 19 1%
Q6 (closed): Do you agree that non-compliance with DMNROs should be treated in the same way as non-compliance with existing control schemes? 95 89% 1,484 99% 1,579 98%
Q7 (closed): Do you agree that NatureScot should be able to recover costs from the landowner where they are required to intervene as a result of non-compliance with DMNROs? 96 90% 1,484 99% 1,580 98%

* Question 5 was not included in the online consultation questionnaire.

Respondent type Organisations Individuals Total
Question n % n % n %

* Q7 (open): If you do not support cost recovery, what alternative non-compliance measures, if any, would you recommend?

Q8 (open): Please provide any further comments on the questions in this section here?

68 64% 446 30% 514 32%
Q9 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that would allow changes to the types of information which can be requested by NatureScot (under Section 40 of the 1996 Act), to be made via secondary legislation? 95 89% 1,470 98% 1,565 98%
Q10 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that the period of time over which NatureScot can ask for information on planned future culls should be increased from 12 months up to a period of 5 years? 92 86% 1,472 98% 1,564 97%
Q11 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that NatureScot should be able to use emergency powers under Section 10 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, which include the ability to enter land to undertake short term deer management actions for a period of up to 28 days, to tackle damage to the natural heritage? 94 88% 1,478 99% 1,572 98%
Q12 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that where NatureScot have intervened and carried out deer management actions as a result of these emergency powers, they should be able to recover reasonable costs? 94 88% 1,478 99% 1,572 98%
Q13 (open): Please provide any further comments on the proposals set out in this section here. 70 65% 410 27% 480 30%
Q14 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that everyone shooting deer in Scotland should meet fit and competent standards as evidenced by having achieved at least Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1? 94 88% 1,479 99% 1,573 98%

* The open part of Question 7 and Question 8 were combined as a single open question in the online consultation questionnaire.

Respondent type Organisations Individuals Total
Question n % n % n %
Q15 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals to establish specified competence levels for those deer management activities which currently are only permissible under authorisation by NatureScot, such as night shooting, driving deer and out of season shooting? 92 86% 1,479 99% 1,571 98%
Q16 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that the requirement for an individual authorisation from NatureScot to carry out activities such as night shooting, driving deer and out of season shooting could be replaced by registration on the Fit & Competent Register where deer 90 84% 1,439 96% 1,529 95%
Q17 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that use of a shotgun to kill deer should be subject to stricter regulation? 90 84% 1,427 95% 1,517 95%
Q18 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that any capture of live deer should be individually authorised by NatureScot? 91 85% 1,474 98% 1,565 98%
Q19 (closed): Do you agree that NatureScot should develop a statutory Code of Practice, which could provide guidance and minimum standards on topics such as animal welfare and disease prevention, on the live capture of deer in Scotland in collaboration with stakeholders for use in future? 92 86% 1,474 98% 1,566 98%
Q20 (open): Please provide any further comments on the proposals set out in this section here 59 55% 387 26% 446 28%
Q21 (closed): Do you agree that the close season for female deer of all species should be the same? 91 85% 1,473 98% 1,564 97%
Q22 (closed): Do you agree that the close season for female deer of all species should be changed to cover the period of highest welfare risk, from 31 March to 30 September? 90 84% 1,473 98% 1,563 97%
Respondent type Organisations Individuals Total
Question n % n % n %

* Q22 (open): If you do not agree with our proposals to change the season for female deer, what, if any, further actions would you recommend to support increased management of female deer?

Q23 (open): Please provide any further comments on the questions in this section here.

64 60% 378 25% 442 28%
Q24 (closed): Do you agree that venison specific regulations should be repealed and venison should simply follow the same regulatory procedure as other wild meat and game products without the additional requirement of a Venison Dealers Licence? 94 88% 1,470 98% 1,564 97%
Q25 (closed): If no, do you agree that NatureScot should be able to gather more information from venison dealers on deer carcases and their use? 51 48% 769 51% 820 51%
Q26 (open): Please provide any further comments on the questions in this section here. 62 58% 285 19% 347 22%
Q27 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that the owner or occupier of land should be allowed to shoot stray farmed deer on that land in order to prevent damage by the deer, providing there is, by their assessment, no other reasonable or practical way to contain the deer? 95 89% 1,464 98% 1,559 97%
Q28 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that anyone wishing to keep deer as private property (i.e. not for the purpose of farming or as an exhibit in a zoo) should require a licence to protect the welfare of those deer? 96 90% 1,471 98% 1,567 98%
Q28 (open): If you do not support the introduction of licensing for kept deer, what further action, if any, would you recommend to protect their welfare? 25 23% 164 11% 189 12%

* The open part of Question 22 and Question 23 were combined as a single open question in the online consultation questionnaire.

Respondent type Organisations Individuals Total
Question n % n % n %
Q29 (closed): Do you agree with our proposals that anyone seeking to release captive red or roe deer into the wild in Scotland should require authorisation from NatureScot, for example, deer which may have been caught and monitored for research purposes? 93 87% 1,471 98% 1,564 97%

* Q29 (open): If you do not agree with our proposals that anyone releasing red or roe deer should require authorisation, what, if any, further actions would you recommend to ensure they do not cause damage to habitats, or pose a risk to wild deer populations?

Q30 (open): Please provide any further comments on the proposals set out in this section here.

39 36% 124 8% 163 10%

* The open part of Question 29 and Question 30 were combined as a single open question in the online consultation questionnaire.

Contact

Email: robyn.chapman@gov.scot

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