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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 2 July 2025
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Displaying 2999 contributions

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Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Okay. If there is a way to introduce some agility into the bill now to sort an issue in future, that would be worth having a conversation about.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Okay. You are saying that the issue that the Government said existed in relation to offshore wind ambitions not being achievable in the current system has, by and large, been resolved by the Energy Act 2023 and the LCM for the UK bill.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

That is fine. Thank you.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Does that include ecosystem health and integrity?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Could a trigger mechanism be put into the bill on that topic in particular, so that it is not left hanging for lack of evidence, and there is a clear pathway? We all know that ecosystem health and recovery is hugely important. It would be nice to put a target on it. If we do not have the data yet, when could that be?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Is there any point in signing up to the global biodiversity goals for 2030 and 2045 if those are not reflected in legislation? The Government seems to be saying that the 2030 goal is lost and that we will do what we can through biodiversity action plans and strategies but we have no chance of meeting that target. It also seems to be saying that we might meet the 2045 target but we should not put it in legislation, because that would bind the Government to action that is beyond what we can actually achieve.

I am trying to understand the thinking behind that. Does it make sense to have such a target if we cannot meet it? If we have such a target, why not put it in legislation?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

How will the Government maintain public confidence in venison if the venison dealer licence scheme is removed? We have heard some mixed views: there is some strong support for removing that scheme to bring more flexibility to the market and to who can sell venison. At the same time, some dealers and companies might be looking back at the 2015 E coli outbreak, with a residual fear around public confidence. I do not know how you are intending to address those matters of food safety and wider public confidence in venison as a healthy product.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

Section 13 adds “nature restoration” as a ground for intervention in deer management. However, control schemes under the section 8 powers in the 1996 act have not been used until relatively recently. Do you envisage the position changing under the bill, with more use of section 8 powers?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

I understand that there is a crossover between the strategy, the delivery plans and the bill, but if there is something in the law that prevents action from being taken in a delivery plan, this would be an opportunity to fix it.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee [Draft]

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 4 June 2025

Mark Ruskell

We have largely covered the difference between the EIA and the environmental outcome report regimes. The EOR regime is not up and running yet, but if there was a need for alignment there, would the Government consider issuing guidance before using the powers under part 2?