Seòmar agus comataidhean

The schedules set out quite clearly the functions and descriptions that we intend to be considered. I have also written to the committee to address some of the committee’s questions and provide some more information, and I hope that that letter answered some of those questions.

Yes, you are absolutely right. That important points about the population food framework and the work that is being done in that regard were raised when I was giving evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. The good food nation team and teams in health policy have been working closely together to ensure that there is cross-portfolio working in those areas.

Again, that is because there is already reference to the good food nation plan and how we give consideration to that in the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. It is just that the reference has not been duplicated.

I do not think that more time would necessarily have assisted in that. We have also faced criticism in relation to the time taken to develop the plan, but, since the consultation that we undertook on the specified functions last year, our understanding of how it would work in practice has been evolving.

Ultimately, this is about how we put the good food nation plan and its outcomes into practical effect across different policy areas, and it is about how we work within Government to ensure that it has the necessary impact.

When we look through all the comments that have come from different stakeholders, we see that some stakeholders wanted a broader duty to apply. We tried to get the balance right between it not being too broad and becoming a tick-box exercise, and identifying areas that people felt might otherwise be excluded. We have tried to strike the right balance.

As I outlined in my response to Alasdair Allan, the instrument provides a strong starting point for us, because we can only build on it from here.

A number of different things can be done in that regard. First, we will be open to any further suggestions for additions that people feel might be required in the future. Given that this is a novel approach, we need to embed it and see how it is working. The good food nation team will undertake monitoring, and the mechanisms that are established for that will be important.

There will be review points for the 2022 act, when issues can be picked up through evidence taking or scrutiny of the plan, or through committee recommendations. If any suggestions emerge from the committee, stakeholders or the Scottish Food Commission at any point, we will be open to considering them.

In our engagement, a good piece of work has been done explaining to stakeholders a bit more about how we work in Government and how the specified functions and the have-regard duty are intended to work in practice.

We are open to that consideration and scrutiny in the future, and to any recommendations that might be made.

As I say, we have covered the most critical areas in the good food nation plan as it stands, and we have captured the critical functions as well as the wider description. I am more than happy to keep the committee engaged on how the monitoring is progressing in addition to at the specific review points that are set out in the legislation.

There is already that engagement—

I absolutely appreciate that. Those discussions have been held with my team, and I do not know whether any of them would like to add anything. I think that that has been covered.

Yes. The Scottish Food Commission has a specific role, which is set out in the legislation but it has no specific role in relation to the have-regard duty. As I outlined earlier, if the commission wants to do any work on that or if it has any suggestions about areas that we should consider in the future, we would be open to any of those recommendations, but its specific duties and functions do not relate specifically to that area.

Again, it is not possible for me to set out a timeframe, because it will depend very much on how the situation evolves. As I outlined, we hope that the regulations will future proof things to a certain extent, given that the descriptions cover a broader area that will include the development of future policy. Although the SSI has not yet been approved, there has been on-going engagement and dialogue with the good food nation team and other policy areas across the Government in relation to the development of some key areas, in order to ensure that the plan and its outcomes are given that consideration.

I do not believe so. We consulted on the measures a long time ago, and so much work has gone on in both developing the plan and considering the matters that we have been discussing. It is important that we brought forward the draft regulations when we did. I can only repeat what I said about the approach that we have taken and about striking the balance.