- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop further farm policy, in light of the findings in the report, Farming for 1.5C: From here to 2045, pointing to an urgent need for forward planning.
Answer
We have established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach. The Board will consider the Farming 1.5 Report together with the recommendations of the Farmer-led Groups, WWF Scotland, Just Transition, NFUS, the Climate Change Plan update and Scotland's Climate Assembly's Recommendations for Action Report when devising practical measures for delivery. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.
The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn.
We are committed to working with industry and partners to best enable the agriculture sector to contribute to our world-leading emissions targets, support biodiversity and ensure a Just Transition for all involved. We therefore have launched a consultation which will ensure everyone can play their part in shaping the future of farming, food production and land use in Scotland.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role of the agricultural sector in helping reduce carbon emissions, and what discussions it has had with farmers and farming organisations on this issue.
Answer
Sustainable agriculture in Scotland has a vital role in producing high quality food for the nation, helping to reduce carbon emissions, delivering wider environmental benefits and improved biodiversity, and ensuring we use appropriate land to allow us to meet our climate change targets.
We are taking a partnership approach to addressing climate change within agriculture. We are building on the work of the farmer-led groups, through the establishment of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which is co-chaired by the President of the NFUS and has a number of farmers on the Board, and we are seeking wider stakeholder views through our consultation on ‘Agricultural Transition in Scotland: first steps towards our national policy’ which is open until 17 November 2021. We also have other existing networks through which we engage with farmers and land managers, including the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group, the Farm Advisory Service, Farming for a Better Climate initiative, the Crofting Commission, the Integrating Trees Network and new initiatives being established for new entrants to farming.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release on 6 August 2021 regarding the review's commencement, what (a) the first phase and (b) any subsequent phases of the external review of the regulatory process involved in fish farming will entail.
Answer
An overview of the expected phases of the external review of the current regulatory processes involved in fish farming can be found on the Scottish Government website at: Aquaculture: external review of the current regulatory processes involved in fish farming - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the terms of reference of the external review of the regulatory process involved in fish farming, to be conducted by Professor Russel Griggs.
Answer
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how the external review of the regulatory process involved in fish farming, to be conducted by Professor Russel Griggs, fits in with the (a) 2018 report by the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Salmon Farming in Scotland, and (b) work of the technical working group of statutory bodies and regulators that has been examining the regulation of salmon farming in relation to any negative interactions with wild salmon and sea trout in Scottish waters.
Answer
We asked the Salmon Interactions Working Group to consider the conclusions of the 2018 report by the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Salmon Farming in Scotland , and to provide recommendations on a future interactions approach.
As committed to in the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party shared policy programme, we will respond to the Salmon Interactions Working Group Report this month and there will be a consultation on the spatially adaptive sea lice risk assessment framework for fish farms which has been progressed by the technical working group of statutory bodies.
The regulatory review will help to inform what more can be done within the current regime to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory framework and consider options on how to deliver further reform in the longer term.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the 15 recommendations in the report, Farming for 1.5C: From here to 2045; whether it plans to implement any of them, and, if so, within what timeframe.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the Farming for 1.5 report and will consider the recommendations carefully along with the other reports recently received, including the five farming sector farmer-led groups.
We have established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform, incorporating the relevant recommendations of the farmer-led groups to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach.
The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its current forestry targets, in light of the specific recommendations in the report, Farming for 1.5C: From here to 2045.
Answer
In December 2020, the Scottish Government published an Update to the Climate Change Plan 2018-2032, which sets out the Scottish Government's pathway to our new and ambitious targets set by the Climate Change Act 2019 . In the development of this update, the Scottish Government reviewed its woodland creation targets and, as a result, increased them, committing to a new target of 18,000 hectares per annum by 2024-25.
The Scottish Government is grateful to the Farming for 1.5C Inquiry for contributing to the discussion about how we collectively reach our climate change targets. We will consider the recommendations of the report as policies and implementation mechanisms in this area are developed.
These will build on the range of policies and initiatives that the Scottish Government has in place to support this ambition and to help farmers, crofters and land managers to become more aware of the multiple benefits that woodland creation can have for their businesses. For example, working with partners, the Scottish Government currently supports advisory visits to farms to identify opportunities for farm and croft woodlands and agroforestry.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement recommendation 11 in the report, Farming for 1.5C: From here to 2045, which states that "There should be a public interest test applied if more than 50% of a holding is planned to be afforested".
Answer
Scotland already has robust assessment processes in place to support decisions regarding woodland creation proposals on agricultural land. This approach is based on the findings of The Woodland Expansion Advisory Group (WEAG). This group was established to provide advice to ministers on which types of land are best for tree planting in Scotland and its membership included the National Farmers Union and the National Sheep Association. Key to the WEAG recommendations and the current decision-making process are the principles that the focus of woodland expansion should be away from prime agricultural land, and that while grazing land has significant potential for the creation of high quality and high value woodlands, woodland creation should avoid adverse impacts on local patterns of agriculture.
Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) (Forestry) 2017 regulations, all woodland creation cases above the threshold size of 20 hectares, are required to be screened. Screening assesses the likelihood of a significant impact on the environment (including any potential impacts on land-use) and whether a full environmental assessment is required. For sensitive areas, no threshold size applies. Where a full assessment is required, before Scottish Forestry reaches a decision on whether or not to grant consent, the applicant must prepare an environmental report, which is subject to public consultation.
As such, the Scottish Government currently has no plans to implement recommendation 11 of the Farming for 1.5C report, that “There should be a public interest test applied if more than 50% of a holding is planned to be afforested”.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports schools in delivering high-quality education for children with additional support needs.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2021
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2018 report by the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Salmon Farming in Scotland, which states "that if the industry is to grow, the 'status quo' in terms of regulation and enforcement is not acceptable" and that "urgent and meaningful action needs to be taken to address regulatory deficiencies as well as fish health and environmental issues before the industry can expand", and the potential delay in addressing such concerns due to the commencement of the external review of the regulatory process involved in fish farming, to be conducted by Professor Russel Griggs, whether it will give immediate consideration to halting any further expansion of salmon farming until a satisfactory new regulatory regime is in place.
Answer
We do not support the halting of further expansion of salmon farming. The 2018 report by the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Salmon Farming in Scotland , noted calls for a moratorium on new salmon farm developments and expansion of existing sides, but considered that there was insufficient evidence to support this. The Scottish Government agreed with the Committee’s recommendations that the status quo was not an option.
Since then, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s new finfish regulatory framework has launched and, through the Farmed Fish Health Framework, we have delivered a strengthened farmed fish sea lice compliance regime, including sea lice reporting legislation which came into force in May.
We are also committed to taking forward an immediate programme of work to better protect wildlife and the environment, including a response to the Salmon Interactions Working Group in September 2021; consultation on a spatially adaptive sea lice risk assessment framework for fish farms by the end of the year; and strengthened controls on sea lice, wrasse and fish escapes in the course of 2021-22. There are no grounds to support a moratorium.
