Seòmar agus comataidhean

We are committed to supporting our world-class producers thrive whilst contributing to our world-leading climate change agenda and response to the biodiversity crisis.

The concept of a Suckler Beef Climate Scheme (SBCS) was one output of the Farmer Led Group initiative, which has been followed by the recent establishment of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), and the publication of the consultation on a sustainable agriculture transition. The ARIOB will help to develop new proposals for sustainable farm support by considering the Climate Change Plan Update and the Farmer-led Groups recommendations, alongside industry reports like Farming for 1.5C. The group will place farmers and crofters at the heart of a future support framework and help Scottish agriculture become more economically and environmentally sustainable.

The ARIOB has been asked to 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, advancing the work undertaken by the Suckler Beef Group.

Portobello to Newcraighall enhancements is a package of works which is being considered as part of the ‘pipeline-based approach’ to rail development and delivery. The project considers the railway infrastructure between Portobello and Newcraighall Junctions and seeks to improve the resilience and efficiency of the corridor today and for the future.

Looking further forward, improved capacity and frequency on the North Berwick route are two of the rail based options currently being appraised as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The appraisal process for STPR2 is considering the performance of all options against the transport outcomes we are seeking, the Transport Planning Objectives, which are aligned to our National Transport Strategy priorities and outcomes. The interventions will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and impacts based on performance against these objectives and the five Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria, to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to Infrastructure Investment Plan. STPR2 will conclude later this year, with publication of recommendations for investment and an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on specific rail based options.

The 2017-18 parliamentary inquiries on Salmon Farming in Scotland; and the Salmon Interactions Working Group report of 2020 highlighted the challenges which the sector faces and the need for improved efficiency and regulatory change.

We are committed to moving beyond the status quo and ensuring that the current regulatory framework is as efficient and effective as it can be. This work is being progressed through the independent review of Scotland’s regulatory framework for aquaculture being led by Professor Russel Griggs.

We remain committed to an aquaculture industry that is sustainable, diverse, competitive and economically viable and recognise the many benefits which it brings to Scotland’s rural communities and islands. We will consider the recommendations made by Professor Russel Griggs at the end of this year and work to set out our Vision for the sector in 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The material requested includes complex and potentially sensitive information, requiring careful consideration before any release. This is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 62683).

We expect the journey to net zero to require major contributions from a range of renewable sources, which will include onshore and offshore wind turbines, but also other generation technologies such as solar, hydro and marine renewables. Our work to refresh the Energy Strategy over the coming year will consider the various pathways to net zero, and what that might mean in terms of renewable energy generation as a whole. In the meantime, we have announced an ambition to deliver up to 11GW of installed offshore wind by 2030, and will consult later this year on an ambition to see between 8-12GW of onshore wind developed in the same time frame

As part of the Scottish Government’s 100 Days commitments within the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, 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. A 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;
• the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review, a short-term advisory group which will undertake a root and branch review of learning in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors - from early years to adulthood - to provide opportunities and qualifications through school, college, university and work-based learning, including apprenticeship, for more people, and specifically more women, to work with and on the land, particularly in green skills. The Commission has a reporting deadline of December 2022 and;
• the Scottish Agritourism Sector Group, which will explore how agritourism can deliver a range of Scottish Government policies across tourism, agriculture and food and drink and create a national strategy for agritourism focused around consumer demand, quality of experience, sustainability and a clearly defined sector and customer experience. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands will be launching the growth strategy at the Scottish Agritourism Conference in November.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

We have committed to shift half of all funding for farming and crofting to conditional support by 2025, which will see farmers and crofters rewarded for their key role in delivering wider biodiversity and environmental benefits.

Scotland will continue to provide support to farmers and crofters for the work they do in producing food but with that support comes the requirement to farm in the most sustainable way possible.

The newly established Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board’s immediate priority and focus will be on how to make progress on cutting emissions from the livestock sector, including suckler beef. 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 Reportwhen 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.