Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Official Report 694KB pdf

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Rural Development (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/33)

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee’s sixth meeting in 2021. I ask everyone to ensure that their mobile phones are on silent. The meeting will be conducted in virtual format throughout. We have received apologies from Mike Rumbles.

We begin with declarations of interest from members in relation to various items on the agenda. With regard to items 6 and 7, I refer members to my entry in the members’ register of interests, in that I am a member of a farming partnership in Moray and I have an interest in a wild salmon fishery.

With regard to item 5, I declare my presidency of the Scottish Association for Public Transport and my vice-presidency of Railfuture UK. I also have a registered agricultural holding, from which I derive no income.

With regard to item 6, on agricultural issues, I declare an interest in a farming partnership in north-east Scotland.

With regard to item 3, on low-emission zones, I declare that I am the convener of the cross-party group on the Scottish Showmen’s Guild.

With regard to item 6, I am a partner in a farming partnership in Orkney and a member of a number of agricultural bodies.

Item 1 is the sift of a Brexit-related Scottish statutory instrument in relation to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The Scottish Government has allocated the negative parliamentary procedure to the instrument. Does the committee agree that it is content with that?

No member has indicated disagreement, so we are agreed.