Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
The Committee focuses on areas including:
- rural land use, including forestry, farming and crofting
- food and drink supply chain
- animal welfare and wildlife crime
- fisheries and aquaculture
- issues relevant to the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018
The Committee's name changed from Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee to Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 1 February 2023.
Next meeting of the committee
Start time:
9:00am, Wednesday 11 December 2024
Location: T4.40-CR2 The Fairfax Somerville Room
Agenda:
- Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland (in private)
- Work programme (in private)
Future meetings of the committee
The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee usually meets weekly on Wednesdays.
Previous meetings of the committee
Work of the Committee
Current work
Completed work
Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
Amendment to the Joint Fisheries Statement
Budget scrutiny 2023 to 2024
Budget scrutiny 2024 to 2025
Draft Joint Fisheries Statement
Future agriculture policy in Scotland
Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Shark Fins Bill
Petition PE1951 Reinstate inshore coastal limit on the use of dredge and trawl fishing gears
Quality Meat Scotland (Amendment) Order 2023
Rural Development (Continuation of Operation) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) (No. 2) Order 2022 (SSI 2022/35)
Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
UK Common frameworks
Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill
Future work
The Committee has agreed its work programme. Please note, this may be updated to reflect changing parliamentary business
Implementation of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022
Correspondence
Correspondence
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Pre-budget scrutiny 2025 to 2026
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, 5 December 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Letter from Dr Martin Jaffa, 28 November 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Salmon farming in Scotland: follow up information from the evidence session on Wednesday 13 November
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, 27 November 2024
Official Reports of meetings
Official Reports of meetings
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Salmon Farming in Scotland
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Joint Fisheries Statement, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Interests, Decision on Taking Business in Private, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Salmon Farming in Scotland, United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Subordinate Legislation, Salmon Farming in Scotland, Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Rural Affairs and Islands Remit
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26
Reports
Committee reports
Subordinate legislation considered by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 20 November 2024
This report details the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 [draft].
Interim report on petition PE1758: End greyhound racing in Scotland
An interim report by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee setting out its consideration of petition PE1758: End greyhound racing in Scotland.
Subordinate legislation considered by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 30 October 2024
This report details the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of The Free-Range Egg Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 [draft].
Committee Remit
To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, with the exception of matters relating to land reform, natural resources and peatland, Scottish Land Commission, Crown Estate Scotland, and Royal Botanic Garden.
Current Members
Finlay Carson
Convener
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Beatrice Wishart
Deputy Convener
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Colin Beattie
Member
Scottish National Party
Ariane Burgess
Member
Scottish Green Party
Tim Eagle
Member
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Rhoda Grant
Member
Scottish Labour
Emma Harper
Member
Scottish National Party
Emma Roddick
Member
Scottish National Party
Elena Whitham
Member
Scottish National Party
Full details of committee membership, including substitute and previous members