Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
The Committee focuses on areas including:
- rural land use, including farming and crofting
- food and drink supply chain
- animal welfare and wildlife crime
- fisheries and aquaculture
- issues relevant to the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 (external website)
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
9th Meeting, 2023
Agenda: Future agriculture policy, Future agriculture policy
10:00am, 22 March 2023
T4.40-CR2 The Fairfax Somerville Room
Get in touch
If you want to get in touch, you can contact Emma Johnston, the Clerk for the committee.
Address: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @SP_RuralAffairs
If you're appearing as a witness at a committee, take a look at our witness guide for more information.
Members
Members of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Current Members
Finlay Carson
Convener
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Galloway and West Dumfries (Constituency)
Beatrice Wishart
Deputy Convener
Party: Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for: Shetland Islands (Constituency)
Karen Adam
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Banffshire and Buchan Coast (Constituency)
Alasdair Allan
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Constituency)
Ariane Burgess
Member
Party: Scottish Green Party
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Jim Fairlie
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Perthshire South and Kinross-shire (Constituency)
Rachael Hamilton
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Constituency)
Jenni Minto
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Argyll and Bute (Constituency)
Mercedes Villalba
Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: North East Scotland (Region)
Substitute Members
Emma Harper
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Liam McArthur
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for: Orkney Islands (Constituency)
Edward Mountain
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Colin Smyth
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Committee work
Current
Previous
Budget scrutiny 2023-24
Draft Joint Fisheries Statement
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 Genetic Technologies 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
Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) (No. 2) Order 2022 (SSI 2022/35)
Future
The Committee has agreed its work programme for Jan to June 2023 – please note, this may be updated to reflect changing parliamentary business
- Wildlife Management (Grouse) (Scotland) Bill
- Salmon farming in Scotland, including follow up on the Session 5 Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee’s recommendations on salmon farming and Professor Griggs’s review of the current regulatory framework for Scottish aquaculture
- Good Food Nation plans and implementation of the Good Food Nation legislation, including the creation of the Scottish Food Commission
- Island Plan annual reports and associated funding commitments
Future agriculture policy
Inshore fisheries
Petition PE1490: Control of wild goose numbers
Petition PE1758: End greyhound racing In Scotland
Correspondence
Committee correspondence
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Future agriculture policy in Scotland
Supplementary submission from Unite the Union, 10 March 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
UK subordinate legislation - The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2023
Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 9 March 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Future agriculture policy in Scotland
Supplementary submission from RSPB, 9 March 2023
Official Reports
Official Reports
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Subordinate Legislation, Future Agriculture Policy
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Future Agriculture Policy
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Future Agriculture Policy, United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Future Agriculture Policy
Meeting date: Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Shark Fins Bill, Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Budget 2023-24
Meeting date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Subordinate Legislation, Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Meeting date: Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Reports
Committee reports
Subordinate legislation considered by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 15 March 2023
This report details the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the Alcoholic Beverages, Fruit and Vegetables (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023.
Legislative consent memorandum: Shark Fins Bill
This report details the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the legislative consent memorandum on the Shark Fins Bill.
Legislative consent memorandum: The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill
This report details the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee's consideration of the legislative consent memorandum on the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill.
Remit
To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands; and on matters relating to rural land use, wildlife crime and animal welfare falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport.