Chamber and committees

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Meeting Minutes

5th Meeting, 2024

Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Session: 6
Location: T4.40-CR2 The Fairfax Somerville Room
Meeting opened at: 09:05
Meeting closed at: 21:17
Published: Friday, February 23, 2024 12:16pm

Committee Members Attendees

Also Present

Edward Mountain (MSP), Colin Smyth MSP, Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP.

1 Declaration of interests:

Emma Harper and Elena Whitham were invited to declare any relevant interests. Emma Harper and Elena Whitham indicated that they had no interests to declare.

2 Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee took evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, supported by Andrew Crawley, Lawyer, John Kerr, Head of Agriculture Policy and Ewen Scott, Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill Team Leader, Scottish Government.

3 Subordinate legislation:

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024 (SSI 2024/6) to its next meeting.

4 UK subordinate legislation:

The Committee considered a proposal by the Scottish Government to consent to the UK Government legislating in a devolved area as set out in the following UK statutory instrument proposals—

Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Official Controls (Fees and Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Sea Fisheries (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

The Committee agreed that the provisions set out in the notifications should be included in the UK SIs.

5 Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee considered the Bill at Stage 2 (Day 2).

Edward Mountain declared an interest as a member of a family farming partnership.

Jamie Halcro Johnston declared he is a partner in an organic farming business, J Halcro Johnston and Sons, and a member of the NFUS and Scottish Land and Estates.

The following amendments were agreed to (without division): 59, 60, 61, 62, 81, 49, 67, 50, 83, 69, 70, 91, 92, 96, 97, 98, 51, 52, 99, 37, 104, 76 and 77.

The following amendments were agreed to (by division)—

82 (For 7, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

71 (For 7, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

101 (For 7, Against 1, Abstentions 1)

102 (For 7, Against 2, Abstentions 0)

The following amendments were disagreed to (by division)—

180 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

121 (For 1, Against 8, Abstentions 0)

16 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

57 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

80 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

17 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

122 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

123 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

125 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

126 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

127 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

128 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

129 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

63 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

130 (For 1, Against 8, Abstentions 0)

131 (For 1, Against 8, Abstentions 0)

132 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

64 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

134 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

66 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

68 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

136 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

18 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

137 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

19 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

84 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

20 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

85B (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

85C (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

173 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

140 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

21 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

75 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

181 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

88 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 2)

23 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

89 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 2)

90 (For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 2)

183 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

147 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

148 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

93 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

150 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

25 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

152 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

153 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

28 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

73 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

155 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

74 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

158 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

159 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

161 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

162 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

31 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

163 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

100 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

33 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

34 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

36 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

184 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

40 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

41 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

103 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

168 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

174 (For 3, Against 6, Abstentions 0)

43 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

182 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

170 (For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0)

105 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

172 (For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0)

The following amendments were moved and, no member having objected, withdrawn: 85, 22, 143 and 32.

The following amendments were pre-empted: 72, 167.

The following amendments were not moved: 120, 13, 14, 15, 58, 124, 2, 133, 65, 135 (and, as a consequence, 135A), 138, 139, 86, 87, 141, 142, 144, 145, 146, 3, 94, 24, 149, 95, 151, 26, 27, 154, 29, 156, 157 (and, as a consequence, 157A), 160, 30, 164, 165, 166, 35, 38, 39, 42, 175, 44, 169, 45, 171, 46 and 47.

The following provisions were agreed to without amendment: sections 5, 9, 12, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 and the long title.

The following provisions were agreed to as amended: sections 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

The Committee completed Stage 2 consideration of the Bill.

The Committee suspended at 13.28 pm and resumed at 18.06 pm.