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
10th Meeting, 2024
Agenda: Subordinate legislation, Work programme
09:00am, 24 April 2024
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
Phone: 0131 348 5985 Find out about call charges.
Email: [email protected]
X (previously known as 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)
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)
Kate Forbes
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (Constituency)
Rhoda Grant
Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Rachael Hamilton
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Constituency)
Emma Harper
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Elena Whitham
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Constituency)
Substitute Members
Karen Adam
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Banffshire and Buchan Coast (Constituency)
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Liam McArthur
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for: Orkney Islands (Constituency)
Mark Ruskell
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Green Party
MSP for: Mid Scotland and Fife (Region)
Mercedes Villalba
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: North East Scotland (Region)
Committee work
Current
Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
Budget scrutiny 2024-25
Committee Advisers
Inshore fisheries
National islands plan
Petition PE1490 Control of wild goose numbers
Petition PE1758 End greyhound racing In Scotland
Salmon farming in Scotland
Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill
Previous
Budget scrutiny 2023-24
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
Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) (No. 2) Order 2022 (SSI 2022/35)
UK Common Frameworks
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill
Future
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
Committee correspondence
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 18 April 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, 16 April 2024
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, 12 April 2024
Official Reports
Official Reports
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
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill, Avian Flu in Scotland, United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill, United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation, Petition
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Petition, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Common Frameworks, United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation
Reports
Committee reports
Subordinate legislation considered by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 20 March 2024
This report details the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the draft Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024.
Stage 1 report on the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
This report sets out the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1.
Stage 1 report on the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill
This report sets out the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee's consideration of the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1.
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.