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Little Loch Broom Scallops Several Fishery Order 2015 (SSI 2015/28)
Loch Ewe, Isle of Ewe, Wester Ross, Scallops Several Fishery Order 2015 (SSI 2015/30)
Common Agricultural Policy (Direct Payments etc) (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/58)
Agenda item 1 is subordinate legislation; we have to consider three instruments that are subject to negative procedure.
Members have comments on the Common Agricultural Policy (Direct Payments etc) (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
I welcome the several orders on hand-dived scallops being continued for another period. They cover areas in my constituency and are a part of sustainable fishing, which is to be encouraged. In many cases, several orders have proved to have worked well. That is in sharp contrast to the potential loss of livelihood in a large area of the Inner Sound that is not far away, and which some of the fishermen from the lochs use. The Scottish Government’s approach has been proved to promote sustainable fisheries—not the opposite.
As no one has any comment to make about the scallop issues, we move on to the common agricultural policy.
I would like to raise an issue on SSI 2015/58. Yesterday, members received an email from NFU Scotland that draws attention to what appears to be a disparity between the wording of the Government’s “Basic Payments Scheme: Greening” booklet and the wording of regulation 18(5)(a). Without wanting to go into too much detail, the advice that the Government provides in its booklet is eminently sensible and is in line with the normal farming practice of undersowing catch crops with grass seed, but it appears that the wording of regulation 18(5)(a) is much more prescriptive in that it restricts the grass seed that can be undersown to two types of grass seed, whereas the sensible advice from the Government is that those types of seed can be undersown as part of a mixture of grass seed, as is normal.
Having spoken to the clerks, I understand that we have some time to deal with the instrument, so I wonder whether the committee might agree—through the convener—to write to the minister to seek clarification on what might be done. Once we have received that advice, we can reconsider the regulations.
I support Alex Fergusson’s point. As we know, the NFUS has written to all members of the committee. It is an important issue to deal with, not least because, I understand, some farmers have already bought seed for this year.
We thank the NFUS for keeping a watch on the matter. We have time to take the action that Alex Fergusson has proposed, so I suggest that we write to the Government with a view to reconsidering the instrument at our meeting on 18 March. Are we agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
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