Loch Ewe, Isle of Ewe, Wester Ross, Scallops Several Fishery (Variation) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/185)<br />Little Loch Broom Scallops Several Fishery Order 2002 (SSI 2002/186)
Registration of Fish Farming and Shellfish Farming Businesses Amendment (Scotland) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/193)<br />Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) (Scotland) Amendment (No 2) Regulations 2002 (SSI 2002/196)
Item 1 concerns four Scottish statutory instruments, which are subject to negative procedure. We do not have time to delay any of them because we must report on them today. I have had no notification that members wish to speak to the instruments, which are SSIs 2002/185, 2002/186, 2002/193 and 2002/196. Do members have anything that they wish to say?
My comments relate not to the SSIs directly but to the subject of scallops. I want to use this opportunity to say quickly that there is concern on the west coast about the fact that people have been waiting for three years for the Government to introduce technical conservation measures for the scallop fishery. As the committee is meeting on the west coast today, and as we are dealing with a couple of SSIs that concern scallops, can we use this opportunity to agree to draw up a brief letter to the minister to ask for a report on the state of play regarding those conservation measures? The delay is causing concern among fishermen on the west coast.
We have a lot of items to get through today. I thought that our discussion was to be based on the SSIs.
I do not disagree with what Mr Lochhead said, but I am bound to say that we must deal purely and simply with the SSIs. The question whether we should write a letter to the minister is not on the agenda, but we shall ensure that it is on the agenda for our next meeting.
Fair enough. That is fine.
I want to record my displeasure at the fact that both 2002/193 and 2002/185 have drafting errors, which the Subordinate Legislation Committee has drawn to our attention. The errors are not such that we should delay implementation of the SSIs, but we should make our views and displeasure known.
Members will have noticed from their papers that the Subordinate Legislation Committee highlighted several drafting errors. I have no difficulty with drawing the Executive's attention to those as well.