That will be delivered as we develop it.

Because we know that it works. We can see that the enhancements are having an effect. I spend a lot of my time going around farms that are already employing those enhancements at the current levels, and there is massive biodiversity gain. We want everybody to get on board with that and start pushing towards it.

As I said, the pushback is indicative of the fact that, although everybody is agreeing, they are saying, “Just not me and just not now.” We are having to make some tough decisions. This is not a massive change; it is a moderate change. We are asking farmers to get behind it and look at the options.

I hear the point that you made about farm viability. That is why we have included other options and are talking about undersowing and adding legumes to the grass mixture. We are giving people alternatives and options so that they can get behind the change.

Given that we are putting £142 million of public money into the greening system, I do not think that it is unreasonable that we are asking people to do a little bit more. That is a huge amount of public money. In Orkney, for example, only 11 farmers are currently using that system, but the new change will increase that number by 200. It is about fairness, too, because a lot of people are already doing it.

In addition, to give a crude example, two farmers might be sitting side by side with 500 acres of land—one has permanent grassland so does not have to provide an EFA, but the other, next door, does because they do not have a large hectarage of permanent grassland. That is simply not fair. We need everybody to carry the weight. Pushing the figure to 7 per cent after 2026 is not unreasonable, given the amount of money that is being provided.

It is very much a compromise. We are being pushed to go a lot further, but it is a compromise, following these conversations. I have read the NFUS letter and understand its concerns, but I disagree. As long as this committee is in agreement, we are pushing ahead with the 7 per cent in order to reach the targets that we are trying to achieve. We have to aim for regenerative agriculture.

I go back to the point that I made at the start: people say, “Yes, we want to do this—but not now and not by that amount, and let’s not do this.” It is a bit frustrating that we have had that pushback from NFUS, but we are committed to moving forward with our plans. We have asked people and have told them that we will listen to them and hear their concerns. However, we are moving forward with the vision for agriculture that we have all signed up to, and this is part of that journey.

The concerns are indicative of the fact that we will have difficulties in getting people to where we want everyone to be. The 7 per cent figure is a compromise.

It could be.

It is entirely up to the committee to decide whether it wants to vote against the regulations. That is your decision, and you will have to answer for it yourself.

We are already starting to develop the tier 2 scheme, and this is part of that scheme.

John, do you have any indication as to why that would be the case?

That is duly noted. As far as I can tell, the announcement that we would bring in the derogation gave the community comfort that we had taken on board their concerns, but I take on board the point that you have made.

I first give apologies for Alan Elder, who is unable to make this morning’s meeting due to a family incident.

I thank the committee for taking the time to consider the draft regulations. It is proposed that the regulations be made using the modified powers conferred by the Agriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020, which enable us to improve the operation of the assimilated European Union law underpinning our common agricultural policy schemes, and powers under the direct payments EU regulation 1307/2013, which permit amendments to the requirements for ecological focus areas.

They will improve the provisions for ecological focus areas by requiring more businesses to undertake EFA activities as a condition of their greening payment, increasing the area of land managed for EFA and widening the options and choices available for those undertaking those activities.

We have committed to providing a replacement legacy Scottish rural development programme scheme, as is set out in the vision for agriculture and the agricultural reform route map and in the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. Greening support is required to be modified in order to align with the route map phased transition from legacy common agricultural policy schemes into the proposed new support framework. Without the changes made by the regulations, greening payments would be unable to support the commitment to tier 2 support that is set out in the route map.

The regulations will also improve the operation of the provisions for the Scottish suckler beef support scheme by introducing a derogation from the calving interval requirements for smaller businesses, in response to concerns raised by smaller producers and the Scottish Crofting Federation. They will also extend the end of the application submission period, to allow submissions to be made up to 14 January following the end of the relevant calendar year, which will make it easier for applications to be submitted in time.

The regulations mark a significant point in our progress towards our aim of becoming a world leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and they deliver on our previous commitments. We got here by co-developing in detail with partners, and I fully endorse that approach. The Government, this Parliament and rural partners all support the vision for agriculture. Getting there means working together and agreeing together to longer-term planning and development.

Failure to bring the regulations into force would undermine progress and the efforts and work of many of our farmers and crofters who are already committed to making those improvements.

I am happy to take any questions.

The IT system is not in my consideration at the moment. The biggest consideration in my thinking now is how we get policies that the industry will buy into, come with us on and deliver.

We are using the legacy IT system that is in place.