Chamber and committees

I would also like to explore why there is no legal requirement in the bill to align the targets with the overarching 2030 or 2045 goals, given that the policy memorandum sets out the intention that the targets align with those timeframes. Why is that not in the bill?

I will come back on that briefly. I could also speak about this topic all day, given my background as a Scottish Women’s Aid worker.

Do you feel that we are at a point at which we are speaking a lot about the issue but have not quite realised the embedding and mainstreaming of full equalities, including taking a gendered look at the different policy decisions that we make? Will the absence of a human rights bill make that more tricky to achieve? Do you feel that it is the panacea that will help us to get over that hurdle and implement those things on the ground?

I will be brief. We have already touched on human rights budgeting. Does the commission think that there is enough resourcing out there to allow effective human rights budgeting to be done? I am thinking specifically about resourcing for local authorities and about the ways that they directly resource some of our many other delivery agencies. How can we ensure that we achieve human rights budgeting within resource allocations?

My apologies, convener—the technical issues that I experienced at the beginning of the meeting meant that I missed the first few discussion points.

I wish to explore the structural barriers to justice a little bit further and, specifically, how those relate to the quest for human rights budgeting. We could also think about that issue in terms of the mainstreaming of equalities, perhaps with a gendered lens on it—that is, we need to think about gender budgeting as well. I am really aware of the issue of access to justice for those seeking remedy for domestic abuse, specifically in remote and Highlands and Islands areas. Would either Angela O’Hagan or Luis Yanes comment on that, please?

That illustrates well the issue that I have come across over many years. When we talk about the size of the pie, we forget about how the pie is divvied up and how organisations are responsible for divvying it up in a way that reflects the needs of the people they are seeking to serve. It is helpful that we have that on record in the committee this morning. Thank you.

One of my colleagues will ask questions about the co-design.

Before we get to that, however, do you believe that our producers, at this point in time, are able to decide what they will do with regard to regenerative practices? As you set out in your letter to us, a code of practice will not be law and will not be a legal requirement, but what payments producers are able to receive will be contingent on them adopting such practices.

Producers will be deciding how to invest and what to do between now and the code of practice coming out. Do they have enough information at the minute to be making the best decisions for the future of their farm or croft?

Finally, do you believe that that will help to ensure that there is a just transition and that we take the sector with us? Will it ensure that the sector will not come to a cliff edge in relation to accessing future payments?

I have a wee follow-on question. My concern is that, on the ground, farmers and crofters might not understand what concessions are available to them. It is about understanding the nature of the very small industry that they preside over. Is there another way for the changes to be communicated effectively? None of us would want any farmer or crofter to decide to give up and not go any further at this early stage, because, as Rhoda Grant narrated, they form an integral part of how our landscapes and our biodiversities work in many parts of Scotland.

Good morning. We cannot overemphasise how critically important a code of practice will be, especially during this transition period. Any big legislative change that we make always requires robust and comprehensive guidance to ensure that the aims are being met. In this instance, if we also think about the likelihood of wider support being contingent on the aims of sustainable and regenerative agriculture being met, it becomes critical that there is speedy delivery of the code of practice. Will the minister let us know when it is likely that the code will be published, especially given that support is contingent on our producers adhering to what is in it?

Crofts and small farms might be small, but there is no doubt in the mind of anybody on the committee or in Scotland that they form an integral part of the fabric of our country. It is important that they understand what concessions are being made for them, so communication of that information is important. If there is not already an understanding through looking at information on a township basis or on paper maps, how is the Government effectively communicating that?

It is one thing to say that they need to be aware of what is coming down the line, but the Government should be proactive in communicating what concessions have been developed for them and understanding that people do not want to pay out all the money that they get in payments in order to be able to access payments. How is that effectively communicated to them?