Chamber and committees

The sustainable procurement duty, which was introduced in 2016, outlines clearly that public bodies have to think about how they are improving social, environmental and economic wellbeing in general, in all the areas that they can focus on as part of that, so that all those different important measures are given due consideration.

We certainly hope that, through the different requirements for local development plans and what they have to consider, that will all feed into local authorities and the work that they will be looking to do for their good food nation plans. They could certainly consider that as part of it.

Yes. As I said in response to some of the earlier questions, we recognise where there are data gaps. The next version of the plan will certainly have a lot more information in that regard, because we will have been able to get the baseline information from the indicators that we have against the outcomes that are set out in the plan at the moment. We will also use the time between now and then to fill some of the gaps with the information that we do not have at the moment and to look to collect the relevant information. The work of the Scottish Food Commission will be really important in helping us with recommendations for areas where we need that research to be undertaken.

It is also important to highlight the review periods. Although the plan will be revised only on a five-yearly basis, it will be reviewed every two years. If our policies are not delivering against the outcomes, the Scottish Food Commission has to outline the changes that we need to make to the policies to ensure that we deliver on what we have set out.

I would hope that we will be able to make that clear and help to establish those relationships through the conversations that we are having. That has been key to the work that the Scottish Food Commission has been doing since the commissioners have come into post. We still have to recruit a chief executive for the commission, along with a wider team to support that work, but the establishment of those relationships has been a key focus for the commission. Tracy McCollin might have more to say on that.

I will hand over in a moment to Tracy McCollin, who can explain a bit more, because she has been leading on our engagement with other authorities. The thing is that some people are quite far advanced in looking at food and the different strategies that they have in place. The balance that we have tried to strike in what is contained in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 is to ensure that, although we have guideline principles for what we think local authorities and health boards should include in their plans, it is important that they have flexibility and that each area across Scotland can develop the outcomes and indicators that are most relevant to it. We have published guidance in relation to that, and there has been engagement with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and with health boards to discuss it.

Of course, the initial focus has been on producing our own national good food nation plan, which has involved a lot of work to get us to this point. We have had to look to a lot of the feedback in response to our consultation towards the start of last year. It is stated in the act that local authorities and health boards will have to have regard to the national good food nation plan, and we hope that the further guidance will help. I hand over to Tracy, who, as I said, has been engaging.

You are absolutely right that some local authorities are quite far advanced—in particular, Fife has the Food4Fife strategy, and other local authorities are quite far advanced in the work that they are taking forward—whereas others are at the earlier stages of that work, as I have outlined. Section 10 has not yet been commenced, as Tracy McCollin has just outlined. We are very much in discussions with local authorities about collecting all that information, but we are not yet collecting it all. We would not expect all local authorities to have delivered their plans, because that section has not been commenced, and we are still involved in those discussions. However, as Tracy McCollin outlined, we are having those conversations because we want to make sure that local authorities feel ready and that they have the information that they need to progress that work.

Some local authorities started on the journey of looking at their food strategies in advance of the good food nation work. Some of them have just been more proactive in that space than others. We will have specific legislative requirements in the development of those plans. I have mentioned the strategy in Fife, Glasgow has done some work, and South Lanarkshire has also developed a strategy. The good food nation plans will have a specific set of requirements, including legislative requirements, that we will expect local authorities to adhere to—even within their own strategies.

We discussed this issue, including what those timescales should be and what the requirements should look like, in the scrutiny of the act. The Parliament then agreed to have that 12-month timescale from the point that section 10 is commenced. That is why we have not gone right in and triggered that part of the act. As we have seen in developing our plan, engagement with local authorities gives us a better understanding. We do not intend there to be any surprises. We will not suddenly launch into this, giving all local authorities that 12-month timescale. We want to make sure that we get it right by ensuring that local authorities have the right guidance in place and that they feel able to commence that work. That is why on-going engagement with local authorities is really important.

Some local authorities may need resources, such as specific people, in advance to develop their plans. I do not know whether Tracy McCollin would like to point out anything specific.

You are right that, when section 10 commences, local authorities will have 12 months to develop their good food nation plans. That is why we do not want to rush the commencement of section 10. We want to ensure that, by the time we reach the trigger point for the 12-month period, people feel that they have the resources that they need and feel able to complete their plans within the timeframe.

That is part of the discussions that we are having with local authorities right now. There may be a requirement for resources in advance of the commencement of section 10 if, for example, recruitment is involved.

That is an important point. In the legislation, we tried to strike a balance by setting out the principles that we would expect and like local authorities and health boards to follow in their plans while ensuring that there is flexibility so that people can determine outcomes locally. The outcomes in Glasgow could be very different from those in my local authority of Angus, so I think that it is only right that we have flexibility. I would like to think that we struck the right balance. I do not remember too much concern being expressed about that when the act was initially scrutinised, in 2022. We want to have flexibility and ensure that local authorities feel that they can work towards the outcomes that will be the most meaningful for them, but scrutiny and monitoring will be really important.

As I have said, we have set out the principles and have said that local authorities must have regard to the national good food nation plan. There have been different workshops and there will be continued engagement with health boards and local authorities so that, overall, the guidance will be helpful in the development of their plans.

The Scottish Food Commission will have an important role in scrutinising and providing information, research and advice. It will look at whether the plans are delivering against the outcomes that have been set out nationally and by relevant authorities. The commission will have a critical role, which it is important to highlight.