Chamber and committees

No, it is not a change. It has been the case previously.

In relation to a number of the measures that you mentioned, we have set out our overall approach and rationale in the policy memorandum. However, we recognise that work needs to be on-going in a number of areas in which we have picked up particular issues. There are areas that we are hearing about in evidence, which we still want to work through with our stakeholders.

I do not know whether it would be valuable to touch on some of the work that has been undertaken so far. I will pass to Fiona Leslie, who has been working on the small landholdings proposals and agricultural tenancies in particular.

I certainly believe that the balance that we have at the moment is correct, as I set out in my response to the committee. However, I am more than happy to hear the committee’s views in relation to different instruments, and I am open to considering members’ feedback.

A lot of that work is going on at the moment. We have already set out to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee that we are working on the small landholding provisions and intend to lodge amendments in that respect. Of course, if there are going to be any impacts on this committee and its scrutiny work, we will keep members informed of that.

It is important that we learn the lessons of pieces of legislation that have come before the bill. I think that it is absolutely correct to say that land reform is a journey, and there will, no doubt, be further land reform bills after this one. We are looking at a number of areas for new policy that have been informed by previous pieces of legislation and by engagement with stakeholders, as I have already outlined.

However, with the powers that we are introducing in the bill, we want to deliver on our vision for land reform in Scotland by trying to tackle some of the issues with the scale and concentration of land ownership. The proposals that we have introduced are based on the work of the Scottish Land Commission, and it is important that we deliver on those ambitions and take that other step forward.

There are new areas of policy in the bill. The monitoring work in it that we have proposed to undertake will, if it is agreed to by the Parliament, be critical. It will help to inform any proposed regulations that stem from the bill and any future legislation.

I do not think that we can hold off on introducing new policy or new legislation. Introducing the bill is a really important step forward, and it is vital that some of the changes in it happen now. I mentioned earlier how antiquated some of the small landholding legislation is, and we really need to update some of the areas around agricultural tenancies, as well, so that we can deliver on our agriculture ambitions, as I outlined in my opening comments. We can do that only through the introduction of the measures that we have in the bill.

You have outlined quite a number of powers that do various things to various degrees.

You are absolutely right. We have to consider each one on its merits; it has not just been a case of transfer for transfer’s sake.

One area in which it is important to highlight those measures is in relation to the small landholdings legislation, which we discussed previously. Our approach mirrors some of the legislation that we have in place for agricultural holdings, which will ensure that people in different tenancies are treated in the same way. That reflects why it is important to mirror some of the approaches already in legislation.

I do not know whether officials could touch on other specific examples that would help to illustrate the point.

I understand that I will be coming to the committee in a few weeks to discuss aquaculture and our progress in relation to that. There are a number of pressures in our seas, which impact not just on aquaculture but on fish stocks more generally.

We have also been working on development. We have introduced interim measures in relation to some of our inshore fishery stocks, and we are looking at wider measures more generally. Some of the work that we are taking forward is outlined in the programme for government.

I emphasise that the work on climate change and biodiversity is not happening in isolation from other policy areas. It is very much embedded in the changes and the transformation that we are implementing, and it very much features in all policy areas across the portfolio.

Again, there is no getting around the fact that the marine directorate and all other directorates across the Government are under pressure, and the focus is on delivering on the Government’s priorities. With regard to our inshore fisheries, in particular, a number of pieces of work are under way in that respect, and we aim to progress them as much as we possibly can. We have been spending about £9 million a year on fisheries science as a whole, and that figure has been relatively consistent over the past few years.

It is also important to remember that we continue to fund some schemes in Scotland that simply do not exist elsewhere in the UK now or in Europe and that directly help our farmers and crofters. The less favoured area support scheme is an example of that. We have made a commitment to continue that funding, in recognition of how important it is for our farmers and crofters.

That is something that we continue to fund that is not being funded elsewhere. Funding has moved to a completely different model elsewhere in Europe, too. We have to ensure that we are utilising our funding and doing what is best for farmers and crofters in Scotland, and that is exactly the programme that we are developing and delivering.