Chamber and committees

I set out that timescale because I believed that the report could be completed within that time. Yesterday, NatureScot published an online page that will provide all the information about the engagement that it will be undertaking and how people can make their views known. Again, I am happy to circulate that information to the committee.

Engagement is critical in this process, as we want to know what people in Galloway think about all sorts of issues, including the boundary, governance, any potential powers that the park might have and, indeed, whether people in Galloway want a national park, which is one of the key questions that we want to get to grips with. I have been perfectly open and transparent about that. I do not have any agenda here; I genuinely want to know what people think, and I really hope that people will engage in that process.

As I said, the information was published yesterday and I will circulate it to the committee. Although there might be a formal consultation period, there will be further engagement opportunities throughout that process. I am not going to commit today to extend the consultation period. If it transpires through that process that more time is needed, I will have to consider that. However, I encourage everyone to ensure that they make their views known throughout the process.

I have made my position on that clear, too. I understand that a petition has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in relation to that. However, national parks are already accountable to their boards and to the Scottish Government. They can report to the Parliament, too. We already have mechanisms in place that assess whether our national parks are achieving their outcomes, and I believe that that process is thorough enough.

The development of what could be a new national park in Galloway will not involve a like-for-like process with our two existing national parks, which are very different from each other. The proposal for Galloway would be very different again. Assuming that they want a national park, it would be for the people in Galloway to decide what they want that to look like. That is why the exercise that NatureScot is undertaking is a hugely important part of the process.

The review of the national outcomes will be helpful. In relation to the indicators for the national outcomes, it has sometimes been hard to disaggregate rural data from urban data, so we have introduced a rural data dashboard, which helps us to deal with some of the issues that we have experienced. It is important to highlight that the information that we are gathering through the rural data dashboard is helping us with the rural delivery plan, which we touched on in earlier discussions. We will, of course, set out how we are delivering against each outcome, because that is intrinsic to our work and what we do. We have to deliver against the existing frameworks, and improving the data will enable us to do that.

All that I have is what is being set out in relation to the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill right now. The advice on the carbon budget is expected to come out around spring next year. All of that will depend on the passage of the bill and what comes out of that process, but that is what is anticipated at the moment. Again, I am not the lead minister on the bill. Gillian Martin is, and she is offering an information and advice session next week.

First, we do not know what the overall quantum of the budget will be, and, secondly, we are still to design some of the future tiers of the new framework. We set out in the route map when we expect each of the new tiers to be introduced, and we are working according to that timeline.

There is a lot in there, so I will try to get through as much as I can and then I might turn to Donald Henderson for more information.

We are already delivering on that through a number of mechanisms and streams of work that we are taking forward through the agricultural reform programme, as well as through other current work and programmes. You are, no doubt, aware of the agri-environment climate scheme—AICS—which we use to help to deliver on our biodiversity ambitions.

There are also conditions that are being introduced next year in relation to farming support and the introduction of the foundations of a whole farm plan. Part of that plan is a package of audits, and we expect farmers and crofters to undertake at least two out of the five audit options that are there. One of them is biodiversity auditing. We have also been working with NatureScot on the development of a biodiversity app that will help to garner information on what is on farm.

Quite a lot of work is under way that will help us with that wider delivery. Donald Henderson can add more information.

The delivery of those is embedded in the policies as we work through them. In terms of the work that we are taking through in fisheries and aquaculture—

I would be happy to follow that up with my colleague, if that would be helpful for the committee. However, again, I am not directly leading on that area of policy, so I am reluctant to say anything in particular about it at the moment. The areas that are relevant for this portfolio relate largely to national parks and deer management, but I will follow that up with colleagues and I am happy to provide more information.

I am happy to respond to that. No doubt, committee members will be aware that the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill has just been introduced. I believe that it will be scrutinised by the NZET Committee, which has started taking evidence on it.

On how agriculture policy is developing, as I have talked about extensively at committee previously, we have set out our programme and route map for agricultural reform and set out when we expect changes to be implemented and when the information about those changes will be shared. We have obligations according to the legislation that was passed by the Scottish Parliament just before the summer recess—the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024—that mean that we must have cognisance of and regard to the climate change plan and the policies in it as we develop our rural support plan. We will, of course, be doing that.

The development of those policies go hand in hand, whether they are in relation to climate change or biodiversity. We will be working closely with colleagues on climate change as the plans are developed and feed through into that process, as well as taking forward the programme that we have set out.

The current proposals on carbon budgets in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill as published were based on the advice of the Climate Change Committee. If the legislation is passed as envisaged, five-yearly carbon budgets would be introduced. We would have to get advice from the CCC as to what those carbon budgets would involve and what they would look like. The intention would be to publish another climate change plan after that point.

There is still an awful lot of work to be undertaken on that, but, as colleagues around the table will, no doubt, be aware, the acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin, will provide an update for MSPs next week, to provide more information on all of that.

That is the key question, and I know that we have discussed the budget at length. The fact is that we do not have any clarity on what the future budget will be. Obviously, if we are bringing forward policies, we want to make sure that we are adequately resourced to deliver them. We want to be able to deliver on the ambitions that are set out in our vision for agriculture and to implement the change and transformation that we all want. We want to work with our farmers and crofters as they produce food, but to do so in a way that reduces their emissions and also enhances nature and delivers on our ambitions for biodiversity.

We will, of course, keep the committee updated as the proposals develop. Again, I cannot say what will be in the carbon budget, what that budget will look like or what advice we will receive. We need to see what information and advice we get and look to develop the plans and proposals from there.