Chamber and committees

Will the member take an intervention?

Would Mr Carson like me to pass his message on to my sister?

I have been contacted by constituents who are past the six-month guidance date for their Covid-19 booster vaccination and are concerned about the waning efficacy of their primary vaccine doses. Has the Scottish Government received advice from clinical advisers on the efficacy of the primary vaccine protection, and what reassurance can be given to those who are awaiting booster appointments? I remind members that I am part of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s vaccine team.

I welcome the fact that Annan, in Dumfries and Galloway, has been selected for the climate action towns programme, which will empower communities to engage in collective climate action, taking account of the unique challenges and opportunities that each town faces.

Given the flooding that Annan experienced just last week, which washed away two of the town’s footbridges in unprecedented levels of water, will the Deputy First Minister give further detail on how the climate action towns programme will work to tackle the global climate emergency?

Does Rachael Hamilton agree that the UK negotiated on the principle of leaving the EU and not actually working for the fishing industry?

As the minister said, my Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force last Thursday. The act strengthens the penalties available for those who allow out-of-control dogs to worry or attack livestock, and it extends the power of the police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to investigate such offences. Has any guidance been produced for police officers and vets on the investigation and enforcement of those offences?

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Police Scotland to implement and enforce legislation on the control of dogs. (S6O-00337)

The majority of fish stocks that are of interest to Scottish fishermen are found across international boundaries. There are significant differences between the four UK nations and it is important to tailor fishing to our Scottish circumstances.

Brexit has seriously damaged the Scottish fishing sector. People in Scotland did not vote for the UK’s hard Brexit and chaotic fisheries policy. I welcome, in contrast, Scotland’s commitment to upholding its international reputation as a good global citizen. The Scottish Government has repeatedly demonstrated Scotland’s commitment to the European family of nations, which reflects the will of Scottish voters.

The UK Government’s isolationism in acting as a sovereign coastal state undermines those efforts, and Scotland continues to pay the price for Tory Brexit. The UK Government has sold out Scotland’s fishing sector. Industry experts predict that the UK fishing industry will make an eye-watering loss of £300 million by 2026 as a result of the UK Government’s disastrous Brexit deal. That is despite Boris Johnson’s promise of a sea of opportunity for Scotland’s fishermen.

The Prime Minister’s sea of opportunity was supposed to benefit us to the tune of £148 million by 2026 if we voted to leave the EU, but the former DEFRA official and fisheries negotiator Gary Taylor has estimated that fishing firms face losses of £64 million per year. Those grave predictions have prompted the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to ask the UK Government to urgently publish an analysis of the cost of its disastrous Brexit. The NFFO’s chief executive officer, Barrie Deas, has said that

“there are ... few winners and ... many losers”

in the fishing industry as a result of Brexit.

It is welcome that the Scottish Government is not taking such an approach for Scotland’s fishing sector; instead, the Scottish Government’s negotiation strategy and priorities are influenced by high-quality science and take into account wider policy objectives, including socioeconomic implications. The cabinet secretary highlighted the 12-point action plan in the future fisheries management strategy. The negotiating approach is underpinned by a set of guiding principles that will remain consistent each year and is in line with the need to progress towards good environmental status.

The Scottish Government will conduct negotiations on a principled, rather than positional, basis and will comply fully with a range of international conventions and obligations, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. That will allow for sustainably managed stocks and the use of total allowable catches when appropriate, including consideration of the introduction of TACs for current non-quota species.

I want such an approach in Scotland, as opposed to the shambolic ideological stance that the UK Government has taken. The UK Government negotiated in principle just by leaving the EU and not by working for the industry. Brexit has already had a huge impact across my South Scotland region, and it has hit Dumfries and Galloway fishermen particularly hard. In December 2020, many boats—including ones that operate out of Kirkcudbright and Garlieston harbours in D and G—were tied to shore, as businesses became unviable and almost went out of business completely. That was all because, on 31 December 2020, new information technology systems, as well as regulatory, welfare and customs checks, came into force for Scottish seafood exporters going to Europe, despite calls for a six-month transition period to trial new systems and checks. The UK Government refused that, to the Scottish fishing sector’s utter disbelief.

In preparation for today’s debate, I obtained a direct quote from a local fish-processing business, which said:

“Although things have stabilised slightly, uncertainty still remains a huge concern because we don’t know where we’ll be in 12 months.”

I welcome the approach that the Scottish Government is taking to the negotiations and, in response to Ms Rachael Hamilton’s comments, I look forward to Scotland being a normal independent coastal state that can choose our own path and make our own decisions.

I have a quick final supplementary question. Our notes have a question about food banks. I read the statistic that we have more than 91 independent food banks in Scotland, and we know that food-bank use has increased due to Covid. It is worrying that the issue persists. Will the bill have a strategy to end the need for food banks?

On NHS 24 referrals to the out-of-hours service and the impact on winter planning and capacity, is there a role for the Government, doctors and the bodies representing wider multidisciplinary teams in helping make the public aware of the solutions that need to be put in place to deal with capacity issues? Do we need to manage the public’s expectations better, especially with regard to all the different ways of referring people to services, whether they be GP out-of-hours services or emergency services? Perhaps Dr Buist can respond first of all.