Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Official Report 633KB pdf
Contents
- Attendance
- Forth Replacement Crossing (Update}
- Implications of European Union Referendum
- Subordinate Legislation
Subordinate Legislation
Fishing Vessels and Fish Farming (Miscellaneous Revocations) (Scotland) Scheme 2017 [Draft]
Item 3 is consideration of subordinate legislation. First, the committee will take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity on an affirmative instrument. The motion seeking the committee’s approval of the instrument will then be considered under item 4. Members should note that no representations have been made to the committee on the instrument.
I welcome back Fergus Ewing, the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, and welcome to the meeting from the Scottish Government team leader Greig Chalmers and solicitor Fiona McClean. Would you like to make a brief opening statement, cabinet secretary?
Thank you, convener. The statutory instrument revokes six grant schemes that are redundant and have been superseded. The proposed revocations are, therefore, technical in nature and remove expired instruments from the books. The equivalent instruments have already been revoked in the rest of the UK. The Scottish Government does not anticipate any negative impact on business or the voluntary sector should the instrument come into force.
Current grant funding for the maritime sector is delivered via the European maritime and fisheries fund, which is used, along with Scottish Government funding, to co-finance projects and provide support for sustainable development in the fishing and aquaculture sectors and conservation of the marine environment, helping to deliver growth and jobs in coastal communities. Given the fact that, since its opening in January 2015, the EMFF scheme has awarded over £46 million to eligible project proposals, I hope that the committee is content to support the motion in my name.
Thank you, cabinet secretary. Do members have any questions?
I am more than happy to support the motion, cabinet secretary, but can you tell me whether there is a lot of redundant secondary legislation lying around that needs to be cleared up or whether this the clearing-up process?
Is that a general question for the Government as a whole, or is it just about this instrument? [Laughter.]
It is just about this instrument.
All the money in the six schemes that are listed has been spent. I can read them out, if you want.
I do not think that they need to be read out, cabinet secretary. If you can say that there are no more redundant instruments in this area, that will be confirmation enough.
With regard to fishing, for example.
There are none.
I note from our papers that, in relation to the Fishing Vessels (Temporary Financial Assistance) Scheme 1982,
“One of the conditions for receiving the grant was that 75% of the crew of the vessel were ordinarily resident in the UK on the last day of the relevant qualifying period in 1982.”
I am sure that, given the number of years that have passed since then, many of those people will have retired. That is another reason why that scheme, in particular, should be got rid of.
That was a useful observation, but I am not sure that it requires an answer.
As there are no other questions, cabinet secretary, I offer you the chance to make some closing remarks. If, as I assume, your opening remarks have covered what you wanted to say, I suggest that we move to item 4 and formal consideration of motion S5M-08383.
Motion moved,
That the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee recommends that the Fishing Vessels and Fish Farming (Miscellaneous Revocations) (Scotland) Scheme 2017 [draft] be approved.—[Fergus Ewing]
Motion agreed to.
I suspend the meeting briefly to allow the witnesses to depart.
12:11 Meeting suspended.12:12 On resuming—
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 (Commencement No 6, Transitory and Saving Provisions) (Modern Limited Duration Tenancies) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2017 (SSI 2017/370)
Seed (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (SSI 2017/384)
Item 5 is consideration of two negative instruments. As no motions to annul the instruments have been received, does the committee agree that it does not wish to make any recommendation in relation to either?
Members indicated agreement.
Meeting closed at 12:12.