Chamber and committees

Following our 2023 consultation Ending the Sale of Peat in Scotland, we organised a series of workshops and have conducted regular engagement and site visits with industry stakeholders to gather views. This will inform the scope and timing of a ban on the sale of peat for horticulture and ensure that it is right for Scotland.

We have also undertaken or commissioned research to address gaps in the evidence needed to support development of our approach, including projects which assess peat alternatives, undertake trials for commercial production and assess the readiness of industry for transition.

The lack of clarity around UK Government's revision of timescales for regulating peat sales, alongside uncertainty regarding legislative timescales across UK and devolved governments, directly impacts Scottish Government's ability to apply effective legislation for this devolved issue, given constraints of the UKIMA. Through sustained and determined engagement with UK Government and devolved governments, we are working to overcome barriers and ensure robust legislation to protect peatlands.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to supporting small producers and empowering them to play a key role in making our Vision for Agriculture a reality. This year, up to £1 million is being invested through the Small Producer Pilot Fund to continue to support innovation, resilience, and growth across the sector.

Those individuals or groups with a holding no larger than 30 hectares (excluding common grazing), are eligible, and as we move forward with the Pilot Fund, we will further assess additional needs for local communities and this sector, and how we can support them.

The member may be aware that the First Minister visited Orkney Auction Mart in February 2025, and there he re-affirmed Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting small producers and strengthening Scotland’s food supply chain.

As an example of this support, last year nearly £300,000 in grants were awarded to several private kill abattoirs. This funding supported a wide range of vital activity – from training private kill coordinators and upskilling butchers, to improving customer engagement and developing strong business plans. These facilities are essential to a thriving food supply chain, offering accessible, high-quality services that help ensure long-term viability for small producers.

Further targeted support for this sector will be detailed in the upcoming Rural Support Plan.

The Scottish Government provides various forms of support to Scotland’s abattoirs, including those in remote and island areas.

We remain committed to supporting small producers, and empowering them to help deliver our Vision for Agriculture. One way we are realising this is by supporting the ecosystem that our Small Producers rely upon, and so last year, through the Small Producers Pilot Fund, we provided over £300,000 in Private Kill Abattoir grant funding. This support was directed to organisations including Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), SAOS, Munro’s of Dingwall, and facilities in Shetland, Wishaw, Mull, Barra, and Orkney.

This year, we’re going further – we are delivering up to £1 million in resource funding to support a range of targeted actions. This includes investment in the Small Producer Practical Training Fund, which is designed to help small producers build resilient, sustainable businesses for the future. Applications for the 2025–26 financial year have already been received from private kill abattoirs, in Shetland, Shotts, Mull, Wishaw, and Stornoway.

Officials have also had some initial engagement with those organising the Boreray sheep slaughter facility on the Orkney Islands - the ‘Tiny Trailer Abattoir’ - and we expect further engagement with them, including their application in due course. I am also aware that Food Standards Scotland have been working with them on the establishment of the abattoir, which would enable processing specifically of Boreray and North Ronaldsay sheep.

Abattoirs across Scotland have also benefited from a Ministerial discount scheme that has been applied by Scottish Ministers for Official Veterinarian charges since 2015, amounting to £1.07 million. This was supplemented in 2024/25 with an additional £500,000, helping to further reduce costs for abattoirs.

In addition, the Scottish Government commissioned a report, published in March 2020, entitled ‘Assessing the Viability and Sustainability of Mobile Abattoirs in Scotland.’ The research provides details of what would be required to operate mobile abattoirs in Scotland, including the regulatory framework, and offers a cost-benefit analysis of possible operational models. Whilst the report found support for fixed or mobile abattoirs, there was some concern amongst existing island abattoirs that support for MSUs could result in the diversion of animals and income streams that could otherwise be channelled to their businesses.

The Scottish Government have required the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to undertake visits to slaughter facilities since 2022 to monitor operations and ensure welfare of salmon at time of killing. The Scottish Government’s guidance on Welfare at the Time of Killing in Salmon Farming is based on the recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee and developed in partnership with the Scottish farmed salmon industry, APHA, and animal welfare organisations. Any suspected incidences of poor welfare would be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency which would investigate and take action if required.

We are making positive progress towards a reformed National Performance Framework (NPF), and we intend to launch a reformed framework in the new parliamentary session following the 2026 Scottish Election.

We are currently engaging with a range of experts and stakeholders on the detail of a reformed NPF, and as such, no decisions have been made on future outcomes or indicators. We intend to provide a written update on our progress to relevant parliamentary committees after the summer recess. Additionally, officials are scheduled to meet with several MSPs from across the Chamber in September to discuss NPF reform.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out actions to support the fishing fleet to modernise, and for appropriate use to be made of new and additional technology, including remote electronic monitoring (REM). The Scottish Government has already delivered on our commitment to introduce REM requirements for pelagic and scallop vessels, with legislation being passed in June 2024. The legislation can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2024/165/contents/made

Pelagic vessels will be able to undertake REM system test trips from 7 September 2025 in advance of the pelagic REM measures becoming mandatory from 7 March 2026. A number of vessels have already started installing REM equipment and we expect this number to increase as the March 2026 date draws closer. The Scottish Government has published both REM technical specifications and guidance for the pelagic industry and continues to engage extensively with stakeholders to support vessels as they prepare for REM.

Further rollout of remote electronic monitoring to other fleets is under review and options will be developed alongside our Future Catching Policy.

A significant amount of work on the 21 Scottish-led Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) has been completed. This work is complex and requires further stakeholder engagement and consultation. The Marine Directorate has undertaken pre-consultation with stakeholders which will inform the first formal consultation planned for autumn 2025. Discussions with stakeholders were held last year and, more recently, in February, May and June, we held workshops on demersal and Nephrops FMPs with plans for further workshops on pelagic FMPs in the coming months. The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the FMPs according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement by the end of 2026.

For offshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government has completed its public consultation on proposed fisheries management measures and published the consultation analysis. The Scottish Government expects to announce the final measures in autumn 2025, with implementation to follow within the same calendar year. For inshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government is completing the necessary statutory assessments and aims to consult on proposed measures in the coming months

Agricultural businesses, including crofters and small farmers, which are registered on the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Services website may apply to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS). The scheme has now closed for applications in 2025, and detail of the 2026 round will be shared in late 2025.

An important feature of the scheme is a scoring system designed to avoid discrimination against smaller businesses, including crofters. This aims to promote applications by small businesses by awarding three additional points where the application value is less than £20,000.

Where an applicant’s business has less than 30 hectares, some beneficiaries are able to access small unit supplementary payments across many of the options over and above the income foregone payments for AECS options. This enables some businesses of less than 30 hectares to access important socio-economic options like native breed cattle introduction and retention.

An additional scoring uplift is also offered where two or more applicants intend to deliver an option collaboratively. This is available to all eligible applicants, including smaller businesses, crofters and common grazing committees.

As set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, AECS is expected to continue up to at least 2026 to deliver elements of Tier 3 until the new Elective support is implemented.

Opportunities to improve the equity of access to future support across all business sizes and types will be considered as part of the Agricultural Reform Programme. As part of this, a review of the AECS scoring system will be undertaken. We remain committed to co-designing the development of future support structures and delivery with rural partners, and this includes how existing schemes will transition to the four-tier model. It is right that we take the time necessary to develop the detail of our policies with the people directly affected by them, which is important if we are to deliver on our commitment to a just transition for our farmers and crofters. Following this process, further detail will be shared in due course.