Chamber and committees

We continue to provide Scotland’s farmers, crofters and land managers with the most generous package of direct support in the UK, investing over £660 million in support to agriculture. Support schemes such as the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme and the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme all help to support our sheep producers.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 provides the powers to create a new future payment framework and this approach provides future flexibility to respond to geopolitical, economic, climate and nature challenges which will enable rural communities to thrive. The purposes for which support can be provided are specified within Schedule 1 of the Act, which includes wool, and is aimed at providing the flexibility to support all our producers.

We are supporting farmers and crofters to realise the vision for agriculture and the 2025-26 budget allocates more than £665 million for the purpose of supporting farmers, land managers, rural communities and rural businesses . We are continuing to co-develop the future support with stakeholders to ensure conditions fit appropriately to work for the industry and deliver to the Vision for Agriculture.

We have to date made a number of relevant announcements including the launch of the Whole Farm Plan, changes to SSBSS and changes to Greening which all contribute to delivery of the Vision for Agriculture. The future iterative progression of the Vision and its associated timeline can be found detailed within the Agricultural Routemap which is updated regularly to ensure people know what changes are coming and when those changes will happen.

As confirmed in the recently finalised Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach, we will revisit the Freight Fares Review in the medium to long term.

Further details on revisiting the Freight Fares Review to explore ferry freight issues in more detail, considering all routes including to and from Colonsay, will be confirmed in due course.

In determining an application for a licence, NatureScot must consider whether the hunt is sustainable, in that it would not have an adverse effect on the conservation status of the species concerned, namely gannets.

In the case of the Guga Hunt licence issued this year, NatureScot have confirmed that a population viability analysis of the gannets at Sula Sgeir was completed and considered as part of their assessment prior to issuing the licence.

In issuing a licence to permit the taking of 500 gugas, NatureScot have concluded that this number will allow the gannet population to continue to recover and enable a sustainable future take. The previous licence issued in 2018 was for 2000 birds.

Under s.2(4) of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, the Scottish Ministers are required to publish a list of habitats and species of principal importance within 12 months of the publication of a Scottish biodiversity strategy, known as the Scottish Biodiversity List. It will have particular relevance for public bodies applying their biodiversity duties.

Work to complete the list is ongoing and it would not therefore be appropriate to say definitively that species-rich grasslands will be included. However, various types of species-rich grassland are included in the current Scottish Biodiversity List.

The term ‘irreplaceable habitat’ is not used in Scotland and is primarily associated with the Natural England biodiversity metric.

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 conjunction with the Scottish farmed salmon industry, Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and animal welfare organisations.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter very seriously. This welfare is assured by the requirement at Article 3.1 of retained Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 that ‘animals shall be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations’. We have no current plans to introduce further legislation.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-36642 on 2 May 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Protecting our marine environment is a shared responsibility and the Scottish Government welcomes community-led initiatives. The Kyles Coastal Community Group is a member of the Coastal Communities Network that engages directly with the Scottish Government on many marine issues. The Kyles Coastal Community Group can contact Scottish Water or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to raise any local wastewater concerns.

The EU published a recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive which came into effect on January 2025. Article 4, in particular places requirements in relation to Individual Systems – more commonly known as Private Wastewater Treatment Systems. The Scottish Government is reviewing its policies to establish how it should align with this Directive.

We are unable to provide the information requested. The aquaculture sector is governed by multiple agencies in both Scotland and the UK, for example APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency). These agencies provide different legislative functions and charging schemes. The agencies and their respective employees who work on aquaculture undertake a wide range of duties relating to the governance of aquaculture in the round, not only to the salmon sector.