Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September. 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

The material requested includes complex and potentially sensitive information, requiring careful consideration before any release. This is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 62683).

We expect the journey to net zero to require major contributions from a range of renewable sources, which will include onshore and offshore wind turbines, but also other generation technologies such as solar, hydro and marine renewables. Our work to refresh the Energy Strategy over the coming year will consider the various pathways to net zero, and what that might mean in terms of renewable energy generation as a whole. In the meantime, we have announced an ambition to deliver up to 11GW of installed offshore wind by 2030, and will consult later this year on an ambition to see between 8-12GW of onshore wind developed in the same time frame

As part of the Scottish Government’s 100 Days commitments within the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, we have established:

• the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform, incorporating the relevant recommendations of the farmer-led groups to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach. A National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022, with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this Autumn;
• the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review, a short-term advisory group which will undertake a root and branch review of learning in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors - from early years to adulthood - to provide opportunities and qualifications through school, college, university and work-based learning, including apprenticeship, for more people, and specifically more women, to work with and on the land, particularly in green skills. The Commission has a reporting deadline of December 2022 and;
• the Scottish Agritourism Sector Group, which will explore how agritourism can deliver a range of Scottish Government policies across tourism, agriculture and food and drink and create a national strategy for agritourism focused around consumer demand, quality of experience, sustainability and a clearly defined sector and customer experience. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands will be launching the growth strategy at the Scottish Agritourism Conference in November.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02296 on
‎ 10 September 2021. 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 .

We have committed to shift half of all funding for farming and crofting to conditional support by 2025, which will see farmers and crofters rewarded for their key role in delivering wider biodiversity and environmental benefits.

Scotland will continue to provide support to farmers and crofters for the work they do in producing food but with that support comes the requirement to farm in the most sustainable way possible.

The newly established Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board’s immediate priority and focus will be on how to make progress on cutting emissions from the livestock sector, including suckler beef. The Board will consider the Farming 1.5 Report together with the recommendations of the Farmer-led Groups, WWF Scotland, Just Transition, NFUS, the Climate Change Plan update and Scotland's Climate Assembly's Recommendations for Action Reportwhen devising practical measures for delivery. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.

The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn.

We have established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board which will contribute to the Scottish Government’s work to implement policy reform to cut emissions across agriculture, support the production of sustainable, high quality food, and design a new support system and approach. The Board will consider the Farming 1.5 Report together with the recommendations of the Farmer-led Groups, WWF Scotland, Just Transition, NFUS, the Climate Change Plan update and Scotland's Climate Assembly's Recommendations for Action Report when devising practical measures for delivery. It should also be noted that Mike Robinson, co-chair of Farming 1.5, is a member of the Board.

The Board will create a package of measures, which we will fund, that can be agreed as part of our approach to COP 26. This National Test Programme will include early progress on reducing livestock emissions and the package should be implemented by spring 2022 with recruitment of farmers and crofters expected to begin this autumn.

We are committed to working with industry and partners to best enable the agriculture sector to contribute to our world-leading emissions targets, support biodiversity and ensure a Just Transition for all involved. We therefore have launched a consultation which will ensure everyone can play their part in shaping the future of farming, food production and land use in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will publish its Out of Home Action Plan on the Scottish Government website on 10 September 2021. It can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/diet-and-healthy-weight-out-of-home-action-plan.

The Cattle Tracing System (CTS) which currently records all GB cattle births, deaths and movements is being replaced. CTS was introduced in 1998 and has served the industry exceptionally well, however due to its age it is now a legacy IT system.

The ScotEID system, originally developed to implement sheep Electronic Identification (EID), is modern, flexible and able to support the introduction of bovine EID and electronic data transfer (EDT).

ScotMoves+ is an extension of ScotMoves, which was introduced in 2017 and is already used by around 50% of Scottish keepers to record within-business cattle movements (previously CTS linked holdings). ScotEID has been used since 2013 to implement Scotland’s Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, it has also been used to implement the Beef Efficiency Scheme and the Scotch Beef Potential Eligibility Checker (SPECC) and is therefore familiar to a high proportion of Scottish cattle keepers.