Chamber and committees

Obviously, enforcement of the regulations is important. SEPA informed the committee that it had carried out three unannounced inspections in 2023 and that it planned to carry out a further three in 2024. That seems to be a wee bit feeble in terms of enforcement. Do you think that that level of monitoring is consistent with ensuring that the regulations are implemented?

Is it logical that, following a risk-based analysis, only three out of 352 farms would need an unannounced visit?

I am sorry to keep at this, but is that level of monitoring consistent with recommendation 62 of the REC Committee report, which called for

“a significantly enhanced regulatory and monitoring regime under which it will robustly and effectively enforce compliance with environmental standards”?

Cabinet secretary, I want to ask specifically about the use of chemicals and medicines. I am sure that anybody, if asked, would say that there is a need to minimise the use of both of those.

I was interested to see a response from Professor Nick Owens about the effect of treatment using emamectin benzoate and hydrogen peroxide. He told the committee that there was a “pretty reasonable idea” that there was an adverse impact on crustacean species.

How robust is the data on adverse effects on the different species of the use of chemicals and medicines?

What is the timescale for that?

Is giving the industry time to adjust itself the only thing that is holding up progress towards the new standard?

How will you measure the progress, both in terms of the number of farms that fall under the tighter standards and in terms of the impact of their transition?

SEPA told the committee that only 22 out of 352 farms are currently authorised to discharge emamectin benzoate, under the regulations that the UK technical advisory group set in 2022, which is a tighter environmental standard. Only 22 out of 352 seems to be a very small number.

Shall I ask that question again?

Only 22 out of 352 farms are currently authorised to discharge emamectin benzoate, which is regulated under the higher environmental standard that was recommended by UKTAG in 2022.