Chamber and committees

My question is about how, in the future, we will know whether we are making progress with the objectives. How should progress towards meeting the objectives be measured, monitored and evaluated? For whose benefit is that?

Can you clarify something? You mentioned the export of animals from Scottish islands to mainland Scotland. What discussions have you had with DEFRA, and how clear is it on that point?

This is a supplementary to Alasdair Allan’s supplementary about the capital agricultural scheme. A local crofter indicated to me that there has been no increase in the threshold of £25,000. Might that be under consideration?

In last year’s budget, the marine directorate received a £14 million increase in its budget allocation. At the time, you indicated that the extra funding was to increase capacity to deal with the Government’s ambitions for offshore wind and for highly protected marine areas. Given that the proposal for HPMAs has been abandoned, how will the funding that was allocated to HPMAs be redistributed?

It has been an interesting session so far. I am sorry that I am not in the room with you.

I will go to Kirsty Tait first on the power to provide for CPD, as she raised the issue of CPD early on in the session. Are there any particular things that should be required or encouraged? You mentioned that there is a knowledge and skills gap. Can you expand on that?

I am interested in hearing views on the power to provide for continuing professional development, which Sarah Millar touched on at the beginning of this evidence session. Are there any areas where you think that CPD should be required or particularly encouraged?

Scottish Government officials stated that the rural support plan would be a summation of how rural support delivers against the four objectives and that it would be co-developed with industry and stakeholders. What level of detail is needed in the bill on producing the plan and on its the content?

I return to the issue of continuing professional development, to get a bit more from the round table. What are your views on the power to provide for CPD? Are there particular areas in which CPD should be required or encouraged? I do not know who wants to take that first.

How does that relate to the on-going work on the good food nation?

We know that the bill confers a large number of broad powers on the Scottish ministers and that there will be secondary legislation in 2025, but how will the Parliament be able to scrutinise the overall impact of the new policy that will come through the bill and the various pieces of secondary legislation?