Chamber and committees

Who do you think should be designated as a relevant authority under the bill?

Does anybody else want to comment on that?

The bill sets out that the Scottish ministers and relevant authorities must have regard to the good food nation plans when exercising their specified functions. Will you share your views on who should be designated as a relevant authority under the bill?

We know that a key element of long-term food security is environmentally sustainable food production that will enable our food system to continue to produce food for future generations. What are the panel’s views on the link between the right to food and environmental outcomes, and should the right to food be incorporated, or otherwise strengthened, in the bill?

Local authorities.

Good afternoon, minister. You indicated that we must all do what we can to work together to save lives, and you said that you are focusing hard on health interventions in the drug deaths crisis. Do you think that, in order to bring the situation under control, global mortality experts are needed to assist the Drug Deaths Taskforce in dealing with what many people consider to be a public health disaster in Scotland?

You emphasised that, although investment in health and rehabilitation is critical, it is not the only action that can be taken. I realise that I am covering ground that other members have explored, but I want to ask about the importance of tackling poverty and deprivation in the health and rehabilitation strategy. Can you expand on your thoughts on that?

It has been an interesting discussion so far. In his response to Karen Adam, Pete Ritchie has started to answer the question that I was going to ask about the right to food. Could I get the panellists’ views about the merits or weaknesses of incorporating the right to food in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill? If it is not incorporated, could the bill be strengthened in other ways to address the issues around access to food?

I will ask the same question on the right to food that I asked the previous panel. We heard about a whole-systems approach and policy cohesion, but we have people going hungry and who are in food poverty, as Jonnie Hall has just mentioned. Should the right to food be incorporated in the bill? Do you have thoughts on the merits or weaknesses of doing so, or can you see any other ways that the bill can be strengthened on the issues of access to food?

I thank the witnesses for the really interesting discussion so far. I will ask a bit more about the right to food. What do you think about including the right to food in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill, as opposed to including it in a human rights bill? Do you consider them to be mutually exclusive; are there particular strengths in having the right to food in one bill, as opposed to the other? If the right to food is not formally incorporated through the bill, should the bill be strengthened to be more supportive of the right to food and, if so, how? I realise that there is quite a lot in there; I am conscious of the time.