Chamber and committees

I now refer members to paper 4. The order that the committee is invited to consider is also subject to the negative procedure.

Does any member wish to raise any issues regarding the instrument?

Could you provide a written response to the question, perhaps?

That would be helpful.

I will bring in Karen Adam, who joins us remotely.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 10th meeting in session 6 of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee. I remind members who are using electronic devices to switch them to silent mode. Apologies have been received from Finlay Carson and Mercedes Villalba. As a result of Finlay’s absence, I am convening the meeting in his place.

Our first item of business is an evidence session with the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission. This session was postponed on 29 September due to technical difficulties. I put on record my thanks to the members of the commission for agreeing to rearrange their evidence session. I welcome the chair of the commission, Professor Cathy Dwyer, and a selection of its members: Libby Anderson, Dr Paula Boyden, Dr Pete Goddard and Dr James Yeates.

I invite Professor Dwyer to make an opening statement.

We are having some technical issues. Professor Dwyer, will you check whether you are on mute?

Have we got sound? Yes. I ask Professor Dwyer to make her opening statement.

I represent a seafood fishing area, so you will not be surprised at the next question. I note that the commission wants to introduce protections for cephalopods, crabs and lobsters. What would that involve and how would it impact on seafood fisheries?

I am conscious that we are running out of time, as often happens in evidence sessions, and that two members have not yet been able to ask questions.

We will move on to the theme of exit from the EU.

We move on to agenda item 3. I refer members to papers 2 and 3. As the committee has agreed that the negative procedure is appropriate, we will now consider the policy intent of the regulations. Members will recall that, following our meeting on 6 October, the committee wrote to the Scottish Government regarding previous subordinate legislation relating to import checks. A response was received yesterday and has been circulated to members, and it has been published on our web pages. The convener has indicated that the committee will consider the letter further at next week’s meeting.

Does any member wish to raise any issues regarding the instrument? If not, are members content to note the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you. We move on to questions from Ariane Burgess.

Thank you. That is noted. Are members content to note the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

We come to agenda item 4, on the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. I refer members to papers 5 and 6. The committee will consider a proposal by the Scottish Government to consent to the UK Government legislating using the powers under the act in relation to the Waste and Agriculture (Legislative Functions) Regulations 2021, which is a UK statutory instrument. As this SI notification cuts across a number of policy areas and addresses legislative deficiencies across three ministerial portfolios, this committee will focus only on the agricultural legislative functions of the provisions. The other functions are being considered by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

Under the protocol between the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government, the consent notification has been categorised as type 1, meaning that the Scottish Parliament’s agreement is sought before the Scottish Government gives consent to the UK Government making secondary legislation in areas of devolved competence.

As no member has indicated that they wish to raise an issue with the consent notification, is the committee content that the agricultural provision set out in the notification should be included in a UK SI?

Members indicated agreement.