Chamber and committees

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 seeks to promote the enhancement of marine protected areas in addition to their protection. To what extent has enhancement been achieved under that framework? What additional policies might we need to have in place? Is there anything missing from the framework?

I open up that question to everyone else on the panel, in case someone has had a chance to take a quick look at NPF4.

It seems that no one has been able to look at it yet. I hope that it will be on your reading lists.

I thank the panel for a brilliant and interesting session. My understanding is that, although the Scottish Government states that 37 per cent of our seas are protected under marine protected areas, only 1 per cent are fully protected as no-take zones, and a further 5 per cent are subject to a ban on trawling and dredging. I have a couple of questions. What are your thoughts on the extent to which Scotland’s network of marine protected areas is fully developed? Is it developed sufficiently to support the functioning of marine ecosystems? If not, what might need to happen to complete the network? After you have answered that, I will ask another question.

Would reintroducing the three-mile inshore limit be a good way to protect our fisheries and marine biodiversity?

Good morning. We have already started to get into discussing peatland. Clearly, it is an important part of our terrestrial response to the climate and nature emergencies. I would like to hear from Professor Smith about the role of peatlands in biodiversity and climate change and about the tools that are available to help to support healthy peatlands. He talked about the massive scale of the issue. I am interested in finding out what is in place to allow us to take our action to the necessary level. I do not know whether he has had a chance to look at the national planning framework. Might the NPF be where we need to place the work on peatlands?

Thanks. I have a question for Dr Helaina Black that is similar but that focuses on non-peat soils. What tools are available to support healthy soils, and what do we need to do about non-peat soils in our response to the biodiversity and climate emergencies?

There are no more questions. I thank the minister for giving evidence.

Agenda item 3 is consideration of motion S6M-01401.

Motion moved,

That the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee recommends that the Valuation and Rating (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Order 2021 [draft] be approved.—[Tom Arthur]

Motion agreed to.

Agenda item 2 is the committee’s third evidence-taking session on the draft Valuation and Rating (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Order 2021. I welcome Tom Arthur, Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, as well as Anouk Berthier, head of non-domestic rates policy, and David Smith, lawyer, from the Scottish Government.

We will take evidence from the minister before moving to a formal debate on the order. I invite the minister to make a short opening statement.

We will move on to our fifth theme, which is local authority revenues. I invite Paul McLennan to introduce the theme.

The fourth item on our agenda is an evidence session on the draft Relevant Adjustments to Common Parts (Disabled Persons) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021. I welcome Shona Robison, who is the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, and, from the Scottish Government, Craig McGuffie, who is a lawyer, and Naeem Bhatti, who is the head of the fuel poverty and housing standards unit.

Before we move to the formal debate, I invite the cabinet secretary to make a short opening statement on the regulations.