Chamber and committees

I have a brief question for Rachel Mulrenan. Fish escapes vary wildly year on year. What should be done to prevent that? Can you give us an indication of what the demonstrable impact of escaped fish is?

The Griggs review, in 2022, recommended a social contract in the consenting process that recognises the local community and its needs. I have constituents complaining that they see the impact of the farms but they do not necessarily see a benefit. When they look at the profits that are made at these farms, they feel that there should be more benefit to them and their communities. Do you think that that has improved recently? What more could be done to ensure that?

That is what I am asking about. If there is a welfare risk to dogs that are living in Scotland or perhaps even bred in Scotland, how do we prevent that welfare risk if the minister is saying that there are tracks in England where the welfare risk would be considerable in a way that the risk at Thornton is not?

The committee heard that most racing greyhounds kennelled in Scotland were bred in Ireland, but the SAWC report said that there was a lack of data on dogs in early life. Does the Scottish Government hold information that the minister can share or is there information accessible from public agencies or databases, for example, about greyhounds coming to Scotland from Ireland or other countries? Can the minister speak to whether breeding in Scotland is an issue in addition to the Ireland issue that we have been discussing?

Okay.

Finally, I understand that there are very few trainers in Scotland—I think that 27 is the number that the committee is working with. That is quite a small number of people to have a licensing scheme for, and I imagine that it will be expensive to administer. Are you considering tacking it on to other licensing schemes?

Are you comfortable with the position at the moment being that a new track could open and we would not know what conditions the dogs racing in it would be subject to?

I appreciate the points that the minister has made about Thornton and the difference in treatment there compared to the concerns that have been posed about different tracks in England. Can he speak to the fact that greyhounds here are often raced in England? Also, does he believe that current regulation is strong enough to prevent a different kind of track being set up in Scotland?

I want to come back on other concerns about dogs being bred for specific purposes and the welfare issues that they then experience. Drawing on what you said about other breeds being of concern in Scotland at this time, do you believe that current animal welfare regulations adequately cover those dogs and that they are being protected?

Am I correct, then, in understanding that what is being considered is the track in Scotland, not the wider ownership or racing of dogs by those resident in Scotland?

I think so. Thank you.