Chamber and committees

It is not a question for me to answer—I am not an expert. You are the person who sees the dogs all the time.

I am a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, and we push for local produce to be served in what I call the canteen, as well as in the dining room.

Supermarkets do not push local produce. It is available, but it is not pushed in the same way as other items are. How can we get supermarkets to appreciate that the price of cauliflower—which, I think, is in season just now—is so dear? Why is that the case? How do we get them to say to people that it is better to eat local produce than it is to spend their money on imported stuff that is out of season?

I have run out of questions, except perhaps to ask whether we could see the form that is filled in on retirement. I asked about the form for animals that are put down.

Thank you. My next question is to Mr Bird, on the data. We have not gone into all the details because of the time, but is a form completed at the track or subsequently to detail why an animal was put down?

That was helpful. I will stop there, but I might come back in later.

I am not being difficult. It is just that you keep saying “probably”. I am just asking how far your reach is in respect of the welfare of the dogs.

Was that out of the 242, or was that additional?

Yes, but I want to get back to the point about seasonal produce. There is no point in buying tomatoes that are rock hard, which they are, or plums that are rock hard. If we go back to promoting Scottish or UK seasonal foods, we will educate the palate of the consumer once again. You should not be eating strawberries in January—there are the food miles, and they also taste crap. What discussions are you having with supermarkets that BOGOF on non-seasonal products, whereas Scottish mince, cauliflowers and other things that are grown here are quite dear? I do not mean to have a go at them, but—

That is all that I wanted clarification about.

Thank you.