Chamber and committees

Minister, I just remind you to write to the committee, if you would not mind.

That issue is critical because, if there are hard deadlines and producers can join only at a certain stage during the year, that might stifle business, so we would be grateful for an answer to that question.

I think that we have taken that point as far as we can. We move to further questions from our deputy convener.

Have you finished with the teething issues, Mark? I see that someone has a supplementary on that issue.

Minister, before you comment on that, I want to say that, last week, I made a voluntary declaration of my interests, in that I own and manage land through my farming partnership. As Jackie Dunbar has mentioned salmon, which is a subject that is close to my heart, it is right that I refer members to my interest in a wild salmon fishery on the River Spey, which I own jointly with my brother. I say that just so that there is no dubiety, and note that I am not asking the question. Minister, I am sorry to interrupt your response, which was forthcoming.

I will push back on that, minister. The concepts of the right tree in the right place and the right crop in the right place indicate a zonal approach. Are you in favour of a zonal approach?

I note that the learnings are part of that, but I think that the member was specifically asking about what the deal involved. We would be grateful to hear that detail if you can share it. A written letter to the committee would be absolutely perfect.

I think that Liam Kerr wants to come back in briefly.

Truthfully, Mr Kerr, I have allowed you to push that quite a long way. I have asked the minister to write to the committee, because I think that the subject is of interest to us, as will be understanding who will shoulder the obligations. It will be a short-term loan to allow something to happen, but it will have long-term consequences and costs relating to managing the environment beyond that. The committee would like to know more about that. So, the more you can share with us, minister, the more grateful we will be.

I will bring in Collette Stevenson, who lost her question in the cut and thrust of that exchange.

Before I bring in Mark Ruskell, I will ask one more question on that issue. My concern is that carbon credits come with a sting in the tail, because we do not know what their ultimate cost will be. If firms are buying up or giving bridging loans, that might be for carbon credits, which is an interesting concept. Therefore, I find it odd that the Government has not discussed their use and discounted it or agreed that they should be used.