Chamber and committees

The legislation that we propose is critical in ensuring that that happens. Setting out the framework will enable that to happen and ensure that it takes place.

Absolutely—that point came out strongly in all the evidence that the committee heard. Many people emphasised the importance of collaboration with the food and drink industry throughout the process.

I highlight that we are not developing these proposals in isolation. We have regular contact with our stakeholders and the food and drink industry, including many of those from whom the committee has taken evidence. We will continue to work with them, because it is in our interest, and in everyone’s interest, that we get the approach right. The passion from those who gave evidence to the committee was apparent. I know from the committee’s work that we all have an interest in the bill and that we all want to deliver on our good food nation ambitions, and collaboration is key in that regard.

With regard to the list of relevant authorities and who will be required to produce a plan, a provision for adding other authorities is built into the bill, and I am happy to consider any suggestions from the committee as to who could be considered a relevant authority. We have the power in that regard, which means that we can consider the matter at a future date as suggestions are made and we continue with our work. If it becomes apparent through the process that other bodies should be added and specified as relevant authorities, there is a provision for that.

We are undertaking the work to establish that. We need to ensure that the role and remit of the body would justify establishing a new body. The work that will be undertaken is important in that regard.

The regulations will be set out prior to the plans. I am sorry if I have not been clear in setting that out.

That, again, is an issue that I would be more than happy to consider. I will read the committee’s stage 1 report and look at any recommendations that it makes in that regard. Those are critical issues that we want to work across the Government to address.

You talked about the obesity targets, and that detail will be part of the plans. Those are where we hope to address a lot of the issues, as well as setting out the measurements to monitor progress and assessing ourselves against the measures that we are taking.

Everything that you have outlined is of absolute importance to us. Karen Adam has also talked about the importance of feeding lived experience into the process. I see that as vital and will ensure that we are as inclusive as possible. I do not want the good food nation plans, as we develop them, to be something that we are thrusting on people. They should feel like they belong to everyone, especially in relation to the local authorities. We want to ensure that, ultimately, the plans deliver the outcomes that we want them to deliver, and we will achieve that only if we have that participation and people feel like they are actively involved in the plans.

There have been lots of different suggestions in the evidence about how that could take place. We try to do that—we already continually engage with our stakeholders. I do not want the consultation to be about sticking something online and hoping that somebody ticks a few boxes. We need to go out and make sure that engagement is strong, so that we get that active participation.

A good example of work that we have done recently in that area is our consultation process on the local food strategy. I do not know whether officials could give more detail on that. Can you talk about the approach that we took? I think that it was exactly what Jenni Minto referred to—ensuring that we included the lived experience.

I hope that I have been able to outline the rationale for our decision about how to incorporate that right into Scots law. That was based on the recommendations that we received. Rather than separating out one individual right, and given that the rights are indivisible in so many ways—the rights and obligations that we are looking to incorporate in the human rights bill are interrelated—that bill was considered to be the appropriate vehicle to take that right forward. We made the provision that I referenced in section 3 of the bill to recognise that and to ensure that we have regard to that right in the future.

Essentially, the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill is a framework bill. It will underpin the work that we are currently undertaking, but it will also ensure that we address a lot of issues that we see in a coherent way across the Government and with other public authorities. A lot of the issues that you have raised could well be looked at or addressed in the light of the outcomes that we would want to have as part of the good food nation plans. The bill is not the place for us to specifically set those out because, as I have outlined, it is a framework bill.

Again, I highlight section 3 of the bill, which says that we must have regard to the right to food. Furthermore, through all the policy initiatives that I have talked about, we are already trying to ensure that we deliver on that human right. That is very much the intention, so, regardless of when the human rights bill is introduced—which we have committed to do in this parliamentary session—we will still be doing what we can to ensure that we are delivering on that right.

I know, from the evidence that the committee has received, that some people would like the right to food to be incorporated in the bill, but others have asked whether reference to the right to food could strengthen it. I feel that the bill is adequate in that respect, but I will consider any recommendations that the committee makes in its stage 1 report.