Chamber and committees

I have a supplementary question on this subject, and then another question.

What is the difference between track design in Australia and in the UK?

Why a brief one?

That is exactly why I am making that point. In her initial statement, Cathy Dwyer said that there are invisible issues with breeding, and I am a bit concerned that the document and its recommendations are not really going to improve the lives of greyhounds. The issues that you discuss, including breeding in Ireland and transportation, are, as you mentioned in your response to my colleague Jim Fairlie, out of our control. How would you suggest the committee takes forward the significant issues that you are raising?

Okay. I was interested in some of the points that the convener and Jim Fairlie raised about transportation. In Scotland, we have considerable legislative powers over animal protection and welfare. What is the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s view of the current operation of the legislation in Scotland to protect animals during transportation, going right through to kept animals and beyond? Considering that that is such a large part of your concern, why is it not part of one of your recommendations to say that those bits are not working?

Are we moving on to question 4, convener?

To go back to the Australian example, does the work that they are doing mean that they are making recommendations for changes?

Would you recommend those changes for tracks in the UK?

Minister, is it sustainable to freeze the fees until 2026, until the outcome of the benchmarking that you talk about feeds into the budgeting process? That is something that the Law Society highlighted.

Taking into account your comments in response to Finlay Carson’s question on LFAs, coupled support and your concern about the whole-farm plan under the tier 1 payment, do you believe—I know that your members agree with this—that the food security element should be at the heart of the bill and one of the major drivers of tier 1?

I am sorry to interrupt. I was trying to work out what threats we need to look at when we consider the bill. I wanted to hear about your concerns about divergence within the sphere of the bill, but I do not think that we have time, as other members want to come in. Perhaps we can build on that, or you could write to us.