Chamber and committees

I am sorry to cover ground that has already been covered, but it is really disappointing to hear from the evidence that the 2006 act is failing greyhounds.

I just want to square something here. Gill Docherty, in your presentation, you said that no amount of welfare legislation would improve the situation. However, Jacqueline Brown said that, if current legislation was improved and greyhounds were treated equally to other racing animals, we could see an improvement, but she then slightly contradicted herself in her response to Ariane Burgess.

What is the committee looking at here? We have to be clear. In her answer to Mark Ruskell’s question, the cabinet secretary referred to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission; its attitude is to look at licensed and unlicensed tracks and to understand how regulation can improve the rate of animal injuries. We have to look at the option of a ban, which is what the Green Party is after, and we have to look at what the Scottish ministers are saying, and they are referring to the commission. Those are two very different routes. What is the best way for our committee to look at the issue? Is it to look at the deficiencies of the 2006 act, or is it to look at the merits of a complete ban?

I want to push you on this, because the proposed timescales for FMPs in Scotland are very short compared with the six-year timescale for the other fishing policies authorities. I also note that those timescales coincide with the joint fisheries statement itself. Why do you have nothing in place beyond 2022? I just do not feel confident that you have answered the question sufficiently to allow us to understand why that six-year period has not been put in place.

Going back to your comment about the focus on a single species and the commercial element of that, I would just point out that stakeholders have contacted me to raise concerns about the fact that other species, including wrasse and scallops, have not been included in this list of FMPs. I hope that the issue will be teased out during the consultation process—indeed, it sounds to me as if you, too, are aware that it needs to be considered.

I have a quick supplementary question on recording and accounting for discards. Will you wait for stakeholders to say how practical that would be?

Is there as part of the operational planning for the MOU any intention for the four administrations to discuss having a shared information technology platform to deliver these objectives?

Cabinet secretary, why has the Scottish Government not proposed the development of fisheries management plans in the period after 2022?

The joint fisheries statement says that

“The fisheries policy authorities are committed to further developing ... inclusivity and involvement”.

Does the panel believe that co-management currently exists? Do you believe that, within this framework, future policy should be co-designed in a better way? Could you give some examples of how it works and how it does not work? We will start with Elspeth Macdonald.

Can I bring in Helen McLachlan, please? How can we improve our co-designing to ensure that we have a good approach to future fishing policy?

I mean the subsidy and grant provisions that Paul McCarthy mentioned.

But the matter is covered in paragraphs 3.6.3 and 3.6.4 of the JFS. Paragraph 3.6.3 talks about

“the early participation of stakeholders, to identify issues and potential solutions”.

There is a framework to ensure that the Government takes that approach and does so in a transparent way.

We put our trust in ministers. Other than your words of reassurance, how will you ensure that that approach is taken forward?