Chamber and committees

In that case, how can the UK Government do so?

Throughout the bill process, we heard from stakeholders who said that it would be useful for the Scottish Government to recognise that the processing facilities in Scotland are not up to scratch and that it would be easier for people to access food locally if those processing facilities were available, rather than food being produced in Scotland and then having to travel to England and back to Scotland to the retailers.

We need a recognition that we have to do something about that. My amendment sets out to ensure that we evaluate where those food miles are going. A number of products are travelling a long way to get back to source, and it is important that people can access food locally. I am disappointed that the cabinet secretary does not seem to recognise the intent behind the amendment.

I think that it was a consequential amendment to amendment 28. I think that you have already called amendment 112.

I move amendment 118.

I recognise that amendment 94 is puzzling to many, but I hope that I can explain my thinking behind it.

As is noted in the stage 1 committee report, a definition of “high-quality food” is not provided in either the bill or the accompanying documents. We were told by the Scottish Government officials that high-quality food relates to

“unadulterated produce that comes out of the ground and that is produced under the basic standards and expectations of Scottish agriculture.” —[Official Report, Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, 29 November 2023; c 4.]

Therefore, there is a fairly woolly explanation coming from the Scottish Government. With no definition of “high quality” detailed in the bill, that will lead to a lack of clarity for farmers. I look forward to hearing from the cabinet secretary as to whether she will work with me to add a definition to the bill at stage 3, if amendment 94 is not agreed to.

Amendment 97 would insert a new purpose of

“the protection and preservation of food security”

into the objectives of the bill. As we all know, food security should be at the heart of the bill, given that Scotland’s food producers face significant challenges in the coming years. The amendment is intended to ensure that the bill delivers on strengthening Scotland’s food security.

Amendment 101 would allow for the recognition of farmers as an objective of the bill by specifically including them in section 1(d). By making specific reference to farmers, the amendment seeks to highlight the crucial role of farmers and to ensure that they are noted in the bill as a distinct group. Although some might believe that farmers are already encompassed by the term “rural communities”, my amendment would put beyond all doubt that allowing farmers to thrive should be a clear and distinct objective of the bill.

My amendment 102 would create an additional bill objective to protect and effectively manage soil health. Soil health, as we know and have heard in evidence, is an integral part of farmers’ ability to deliver high-quality food, climate adaptation and food security. Of course, that will also be integral to the code of practice on sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

On my colleagues’ amendments, I am very happy to support amendment 92, in the name of Colin Smyth; amendment 93, in the name of Emma Harper; amendment 20, in the name of Rhoda Grant; amendment 22, in the name of Elena Whitham; amendment 23, in the name of Ariane Burgess, which I pick out as dealing with a factor that is important to young people; and amendment 108, in the name of Colin Smyth.

Do you believe that Governments should bring forward a plan for what they are going to allocate to the rural affairs budget before a budget or a spending review? Is that what you are saying?

This is a really important section. Amendment 114 requires each future rural support plan to evaluate the previous rural support plan. It is a sensible amendment that is designed to make Scottish ministers reflect on the effectiveness of the previous rural support plans in order to improve future plans. It was noted in the stage 1 committee report that an amendment to this effect would

“provide transparency and accountability around the effectiveness of the strategic priorities and budget of the previous plan in terms of meeting the overarching objectives”.

Amendment 116 requires further information about the support schemes to be set out in the rural support plan, including the objectives for the scheme, the intended outcomes, targets and milestones, how the scheme will be monitored and evaluated, the date that the scheme will commence, and the initial budget for the scheme and the sources of funding. The amendment is designed to give much-needed clarity and detail to farmers who will be impacted by future schemes. It allows Parliament to scrutinise the detail of future support schemes. An amendment to this effect was also outlined by the stage 1 committee report, which noted calls from stakeholders for the rural support plan to outline the detail on the objectives that I have asked for in my amendment.

Amendment 117 requires each rural support plan to include a scheme that is intended to support young farmers under the age of 41. Only 6 per cent of farmers in Scotland are under the age of 35, and it is clear that the future of Scottish farming is at risk in relation to that demographic. Every young person in rural Scotland should have the opportunity to farm or pursue a career in a rural sector, if they so wish. The Scottish Government needs to support our young farmers to overcome the barriers that they face, such as the high cost of securing access to land, and my amendment would ensure that young farmers are given access to specific funding that is tailored to them. That will support the next generation of Scotland’s farmers and secure Scotland’s food and farming future. Because the Scottish Government is so keen on aligning with Europe, it reflects some of the movements that have been made in the European Union.

Amendment 120 requires Scottish ministers to conduct a food mile analysis before the publication of a rural support plan, and to have regard for the analysis in the subsequent plan. A public sector food mile analysis would improve our understanding of the challenges that Scotland’s supply chain faces. It would increase transparency and improve fairness in the supply chain for farmers and food producers. My amendment aims to reduce unnecessary food miles by ensuring that food that is produced locally can be processed locally.

Amendments 121 and 126 provide for the rural support plans to be laid before Parliament for at least 30 days, allowing Parliament sufficient time to scrutinise and report on them, as called for in the stage 1 committee report. The explanation for amendment 126 is similar to my explanation for amendment 121.

Amendment 127 requires ministers to consult such persons as they consider appropriate or affected by a rural support plan or an amended plan before publishing it. The minister previously stated that the rural support plan will be co-designed alongside stakeholders. Again, that was called for in the stage 1 committee report. This essential amendment provides reassurance to stakeholders by requiring a statutory consultation on future plans.

I would like clarity on what the Scottish Government would do in relation to its commitment to agriculture prior to a budget. Will the Scottish Government come forward before the budget with an indicative number that it could set towards its commitment to agriculture?

I hear what you are saying, cabinet secretary. Basically, you are throwing a grenade at all the amendments in this group. All of us have worked in good faith with the Government bill team to shed light on the clarity, scrutiny, evaluation, impact and monitoring of the rural support plan—a lot of which we would like to be in the bill. Do you believe that a lot of that detail should be in the bill when we come to stage 3, or will you and the Government team continue with the proposal to put it in secondary legislation?

At the moment, I am minded not to support amendment 5. Unless you are just about to come to it, what do you mean by “fair work principles”? What are they? Some of those fair work principles are set by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board—the board sets farm wages. What is the difference between what operates now and those fair work principles?