Chamber and committees

It would be worth having a commitment to a timeline for some of the serious ambition that the Government may have to protect salmon.

Is there any point in the life cycle of the salmon, up to the finished product, that would alert you to any loopholes in the reporting of sea lice levels?

Cabinet secretary, I am not sure whether it was your policy decision or a collective decision by the Scottish Government, but it was decided to lower from six to four the number of sea lice that are permitted before intervention is mandatory. One of the reasons that you have given for not pursuing that commitment is that a treatment

“could contradict a vet’s view on the best option for the health and welfare of the farmed fish.”

I would like you to explain when it would not be in the salmon’s interest to deal with sea lice. Are you committed to reviewing that decision in the future? What is your timeline for that?

Okay. At present, the average level of sea lice is around four and a half. I do not know whether you have a different figure, but what is your ambition?

Convener, I welcome your understanding of this and the understanding of my colleagues. Your suggestion is great. We must make sure that we get that information, whether from a minister or otherwise. The biggest point is the urgency of this, and we, as a committee, have the opportunity to consider the matter.

I asked it in relation to question 8, so it is fine, convener. However, I would like to pick up on the point that Rhoda Grant just made. Cabinet secretary, does the Scottish Government support Salmon Scotland’s suggestion to ring fence £10 million for rural housing in order to deal with depopulation?

I presume that you are talking about the withdrawal period before sale.

Convener, would you rather that someone else cover the mortality issue?

Through the equally safe strategy to eradicate violence against women, what advice has COSLA given to local authorities on raising awareness and encouraging women to report these terrible situations?

This question is for Louise Long. With regard to the roles that Gayle Findlay has talked about, we have heard a lot about the interaction between the third sector and council social workers and community workers. I presume that those roles will always exist and that you will always provide them. At the moment, are the people who perform those roles your interface with asylum seekers when it comes to community cohesion issues? Do they help with access to services by acting as the point of contact for someone who has issues connected to human trafficking that they want to share? Are those the right people? Can you talk us through that?