Chamber and committees

Thank you.

Thank you. Jim Fairlie has some questions.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 15th meeting in 2022 of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee. I remind members who are using electronic devices to switch them to silent.

Our first item of business is consideration of the Rural Support (Controls) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2022. I refer members to page 3 of paper 1.

Do members have any comments on the regulations?

Are members content that we write to the Scottish Government to ask the question that Ariane Burgess has set out, to seek further information about requirements for reporting on the welfare of animals during transportation, and to ask about its policy of cost recovery from transporters in the event of non-compliance with animal welfare requirements?

Members indicated agreement.

Under agenda item 3, we will consider the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill at stage 2. I welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands and her supporting officials.

Before we begin, I will explain the procedure briefly for anybody who is watching. There will be one debate on each group of amendments. I will call the member who lodged the first amendment in the group to speak to and move that amendment and to speak to all the other amendments in the group. I will then call any other members who have lodged amendments in the group. Members who have not lodged amendments in the group but who wish to speak should catch my attention. If the cabinet secretary has not already spoken on the group, I will then invite her to contribute to the debate. The debate on the group will be concluded when I invite the member who moved the first amendment in the group to wind up.

Following the debate on the group, I will check whether the member who moved the first amendment in the group wishes to press it to a vote or to withdraw it. If they wish to press it, I will put the question on that amendment. If a member wishes to withdraw their amendment after it has been moved, they must seek the agreement of other members to do so. If any member present objects, the committee will immediately move to the vote on the amendment.

If any member does not want to move their amendment when they are called, they should say, “Not moved”. Please note that any other member present may move that amendment. If no one moves the amendment, I will immediately call the next amendment on the marshalled list.

Only committee members are allowed to vote. Voting in a division is by a show of hands. It is important that members keep their hands clearly raised until the clerk has recorded the vote.

The committee is required to indicate formally that it has considered and agreed to each section of the bill, so I will put a question on each section at the appropriate point.

We might not be able to conclude stage 2 consideration at today’s meeting, in which case we will do so at next week’s meeting.

I draw members’ attention to a pre-emption in the final group, which is on scrutiny of regulations. Amendment 60 pre-empts amendments 61 to 63, which means that, if amendment 60 is agreed to, I cannot call amendments 61 to 63. I do not anticipate reaching that group today, but I wanted to ensure that that was brought to members’ attention. That information will be included in the groupings document ahead of next week’s meeting.

Before section 1

The result of the division is: For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 1 disagreed to.

Amendment 31 moved—[Rachael Hamilton].

The question is, that amendment 1 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

The result of the division is: For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 31 disagreed to.

Amendment 2 moved—[Colin Smyth].

The question is, that amendment 2 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

Amendment 3, in the name of Rhoda Grant, is grouped with amendments 5, 40, 10, 10A, 12, 12A, 14, 15, 17, 18, 28 and 29.