Chamber and committees

Would Anna Taylor like to address that question?

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

Our first item of business is an evidence session on the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill. I welcome our first panel of witnesses, who will focus on policy outcomes relating to social and economic wellbeing. Polly Jones is head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust; Pete Ritchie is director of Nourish Scotland; Tilly Robinson-Miles is the impact and policy officer at Food Train; and Anna Taylor is the executive director at the Food Foundation.

I ask each member of the panel to make a brief opening statement.

I am sorry—

That brings us to the end of the session. There are one or two questions that we would like to follow up in writing and I hope that you will be able to respond to the committee with written responses. Thank you very much for your input today, which has been most valuable.

We resume our evidence taking on the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill. With our second panel, we will focus on policy outcomes relating to supply chain resilience and economic development.

I welcome John Davidson, chief—I am sorry; deputy chief executive and strategy director at Scotland Food & Drink; Karen Galloway, head of retail and insights at Seafood Scotland; Jonnie Hall, director of policy for NFU Scotland; and Claire White, manager of Shetland Food and Drink Ltd.

I invite each of you to make a brief opening statement, starting with John Davidson.

On the back of that, we need to remember that the bill as it currently stands brings in a requirement only to produce a plan. The private sector is not involved in that.

At the risk of stepping on other members’ toes in future questions, I will ask John Davidson a question. You guys represent the private sector. Do you think that duties should be placed on parts of the private sector? We are talking about supermarkets perhaps having an obligation to buy local, procure local and have local produce in the store. Do you think the bill needs to go further in order address such things instead of just having an obligation to produce a plan?

Our second item of business is consideration of the proposed parliamentary procedure for a Scottish statutory instrument. I refer members to paper 3.

As the regulations were made under the European Union (Withdrawal Act) 2018, we first need to consider whether the parliamentary procedure that has been designated to the instrument by the Scottish Government is appropriate. Members will note that the negative procedure was designated, and that the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee agreed with that designation when it considered the matter on 18 January.

Are members content that the negative procedure is appropriate for the SSI? I ask members who are participating remotely to type an N in the chat box if they do not agree; otherwise, I will presume that members are content. There has been no comment, so we are content.

Jim Fairlie has a brief supplementary question.

I think that we have heard Pete Ritchie’s opinion on the matter. Would Tilly Robinson-Miles like to respond?

Before we move on to the next theme, we have two brief supplementary questions from Jim Fairlie and Alasdair Allan. I ask you to address your questions to specific panel members.