Chamber and committees

The biodiversity intactness is a worrying statistic. We are highly focused on reducing carbon dioxide now, and we hear about net zero all the time. Are we addressing the biodiversity crisis in the way that we should? Should we attack it first and allow the climate to look after itself or the other way round? Do we have the emphasis right in Scotland? Our ability to change the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is limited by the size of our country, whereas the biodiversity loss in Scotland is pretty dramatic. Are we focusing on the right area?

We will come back to the question of sustainable agriculture management. Beatrice Wishart has some questions about peatland.

I appreciate that. We will now move on to the theme of sustainable agricultural management.

We will go to Marc Metzger and then to Pete Smith.

That takes us nicely on to one of the issues that covers everything: data.

Please be very quick.

Can I stop you for a second, Professor Fernandes? We are struggling to hear you. Could you move closer to the microphone?

Thank you very much, cabinet secretary. We will move on to questions.

Do you intend to make suggestions on how the bill might be strengthened? A briefing from the Dogs Trust suggests that 97 per cent of owners have three dogs or fewer, but the legislation says that five dogs should be allowed to be imported under the pet owners scheme. Is that appropriate? Do you have any intention of strengthening that provision to ensure that the puppy trafficking that we are seeing through the likes of Cairnryan does not continue?

Minister, we have already corresponded with you on the topic of border controls. In relation to movements between the UK and Ireland in the context of EU exit, what are the implications of the bill for border controls in relation to domestic animal movements and the prohibition of livestock exports, including enforcement requirements?

I have just one other question, on zoos. There was correspondence about the timescales for implementation of some of the new regulations. The conservation aspects of the regulations are all welcome, but have you any concerns that the timescales might put some of our zoos and conservation parks in Scotland at risk because of the short time that they potentially will have in which to implement the policies in the bill?