SP Paper 746 (Web Only)
Contents
Introduction
Inquiries and reports
Scottish Government’s Wildlife Crime in Scotland – 2013 Annual Report
Scotland’s climate change targets
Dairy industry inquiry
National Marine Plan
Scottish Government reviews
Evidence sessions
Bills
Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill
Draft Budget 2015-16
Public Body Consent Memoranda
Subordinate legislation
Petitions
Engagement and innovation
Equalitie
Meetings
Remit and membership
Remit:
To consider and report on agriculture, fisheries, rural development, climate change, the environment and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment.
Membership:
Rob Gibson (Convener)
Graeme Dey (Deputy Convener)
Jayne Baxter (until 31 October 2013)
Claudia Beamish
Nigel Don
Alex Fergusson
Cara Hilton (from 31 October 2013)
Jim Hume
Richard Lyle (until 3 April 2014)
Angus MacDonald
Dave Thompson (from 3 April 2014)
Note: The membership of the Committee changed during the period covered by this report, as follows:
Michael Russell MSP joined the Committee on 27 November 2014 replacing Nigel Don MSP, Scottish National Party, Angus North and Mearns.
Sarah Boyack MSP joined the Committee on 8 January 2015, replacing Cara Hilton MSP, Scottish Labour, Dunfermline.
Annual Report 2014-2015
Introduction
1. This report covers the work of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment (RACCE) Committee during the parliamentary year from 11 May 2014 to 10 May 2015.
Inquiries and reports
Scottish Government’s Wildlife Crime in Scotland – 2013 Annual Report
2. On 20 October 2014, the Scottish Government published1 its annual Wildlife Crime in Scotland report2.
3. The Committee took evidence from the police3 and the previous Minister for Environment and Climate Change4. Following its deliberations, the Committee wrote5 to the Scottish Government, highlighting issues such as: data presentation; levels of reported crime; evidence; police resources; criminal proceedings; vicarious liability; raptor crimes; and future measures to tackle wildlife crime.
Scotland’s climate change targets
4. The Committee took evidence on the implementation of the Second Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP2) and the delivery of Scotland’s climate change targets, hearing both from stakeholders6 and the previous Minister7.
5. The Committee wrote8 to the new Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform setting out its views on progress towards meeting climate change targets.
Dairy industry inquiry
6. In January 2015, the Committee initiated an urgent inquiry into the dairy industry in response to news that producer cooperative First Milk was delaying payment to dairy farmers.
7. The Committee took evidence from a variety of stakeholders, including major retailers, the Grocery Code Adjudicator, processors, dairy farmers and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment.
8. The Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary making recommendations for the future of the dairy industry9. Many of these recommendations were adopted in the Scottish Government Dairy Action Plan, published on 24 March 201510.
9. The Committee secured a debate in the Chamber on the subject which took place on 31 March 201511.
National Marine Plan
10. The Committee took evidence on the draft National Marine Plan from Scottish Government officials12; stakeholders13; and the Cabinet Secretary14.
11. The Committee published its report15 on 30 January 2015, highlighting concerns on whether the draft National Marine Plan was “fit for purpose16”.
Scottish Government reviews
12. The Committee continued (from 2013/14) its scrutiny of issues relating to wild fisheries, land reform and agricultural tenancies as Scottish Government reviews of the subjects reached their conclusion.
13. The Wild Fisheries review panel published its final report on the 8 October 201417. The Committee took evidence on its proposals and wrote to the Scottish Government with its views18.
14. Having taken evidence on the Land Reform Review Group final report, the Committee wrote to the previous Minister outlining its views on the 27 June 201419. On the 5 August 2014, the previous Minister responded, highlighting progress made on the land reform agenda, both through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill and proposals for a land reform bill.
15. The Committee took evidence on both the interim and final report of the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review group throughout the year. The Committee wrote to the Scottish Government outlining its views on the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review final report in May 2015.
Evidence sessions
16. The Committee also took evidence on the following issues—
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Resource use and the circular economy;
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Marine and fisheries issues with George Eustice MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and Marine Environment20, UK Government;
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Marine Protected Areas;
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Mandatory public sector climate reporting;
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The publication of the Crown Estate’s Scotland Report21; and
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The Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy.
Bills
Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill
17. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill was introduced in the Parliament on the 11 June 2014. The Bill was referred to the Local Government and Regeneration Committee for scrutiny as the lead Committee. However, following a request from the Scottish Government22, the RACCE Committee agreed to scrutinise Part 4 of the Bill, on the community right-to-buy land.
18. The Committee published its report on Part 4 of the Bill as part of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s Stage 1 Report23.
19. At stage 2, the Committee took further evidence from stakeholders and the Minister on amendments relating to the crofting community right-to-buy. Additional written evidence was received ahead of these meetings24. The Committee’s consideration of stage 2 amendments of the Bill marked the first time two Committees have concurrently considered a Bill at stage 2 and one Member of the RACCE Committee spoke on amendments in both Committees on the same morning.
Draft Budget 2015-16
20. The Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16 was laid in the Parliament on 9 October 2014. The Committee issued a call for views which focussed on three areas of the budget: forestry, Scottish Rural Development Programme climate measures, and equalities.
21. The Committee took evidence from stakeholders25,26; the Minister27; and the Cabinet Secretary28.
22. The Committee reported29 to the Finance Committee on Monday 12 January 2015.
Public Body Consent Memoranda
23. The Committee considered and reported on the following Public Body Consent Memoranda during the course of the year—
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Public Bodies (Abolition of Food from Britain) Order 2014 [draft];
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Abolition of the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee Order 2014 [draft]; and the
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Public Bodies (Abolition of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides) Order 2015 [draft].
Subordinate legislation
24. Over the course of the year, the Committee scrutinised—
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8 Scottish Statutory Instruments (SSIs) subject to the affirmative procedure, and
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33 SSIs subject to the negative procedure.
Petitions
25. The Committee considered three petitions during the year.
26. It continued its consideration of PE01490 by the Patrick Krause, on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation, on the control of wild geese numbers. The Committee wrote30 to the Scottish Government requesting further details for a second time, following the petitioner’s dissatisfaction with the original response.
27. PE01547 by Ian Gordon and the Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland) on the conservation of wild salmon was also considered. The Committee agreed to review the petition as part of consideration of the Wild Fisheries Review Panel final report and wrote to the Scottish Government on the 27 March 201531.
28. The Committee also considered PE01519 by John F. Robins on behalf of Save Our Seals Fund regarding seal welfare, and agreed to close the petition on 10 December 2014.
Engagement and innovation
29. Over the period, Members of the Committee have welcomed several visitors to the Scottish Parliament. In June 2014, the Committee met with Tassos Haniotis, Director in the Directorate General for Agriculture of the European Commission. In January 2015, the Committee welcomed Members of the Canada/UK Interparliamentary Association, including Canadian Parliamentarians, to the Scottish Parliament to discuss issues of mutual interest relating to climate change.
30. The Committee hosted an event with the Committee on Climate Change in January 2015, led by its Chairman, Lord Deben, to which all MSPs were invited.
31. Other events hosted by the Committee include—
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a meeting with the Scottish Rural Parliament;
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a visit from Anne McIntosh MP, then Chair of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee in the House of Commons; and
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a fact-finding delegation of Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly during Scottish Environment Week.
32. The Committee visited Laggan Farm and Peel Farm in August 2014 to learn more about agri-tourism. The Committee also visited Hatton of Ogilvy Farm to learn more about farm diversification.
33. The Committee has actively promoted its work via its Twitter feed and gained 461 new followers over the period covered by this report, representing an increase of over 50%. The RACCE Twitter feed received a great deal of interaction and was praised by many stakeholders for improving the openness, transparency and accountability of the Committee’s work.
34. As part of coordinated media activity regarding the Committee’s work on wildlife crime in the autumn of 2014, the Committee made a video32 publicising its work which has received over 170 hits on You Tube and also received significant interest on Twitter.
Equalities
35. During its consideration of the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2015-16, the Committee identified equalities as one of the three main themes for scrutiny. The impact of proposals on people depending on their age, location, employment status, gender, as well as a variety of other factors, was considered.
36. In March 2015, the Convener of the RACCE Committee participated33 in a Health and Sport Committee debate on health inequalities.
37. The Committee has made a dedicated effort to diversify the witnesses presenting evidence to the Committee via oral evidence, and has particularly sought to hear from women.
Meetings
38. The Committee met 36 times during the Parliamentary year. One meeting was held entirely in private and 19 other meetings included items in private.
39. The majority of items taken in private were draft reports, consideration of evidence heard in public earlier in meetings and the Committee’s work programme. All meetings were held in Edinburgh.
Any links to external websites in this report were working correctly at the time of publication. However, the Scottish Parliament cannot accept responsibility for content on external websites.
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