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Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/412)

Letter from the Convener to the Minister for Environment and Land Reform of 10 December 2021

Dear Minister,

At its meeting on 7 December, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee considered the above instrument. While the Committee agreed to make no recommendations in relation to the instrument, we also agreed to write to the Scottish Government to request further information on the implementation dates chosen, and the rationale for choosing those dates. As noted by Mark Ruskell MSP during the public session:

‘larger farms will have to move quickly in dealing with slurry in a more responsible way but, for smaller farms, there will be a delay. There will be a transitional period of up to five years, with the regulations not really taking effect until 2027. That leaves us just three years before we are meant to meet the 30 per cent methane reduction target.’

More information would be useful to understand the Scottish Government’s thinking on the above, as well as information on whether the Scottish Government was approached in relation to implementation dates before a policy on this was determined? If so, by whom and with what consequences for this policy?

The Official Report for this meeting can be found here - Official Report (parliament.scot)

Yours sincerely,

Dean Lockhart MSP

Convener

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee