Minutes: 06 December 2023

1. Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee evidence took on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Dr Liz Barron-Majerik, Scotland Director, Lantra Scotland;

Dr Lorna Cole, Senior Consultant and Dr Vera Eory,Researcher, Scotland’s Rural College ;

Professor Cathy Dwyer, Chair, Scottish Animal Welfare Commission;

Kirsty Jenkins, Policy Officer, OneKind;

Donald MacKinnon, Chair, Scottish Crofting Federation;

David McKay, Head of Policy Scotland, Soil Association;

Nigel Miller, Co-Chair, Farming for 1.5;

Ross Paton, Chair, Scottish Organic Stakeholders Group;

Dr Tara Wight, Scotland Policy and Campaigns Coordinator, Landworkers’ Alliance.

2. UK subordinate legislation:

The Committee considered a proposal by the Scottish Government to consent to the UK Government legislating in a devolved area as set out in the following UK statutory instrument proposal—

Sea Fisheries (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

The Committee agreed that the provisions set out in the notification should be included in the UK SI.

3. Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill(In Private):

The Committee considered the written evidence received.