Seòmar agus comataidhean

That is right.

The six amendments in my name—61 to 63 and 65 to 67—are in three pairs.

Amendment 61 would remove regulations under section 4, which relates to the effect of the national plan, from being subject to the negative procedure, and amendment 65 would make those regulations subject to the affirmative procedure.

Amendment 62 would remove regulations under sections 7(2)(c) or 7(3)(b), which relate to the designation of specified public authorities as relevant authorities, from being subject to the negative procedure, and amendment 66 would make those regulations subject to the affirmative procedure.

Amendment 63 would remove regulations under section 10, which relates to the effect of the relevant authorities’ good food nation plans, from being subject to the negative procedure, and amendment 67 would make those regulations subject to the affirmative procedure.

In those three cases, my argument is the same: I believe the affirmative procedure to be the most appropriate in those cases, as it would enable a greater level of parliamentary scrutiny of the regulations, which is required for the bill to be as robust and effective as possible.

I support the principles of amendment 6, in the name of Rhoda Grant. My amendment 6A would remove the word “carbon” from the phrase “Scotland’s international carbon footprint” at line 13 and replace it with “environmental and social”. The impacts for Scotland relating to the food industry go beyond our carbon footprint—they include ecological impacts and human rights obligations—so I believe that that phrase better encompasses that idea.

Amendment 35, in my name, would place a duty on the Government that the

“national good food nation plan must have regard to the social and nutritional needs of children and young people in full time education at breakfast and lunch times.”

It is important that children and young people in primary and secondary education have access to nutritional, varied, culturally appropriate and appealing food at breakfast and lunch times, that they have an element of choice in relation to their food options and that breakfast and lunch settings in schools are social places where children and young people feel comfortable. That should be covered by the new national good food nation plan.

Amendment 47, in my name, sets out a small number of high-level outcomes that are to be achieved through the local good food nation plans of relevant authorities. The list covers a range of food-related issues. There is reference to sustainable production contributing to climate and biodiversity targets; animal welfare; health and wellbeing; access to food; resilient local food economies; fair and resilient food supply chains; and reducing Scotland’s international environmental and social footprint.

The list is not exhaustive. Instead, it provides a minimum that enables relevant authorities to have, from the start, a list of outcomes to orient their work and provide a common direction, although the outcomes are broad enough to allow for tailoring to local circumstances.

Amendment 48, in my name, would require that a relevant authority’s good food nation plan must

“set out how the relevant authority will engage with social care providers to secure the achievement of the outcomes of the plan.”

Social care settings are often in the private sector, and the amendment would ensure that relevant authorities engage with those providers so that the food provision needs of people in social care are included in the work of good food nation plans. That means that those people will not be left behind.

Amendment 49 seeks to place a duty on relevant authorities for good food nation plans to

“have regard to the social and nutritional needs of children and young people in full time education at breakfast and lunch times.”

It is important that children and young people in primary and secondary education have access to nutritional, varied, culturally appropriate and appealing food at breakfast and lunch times, that there is an element of choice in their food options and that the breakfast and lunch settings in schools or social places where children and young people feel comfortable are covered in relevant authorities’ local good food nation plans.

Rachael Hamilton has a brief supplementary question, and then I will bring in Ariane Burgess.

Alasdair Allan made a good point about workforce dispersal. If people are going to be working at home more, they also need digital connectivity. I have always said that there can be work from the outside coming in, but far too many remote areas still do not have the connectivity that they need to allow everybody to have the opportunity of hybrid working, if that is the option.

I thank the cabinet secretary and officials for joining us this morning and for the helpful advice that they have provided, and I suspend the meeting to allow our witnesses to leave.

Our third item is consideration of the Official Controls (Transitional Staging Period) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/90). The instrument has been made using powers under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

The process for consideration of instruments that are laid under the 2018 act consists of two parts. First, the committee must agree whether it is content that the parliamentary procedure that has been designated to the instrument by the Scottish Government is appropriate. I refer members to paper 3, which starts on page 14 of the briefing pack.

The Scottish Government has designated the negative procedure for this Scottish statutory instrument. Are members content that the negative parliamentary procedure that has been designated to the instrument by the Scottish Government is appropriate? I ask members to raise their hand or to type R in the chat box if participating remotely.

Members indicated agreement.

We turn to the policy of the instrument. If members have any comments on the instrument, they should raise their hand or type R in the chat box if participating remotely.

Members will have seen the proposal that is set out on page 17 of the members’ pack. Are members content to write to the Scottish Government to ask why it considers it necessary to introduce this exemption, which, unless the transitional staging period is extended for a fourth time, would be in place for only approximately six weeks, between 12 May and 30 June 2022, and for an update regarding the transitional staging period beyond 30 June 2022?

Members indicated agreement.

Yes, we can do that.

I absolutely agree. We can always learn lessons and there is no point in reinventing the wheel.

Jenni Minto has the next question.