Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you for making time to consider this draft SSI. As the committee will note, this is a very brief SSI, which makes changes to two dates that relate to plant health import inspection fees.

It extends until 1 July 2025 the end date for easements regarding the introduction of fees in relation to official checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetable goods being imported into Scotland from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It does the same for fees in relation to plant health checks on goods arriving into Scotland from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland via the west coast ports.

By way of context for the changes, I draw the committee’s attention to the UK statutory instrument, the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) and Plant Health (Frequency of Checks) (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2024.

Convener, I wrote to you on 29 August to seek the approval of the Scottish Parliament of proposals by the Scottish ministers to consent to the making of that UK secondary legislation affecting devolved areas, and I thank the committee in advance for its consideration. The SSI before the committee represents consequential changes that are required due to proposals that are set out in the linked UK statutory instrument.

The changes that are proposed to the dates on a Great Britain-wide basis by the UK SI and, through the SSI that is before the committee today, to the application of the related fees in Scotland are as follows. The UK SI makes changes in relation to annex 6 of the EU official controls regulation by extending, from 31 October 2024 to 1 July 2025, the period under which plants and plant products from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland entering GB through a west coast port are not subject to controls. That helps to address the lack of clarity from the UK Government on the timeline for the implementation of checks on goods entering via west coast ports, which the cabinet secretary and I discussed with the committee at its meeting on 11 September. We remain concerned that the UK Government has yet to communicate clearly to the industry the timescales for the introduction of the range of checks at west coast ports and the complex issues that need to be resolved before that can happen.

Similarly, the UK SI extends to 1 July 2025 the period during which certain EU medium-risk fruit and vegetables are not subject to certain import controls. A statement was issued to the industry by the UK Government on 13 September, setting out the extension, from January 2025 to 1 July 2025, of the easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU.

That clarity is welcome, and it is long overdue. As I said to the committee on 11 September, we are trying to reset the relationship between the UK and the devolved Governments. I hope that the clarity on dates that is provided through the linked SI represents a new beginning in that regard.

I ask the committee to support the SSI to ensure that the relevant plant health import inspection fees for Scotland are aligned to the revised dates. I consider the regulations to be necessary and appropriate. My officials and I are happy to take questions from the committee.

That is exactly the position that we are in.

There might well be, if that is what happens, but we will not know that until we have certainty from the UK Government.

No, we did not.

Do you want to answer the full question, James?

The SSI does not change policy. All it is trying to do is allow us to continue to make payments beyond the current period to 2030. There is nothing hidden in it and nothing that has not been considered by the full industry. It is just to allow us to, as James Muldoon said, keep the machine running so that we can continue to make the payments until 2030.

Why have I left what to the last minute?

Okay. Your point is? I am asking you to clarify—

I am still not sure what the point of the question is. The SSI will merely allow the Government to continue to make payments up until 2030. The committee is well aware that there is a route map and that the LFASS arrangements are being discussed with the ARIOB. As far as I know, the committee is well aware that the NFUS has said that it is comfortable with the SSI. We know that LFASS is being reviewed, but the SSI will simply allow the Government to continue to make the payments in whatever form they happen to be made. There will be far more opportunities for the Parliament and the committee to review what is proposed. The SSI is purely the mechanism to allow us to continue to make payments, in whatever shape or form, as we go from here.

If we do not act, the payments will stop at the end of the year, so we want to ensure that there is a mechanism for continuing to pay farmers. It is that simple. I do not understand what I am being asked to do at this point.

I will hand over to James Muldoon to answer that question.

Yes.