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I would like some clarification, which I think that you are providing, on the amendments to change the term from “assistance dog” to “helper dog”. I have heard concerns that using a different term from the one that is established in law could create operational issues for law enforcement, which might undermine what section 2 intends to achieve. Will you go into that more fully, to allay the concerns that have been brought to me? That would be welcome.

Josh, I want to come back to your point about the wording of “environmental use” and what people have said in general. You may not be across it, but the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill is going through the Parliament. Have you thought about the connection between what might need to be said in the crofting bill and the natural environment bill?

Constituents have raised a broader concern with me, which is that there is a sense that there has been a bit of tinkering around the edges of existing schemes rather than the transformational change that was promised in the vision for agriculture.

The Government has failed to deliver its initial plan of a menu of measures for tier 2 of agriculture reform, and stakeholders have raised with me that the changes are a very poor alternative. They have raised questions on the Government’s ability to deliver better outcomes for nature and climate through stronger conditionality. I want to put on the record that people are raising concerns that we are not getting into the agricultural vision space.

Clearly, reporting is a delicate issue. If a neighbour reports somebody, however it pans out, there is the issue of living with that conflict. As a representative of the Highlands and Islands, I know that a lot of amazing things are happening there, but I come across quite a bit of conflict among communities. It is heartbreaking that people have to live in that situation.

I have been thinking about that issue. Maybe this is not for the bill, but I feel that we need something—I would call it a soft infrastructure—to provide support and funding for people. Some of you might know about the Common Ground Forum, which is working well in the deer management space. We need something to recognise that conflict could happen in the crofting setting. We need to be proactive, recognise that and fund people who have the skills to manage conflict and to help people move through it. People might have a conflict, but they do not have to live with it for ever. When people come to the table and start talking to each other, that can help them to move on.

I feel that we need something, although that is not necessarily for the bill. At our previous evidence session on the bill, somebody used the word “clyping”. I loved Josh Doble’s point that it is in the public interest that crofting is working well. We maybe need to help people better than we are doing in the rural space. What are your thoughts on that?

My questions are about part 2, which concerns the merger of the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland. I see from the papers that most people are content with the idea from the point of view of streamlining and efficiencies. I am happy for people to come in and say more about that if they want to.

However, I have a particular interest in the potential, which is mentioned by Josh Doble in his submission, to extend

“the jurisdiction of Scottish Land Court to cover environmental rights, including litigation concerning contraventions of environmental laws, statutory and common law”

and

“nuisance and planning matters.”

Dr Doble, could you expand on the opportunity to establish an environmental court in Scotland?

Josh, I want to come back to your point about the wording of “environmental use” and what people have said in general. You may not be across it, but the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill is going through the Parliament. Have you thought about the connection between what might need to be said in the crofting bill and the natural environment bill?

So there is a need for a more nuanced understanding and for better information to be uncovered.

We will move on to the theme of—

Thank you. We will move on to the transformation agenda, which Mark Griffin will ask about, but if there is any other information that you want to tuck into your answers to the next questions, please do that.

I will pick up on the big hopes for AI, and I hear your point about the opportunities, cabinet secretary. This point did not come up in the last panel, but it has come to my mind, and I would be interested to understand what sense the Government has of it. The data centres will use a huge amount of energy, and I wonder whether we are preparing properly for that need when we are trying to roll out our renewable energy sector, upgrade a grid and everything else. Is that issue being taken on board?

That would be good because we are putting a lot of hopes on AI helping local government. Given we are trying to keep an eye on what is going on, that would be helpful.