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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 4 April 2025
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Displaying 514 contributions

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Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

Fisheries Management Scotland told the committee that it continues to receive reports about escaped juveniles from freshwater farms appearing in rivers, yet no escapes have been reported to the fish health inspectorate. Can you explain that discrepancy, and what action the industry is taking to prevent such escapes?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

Okay, but the farm did not know that the fish had escaped. It did not report an escape.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

I have one further question. Do you expect the processing site to reopen? I have visited it and have seen the skills of the workforce there. The staff will have moved on and, I hope, found other jobs. How do you protect a workforce with that level of skill and rebuild it after closure?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

Perhaps we could write to you about that. I am sorry for putting you on the spot but it was worth asking the question while you were here.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

I have been listening to the responses, which make it clear that freshwater treatments have been beneficial, but I am picking up a wee bit of reluctance. I understand that fish handling is an issue, but I am hearing concern that possible future regulation might make that a requirement, rather than something to be done when the need arises.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Meeting date: 2 October 2024

Rhoda Grant

Thank you.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 25 September 2024

Rhoda Grant

The real concern is about the timeframe. In the farming community, there are already concerns about the length of time that it is taking to produce the rural support plan and all the bits that are attached to it.

The timeframe in the regulations creates a fear that we could still be on 2018 funding for LFASS in 2030, because, if we pass this legislation, there is nothing that the committee or the Parliament can do to change it or to force the Government to change it. That funding rate could just go on, and that is not acceptable. That is what we are trying to say loud and clear. You can give us assurances, but you cannot set it in stone that that will not happen.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 25 September 2024

Rhoda Grant

My concern in relation to an island impact assessment is that I believe that the regulations could have an impact.

The minister will be well aware that people have been talking for a long time about micro-abattoirs and the benefits—both animal welfare and economic—there would be if island communities, and smaller communities away from markets, were able to have abattoirs. They would be able to sell their own meat locally, the tourism industry would benefit, because there would be local produce available, and people could sell online. It would make for a huge economic boost.

Anything that adds to not only the cost but the bureaucracy of the process pushes all those things further and further away, and my concern is that the regulations might do that. They might just add another hurdle to get over. I am not suggesting for one moment that we are making great progress with having abattoirs—in fact, some that we have are already under threat—but the regulations could, first of all, dispense with those that are there and, secondly, stop us from getting others.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 25 September 2024

Rhoda Grant

Do you have a timescale for that?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 25 September 2024

Rhoda Grant

It would be good to get some information, because we are also hearing from industry that that is causing problems for it.

Rachael Hamilton talked about marine science being an outlier in Scotland with regard to publications. It is also an outlier internationally because it is not independent of Government. Is the current structure of marine science appropriate? Does it have sufficient resources and is it independent enough? Dr Robin Cook said to the committee:

“In laboratories across Europe and, indeed, in North America, science is managed at arm’s length from Government. The perception among other scientists is that those are more independent organisations. There is a lack of trust among people outside Government in Government science, because of the fear that it is being manipulated or influenced unduly.”—[Official Report, Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, 4 September 2024; c 23.]

How would you respond to that?