The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 789 contributions
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 8 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
You have mentioned some of the things that you are doing on that front. Clearly, farmers are committed to environmental and animal welfare aims—as, I am sure, you are. You mentioned some interventions, but the big influence that you have is, of course, the price that you are prepared to pay. How do you ensure that the price that you are prepared to pay is having the right influence and is not creating perverse incentives or pressures that are difficult for farmers to reconcile with the high aims?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 8 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
I have a question on the way in which the operation of snaring offences under the bill might work. I wonder whether anyone has a view on how vicarious liability, which the committee has touched on before, might apply, and what the consequences of it might be.
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 8 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
Can you say a bit more about your work with farmers and others to ensure high standards in environmental and animal welfare? You just touched on that, but will you comment specifically on how that is scrutinised, reported and assessed by you?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 8 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
I appreciate that you have touched on this, Mike, and that others have touched on it as well. I also appreciate that there is no law or legal framework for you to operate within yet. However, so that people who are looking in can understand what option 2 is and what compromise is, can somebody from the police, the SSPCA or anyone else say whether they have a shared understanding of who does what under that option?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 8 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
How does the market share compare with that in other European countries?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 1 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
I do not know how the example that I gave relates to the present law and how it relates to the proposed new law, but what might be the consequences for a land manager more generally? Would vicarious liability be taken into consideration in relation to agricultural payments and so on?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 1 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
Will the concept of vicarious liability apply to snaring offences under the proposed legislation? If so, how?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 1 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
Minister, you mentioned the primacy of the police in investigations. What conversations has the Scottish Government had with the police and the Crown Office about those issues? There was mention of a proposed compromise around some of the reservations that had been expressed by them. I am thinking particularly about matters such as powers of entry.
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 1 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
Yes. Why is the bill framed as it is?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 1 November 2023
Alasdair Allan
Could you say a little bit about the circumstances in which you think, from the evidence that you have, that snaring is still used legally and about the arguments that are put forward for its being used legally? Also, you mentioned that you would like to see a ban on the use but not the sale of snares. Could you say a bit more about the reasoning behind that?