Seòmar agus comataidhean

Again, we are starting off with what the overall quantum of the funding would be for the immediate future; that is what we have announced. I do not anticipate making changes to that immediately.

Yes.

Absolutely. We have discussed the various iterations of the islands programme at length with the committee; we have had direct allocations, and we have run the competitive bid model before, too. Of course, there are pros and cons to each of the models, but we have genuinely taken on board the feedback that we have heard from committee members, as well as from people who are utilising the fund, and we have made changes and adapted the islands programme funding in response to some of that feedback.

Of course, if you or other committee members have been hearing other comments on the carbon-neutral islands programme and how it is operating, I am more than happy to listen to and take on board that feedback to see whether any improvements can be made for the future.

I have not had any submissions in front of me, so it is not possible for me to pull out that information. As I said, it will happen imminently if those decisions have been taken. However, as I have had no submission in that respect, I cannot set that out for you.

Thank you, convener and committee members, for the opportunity to speak to you on the delegated powers in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. I am committed to working with members to ensure that we deliver good law. I know that members will have a range of questions on the powers, but I want to make a couple of opening comments to give some background to the overall approach to the bill.

As set out in the delegated powers memorandum, the overarching policy objectives of the bill are to help to realise our vision for land reform and sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The bill covers the on-going management and transfer of large landholdings. It will also help to secure the viability of tenant farming and enable tenant farmers and small landholders to participate in delivering our vision for agriculture. Specifically, the bill covers four principal policy areas: land reform, a new land management tenancy, agricultural holdings legislation and small landholding legislation.

As I outlined in my response to the committee’s initial questions, I want to ensure that the bill provides the correct balance between primary and secondary legislation so that the key measures are in the bill and proper scrutiny of the measures that are made under the bill takes place. With that, I welcome the committee’s views, as well as those of stakeholders more widely, to ensure that the bill strikes the correct balance.

Thank you, convener and committee members, for the opportunity to speak to you on the delegated powers in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. I am committed to working with members to ensure that we deliver good law. I know that members will have a range of questions on the powers, but I want to make a couple of opening comments to give some background to the overall approach to the bill.

As set out in the delegated powers memorandum, the overarching policy objectives of the bill are to help to realise our vision for land reform and sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The bill covers the on-going management and transfer of large landholdings. It will also help to secure the viability of tenant farming and enable tenant farmers and small landholders to participate in delivering our vision for agriculture. Specifically, the bill covers four principal policy areas: land reform, a new land management tenancy, agricultural holdings legislation and small landholding legislation.

As I outlined in my response to the committee’s initial questions, I want to ensure that the bill provides the correct balance between primary and secondary legislation so that the key measures are in the bill and proper scrutiny of the measures that are made under the bill takes place. With that, I welcome the committee’s views, as well as those of stakeholders more widely, to ensure that the bill strikes the correct balance.

I believe that what we have set out here strikes the appropriate balance with the powers that we are proposing to take, but I am happy to consider any recommendations that the committee might make in relation to the instruments that we have introduced as part of the bill. I touched on some of the legislation that I have previously taken through the Parliament, for which the feedback of the committee was very much considered and taken on board. I am more than happy to hear the recommendations.

I do not necessarily agree with that, because of the thresholds and the transfer test that we are introducing. Of course, that would not fundamentally alter what land could form part of that or change how breaches are reported in various other areas that we have talked about.

No, it is not a change. It has been the case previously.

In relation to a number of the measures that you mentioned, we have set out our overall approach and rationale in the policy memorandum. However, we recognise that work needs to be on-going in a number of areas in which we have picked up particular issues. There are areas that we are hearing about in evidence, which we still want to work through with our stakeholders.

I do not know whether it would be valuable to touch on some of the work that has been undertaken so far. I will pass to Fiona Leslie, who has been working on the small landholdings proposals and agricultural tenancies in particular.