Seòmar agus comataidhean

Yes, absolutely. I brought the regulations for the commission to the committee earlier this year. We announced that we had appointed Dennis Overton as its chair a few weeks ago, in mid-August. That is an important first step in establishing the commission, and we will look to recruit further members.

We want to make sure that the commission is up and running at the same time as we introduce the plan. We think that that timeline makes sense, but I am happy to keep the committee updated as that work progresses.

The point about evidence-based decision making is absolutely right. Such evidence is factoring into the work that we are taking forward on fisheries management plans. I would not disagree with that point, because that is hugely important. We want to base FMPs on the best available evidence, and the stocks that we have focused on initially have been those on which a wider set of information is available.

I absolutely agree. We certainly do not want to wait until the forthcoming TCA before we put across our position on what we expect the agreement to look like. I had a brief initial meeting with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, in the summer, just after his appointment. The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity and I, together with those from the other devolved Administrations, will be meeting the UK Government on Monday. I hope that that will provide a bit of a reset for relations with the UK Government, which is what we need. We will be able to approach such issues and make known to the UK Government our interests and the areas that we see as important. Fisheries are disproportionately important to Scotland and our wider economy, so we want to ensure that our interests are represented as much as possible.

We have some other expectations for a future TCA. We have set out our position on what a veterinary and sanitary and phytosanitary agreement could look like, because the arrangements could certainly be improved. It sounds as though the UK Government wants to head in that direction, too, so that we can remove some of the barriers to trade with the EU.

We are clear in all our discussions with the UK Government that nothing should be done at the expense of industries that are important to Scotland. It is hugely important that we have a seat at the table and can feed in to discussions. I will certainly be seeking that through my engagement with the UK Government.

Do you mean in relation to the whole TCA more broadly?

I do not know what the timescales are just now. Annabel Turpie has moved to a temporary position because of the various moves that are taking place. Perhaps Iain Wallace has more to say on that.

That is certainly not the case. The piece of work on offshore MPAs on which we are currently consulting has been in development for a long time, and we are putting forward the full range of management measures as part of that. We have engaged extensively with industry over the past five years, or even longer, in order to bring those proposals forward. I know that some stakeholders have welcomed the fact that this piece of work has finally been progressed and that we are consulting on it. The work is being led by another portfolio, but it is certainly not introducing HPMAs—I think that we have made our position on that very clear.

I know that other sites, such as the University of Aberdeen, are being used, too. Having visited the site that you mention a few times myself, I know that there has been a variety of issues with it, including some that have arisen as a result of storm damage. Iain Wallace might have further information on that.

On that point, and in relation to some of the savings that you have mentioned, it is important to point out that we have continued to support our farmers and crofters through the transition.

You mentioned some figures, and you touched on the figure of £33 million. Some £46 million is due to be returned to the portfolio from savings that had previously been offered, but those were from underspends—they were not taken directly from the pockets of farmers and crofters, and we have maintained payments, which I am particularly proud of at a time when we know that our farmers and crofters need that support. We have offered that support through the programme on preparing for sustainable farming, which we funded and is helping to encourage uptake of carbon audits, soil testing and animal health and welfare plans. That is because we want to support the transition and to help our farmers and crofters as much as possible.

Yes, savings have been made—savings have had to be made right across Government—to meet our budget position, but we are still delivering: we are getting payments out the door and we are helping with the transition.

The work undertaken by our official veterinarians is hugely important. I will touch on the point about the Scottish veterinary service first and then pass over to Jim Fairlie or George Burgess, who might have more to add.

We are being quite transparent with the committee in setting out the position. The establishment of a Scottish veterinary service is still, ultimately, where we want to be. We had a programme board that had scoped out that work and what could be included in it, but, unfortunately, we do not have the capital budget to get the programme off the ground. However, should that budget become available in the future, we would look to pick up that work, as it would be in Scotland’s best interests to have that service.

George, do you have more to add?

Work has been on-going for a long time on the border target operating model, and there has been much discussion of it. I know that the committee has received various pieces of secondary legislation implementing the model’s various stages; unfortunately, those pieces of legislation have sometimes been outwith my control and have come in at the last minute.

Part of the problem that we have now is that, although the border target operating model has been implemented to some extent, it has not been implemented on the west coast, because of outstanding issues there and other interactions. We hope to clarify that, as a matter of urgency, with the UK Government, and I will raise the matter when I meet the DEFRA secretary of state on Monday. We urgently need clarity about what is happening.

As I said in a previous response, the checks are due to begin at the end of October, so we need to get urgent clarity for industry if that is going to be delayed and to know when the outstanding matters will be resolved.