Seòmar agus comataidhean

Again, we have tried to set out as much information as we can through the route map about when more information will become available. As I have said, the rural support plan is going to be published next year, before the new part of the future framework is implemented with the enhanced tier, which is due to be introduced in 2026. There will, of course, be more information in relation to that, and I will keep the committee updated.

There are some important details within that. There were particular times when Forestry and Land Scotland would not have been able to engage with people living on the estate because of when that transaction took place. Again, I am more than happy to follow up on those details, because it is important to get the facts correct.

We certainly do not want to see depopulation of the glens. If anything, we want to see the opposite and people being encouraged to come into that area. That is very much the approach that is being taken. I will investigate any concerns, which I take really seriously, as I must, because that is an important responsibility. I am more than happy to follow that up.

The woodland carbon code, and the additionality tests that are set out in it, plays a hugely important part in that. We want a system that is ethical and one that people can invest in and rely on.

We have made some changes to the woodland carbon code and have put in additionality tests, which I think have improved the scheme. I can follow up on those specific examples, because there are all sorts of clawbacks that can be taken from schemes. I would be happy to look into that and to furnish the committee with further information on how we are monitoring those schemes, if that is the wider point that you are getting at.

I have been engaging with industry on that, as have officials in Scottish Forestry, because strong relationships exist there. I can only reiterate what I have already said—I hope that we get back on that positive trajectory.

Forestry is a hugely important sector for Scotland, and we have so much more potential not just for our wider economy but for the circular economy and for helping us to meet our emissions targets. As I said earlier, our key focus this year has been on ensuring that we get the absolute maximum value from the funding that is available this year, and I very much want to continue that.

I would be happy to follow up with you on that particular issue. Perhaps I will meet forestry officials to ask about that.

There are 21 FMPs that are being led by Scotland and there a couple more that we are taking forward jointly with DEFRA. This has admittedly been a really complex piece of work. It has required stakeholder engagement and work across the different UK Administrations, not to mention the variety of assessments that have to be undertaken as part of that, including the conservation advice and strategic environmental assessments. As part of that process, we also have to consider the wider interaction with other policies and pieces of legislation. It is a really complex picture and we have to try to work through that in developing the plans. On top of that, we need to consult on them. I mentioned the engagement and how important that is.

As you mentioned, the deadline for the plans is coming up at the end of the year. Some of the challenges that we are facing in relation to the FMPs that we are producing in Scotland are shared by the other UK Administrations. You mentioned that some of the FMPs for England and Wales have been published, but, in general, we are all coming up against the same problems in working through the process. We are in discussions with the other UK Administrations and I hope to be able to provide more of an update to the committee in due course on the overall timelines for the plans.

They are the challenges that I have broadly outlined. Various assessments need to be undertaken, there is the interaction with legislation, and we need to put those things together. We also need to do the wider consultation. We have built in time to enable all of that to happen. If we are to introduce the fisheries management plans, we want to make sure that we get them right and that they are as thorough as they need to be.

However, the absence of the fisheries management plans does not mean that we are not actively managing our fisheries. We continue to do that. The plans will help to provide more transparency around that, but we have encountered those complexities in the process. I will write to the committee with further updates on that in due course.

I have outlined some of the assessments and the different interactions that need to be considered. There are a variety of factors as to why the work has taken longer than was anticipated. I appreciate your point about the pressures that exist in the marine space. The national marine plan 2 is being developed—that work is being led by the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy—and updates on it were provided last month. A lot of the issues that we are discussing will be considered in relation to the timescales that are being looked at there.

As I said, we are proceeding with the work and we are trying to do it as well and as thoroughly as we can. I will provide further updates to the committee on how that work is progressing.

You have raised a really important point and hugely important issues. From the outset, I want to make it clear that we condemn any trafficking of people and any exploitation of those who work in this country. We strengthened the law in relation to that in 2015 with an act that gave the police more powers and generally tried to strengthen the law in relation to such offences. However, undoubtedly, issues exist that we need to address.

You raised the matter in relation to fisheries first of all, and there are few issues to touch on in that regard. In relation to agriculture, in particular, you will be aware of the points that Richard Leonard raised during our discussions on the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill and some of the issues that surfaced when the bill was going through Parliament. We support the Worker Support Centre, which highlighted some concerns with us, and I met it during the discussions on the bill.

The issue straddles a few policy areas. I will be meeting Richard Leonard—next week, I think—together with the Minister for Housing, so that we can try to address those problems. When it comes to housing policy, as I think that I said during the debate on the agriculture bill, we should expect the same accommodation standards for people regardless of where they are from or the jobs that they do. That is the ultimate aim of the policies that we are developing. However, that policy development and the discussions on that bill have highlighted the fact that there are gaps that we need to work together to address. Therefore, I hope that next week’s meetings will be a step towards that, and I know that the Minister for Housing is considering the matter, too.

In relation to the fishing industry, part of the problem is the use of transit visas. Ultimately, the various laws that would apply to workers here do not apply to those working under a transit visa. We raised concerns about this matter, including the use of those visas, with the UK Government.

We want the fishing industry to be an attractive career of choice. The industry itself has worked on a number of initiatives to try to get more people to work across the industry, but we absolutely have to do what we can to tackle those issues where we know that they exist. Obviously, any prosecutions will be for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland to deal with. However, we condemn any of that behaviour, and we want to ensure that people are working in suitable conditions when they come to live and work in this country.

Iain Wallace will be able to provide more detailed information in relation to that question.

We proactively publish a lot of the information in relation to the work that we undertake so that we are entirely transparent about the level of inspections. In the past, we have received quite a lot of correspondence on that and there has been a feeling that some vessels are being treated differently from others, but the work that we have undertaken has shown that that is not the case. Overall, nearly 4,000 intelligence reports have been received and there have been about 2,000 inspections. Some of that equates to massive increases in the overall inspection rate—a 50 per cent increase in the number of intelligence reports that have been received. All of that has been because of the prioritisation that that has been given.

The checks are done on a risk basis in some areas, and Iain will be able to provide more detail on that.