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No, we have not.

Yes. I hear the concerns about the seasonal agricultural workers scheme. I do not think that it has ever produced the numbers that we need for the industry in Scotland. From the discussions that I have had, it seems that the availability of workforce continues to be an issue, as well as the various issues with the scheme itself.

Yes. It will be on the horizon, particularly in relation to the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and any potential impacts of that. Obviously, we are not yet at the point of bringing forward the detail of future schemes, but we will need to have those discussions further down the line. That has continued to concern us from the start of the Subsidy Control Bill process and right through it. A lot of our concerns were not really resolved during the passage of that legislation, so those concerns very much remain.

It is not anticipated that it would have any funding implications at the moment, because the strategy would not, in and of itself, require to be funded. It is more about how we better utilise the resource that we already have available in relation to science and how we use it in Scotland. Ultimately, the science and innovation strategy is about how we can work more collaboratively across the piece in Scotland.

Within the marine directorate, we have a fantastic marine science resource. We also have the aquarium and the marine lab. It is about how we can better utilise the assets and people that we have by working with other institutions and academia across Scotland. We really want to ensure, as far as we can, that Scotland becomes a global leader in marine research. It is only by collaborating better and using those resources more wisely right across the piece that we can hope to achieve that.

We believe that we have not received resource that we should, and would, have received had we remained members of the European Union. We currently have £14 million a year as part of the marine fund Scotland. However, we might consider what other nations in the EU receive through the new strand of EU funding, which is the European maritime, fisheries and aquaculture fund.

We can look, in particular, at nations that are similar in population size to Scotland—one of the better comparisons is Denmark, which has the same population but a smaller marine area, and a smaller marine industry and sector as a whole. On average, Denmark is receiving £25 million a year in comparison with what we receive. It also has seven-year continuity for that funding—it is £25 million each year over seven years, whereas we do not have multiyear funding. We simply receive the £14 million allocation, so we believe that we are being significantly short-changed in that regard.

It probably comes back to the point that the convener raised at the start of the meeting. Unfortunately, some of these policy areas do not fit neatly in boxes, but we work collaboratively across the Government to address cross-cutting issues. That is the case right across my portfolio. We talked about peatland environment biodiversity earlier and community wealth building is exactly the same. As I say, communities have rights under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 so there is a strong link between that and our work on land reform. I engage with the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance and I will engage with the work that he is taking forward through the legislation when it is introduced, as well as through the review of the 2015 act. It is important that we do not work in silos. We need to make sure that we take a joined-up approach.

Are you talking in relation to the abandoned, neglected and detrimental land specifically?

The process for late applications was a key and important part of the legislation. As I said in a previous response, we must ensure that we get a balance, which is what the legislation tried to do. It gives communities the opportunity, in exceptional circumstances, to seek a transfer of land after the point of sale or transfer.

There are some key checks and balances within that. From the landowner’s perspective, there must be proof of community interest and the community must have a plan for the land. From the community perspective, landowners cannot sell or transfer land before the community has had the chance to register or express an interest. I believe that that balance is correct, but if the committee hears any evidence to the contrary, I would be happy to hear that information.

Although it is a challenge, the fact that more people are enjoying our outdoor spaces should be welcomed, to a certain extent. It is exactly what we had hoped to see, but responsible access is absolutely key. The “Scottish Outdoor Access Code” was debated extensively when the legislation was first passed, and it is hugely important that we retain the right to free access. That is where education and guidance are important. NatureScot has been working with the national access forum on education and guidance, and has been looking at campaigns in that regard, but there is no getting around the fact that there have been very particular issues.

As a result of that work, visitor management groups were established in 2020, and we have also developed a visitor management strategy that we have sought to implement to try to manage any hot spots that might arise. Alongside that, there is the rural tourism infrastructure fund, which is to help with infrastructure issues in particular areas. We have, therefore, undertaken a number of measures to alleviate pressures.

On the whole, though, I think that we cannot let the behaviour of a few irresponsible people harm access rights for the vast majority who responsibly enjoy access to our countryside. There is no getting around the fact that that is a difficult thing to manage, but they are vital rights that we need to retain.

Again, we probably cannot say that everybody is doing enough. There is always more to do, especially when it comes to climate change and the nature crisis.

This point is slightly off topic, but I am reminded of when we talk about Crown Estate Scotland leading by example in relation to land reform. The Scottish Land Commission is taking forward a community land accelerator pilot, which shows that it has the opportunity to act in that space and to make a difference in relation to achieving, ultimately, all our shared objectives. There is always more that can be done, but given the land, marine and built assets that it owns, it is in a unique position to take the lead in those areas.