Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 September 2018
13 Sep 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Food and Drink
What I am talking about—and we raised this before the programme was broadcast—is not just the facts, but public perception, which is important. Ministers must grasp that. I am disappointed by that intervention. I thought that the Scottish Government was now responding, even if it was too little and too late. I hope that ministers are not rolling back from what they said to us in the chamber just the other day.
If we find anything that threatens—in the minds of the great British public—the high quality and the very highest level of animal welfare standards of Scottish farmed produce, we have a duty to act swiftly. Ministers should not quibble about the facts. The facts are important, but—[Interruption.] The point that I am making is that public perception is extremely important, and it is the job of ministers to make sure that nothing gets in the way of the quality of our produce. [Interruption.]
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
Good afternoon. The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-13876, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on celebrating Scotland’s food and drink success story.
The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy (Fergus Ewing)
SNP
Let me seek to be helpful by re-emphasising the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing legislation to underpin Scotland’s status as a good food nation...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
In relation to Scotch whisky and PGIs, is it not also vital that we preserve the minimum three years that whisky is kept in bond, which is an important contr...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Mr Stevenson has made a very good point, with which I agree. It is vital that we get a sensible outcome with respect to geographical indications, so I will c...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
There has clearly been a lot of work done, and a lot of groups have been commissioned and appointments made. When will the cabinet secretary respond to the S...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I will come to that later in my speech, so I will deal with the matter then, if that is in order. The programme for government last week underlined our on-g...
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which mentions my farming and aquaculture interests and the fact that I am a non-executive directo...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Does Mr Cameron welcome the fact that we are having a public consultation on this, using as a basis the food commission report and the progress report, and t...
Donald Cameron
Con
I absolutely agree that we should consult the public, but I do not think that that is a reason to delay introducing the bill. Scotland has one of the worst...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The food and drink sector is immensely important to our economy and to the people of Scotland. It contributes £5.5 billion to the economy each year, which is...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Before Mr Smyth leaves the extremely important matter of the future of the employees of Pinneys in the town of Annan, would he acknowledge that the south of ...
Colin Smyth
Lab
The £250,000, which was requested by Dumfries and Galloway Council, is important, but it will be used to develop an action plan. It is crucial that the propo...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Would Mr Smyth accept, in the spirit of good will, that I have reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to bring forward legislation that will underpin Scotlan...
Colin Smyth
Lab
Of course, a good food nation bill is not the only solution to the problems that we face, but it is a necessary part of that solution. It has—or rather, it h...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
On any night of the week in the Parliament, events, receptions and cross-party groups celebrate the success of Scottish food and drink. We are dripping with ...
Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
I am glad to speak in this debate, which has been designed by the Scottish Government to celebrate the success story of our food and drinks industry. There i...
The Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment (Mairi Gougeon)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Mike Rumbles
LD
In a moment. Fergus Ewing avoided answering my question, so I will be delighted to give way.
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I thank Mike Rumbles for giving way. There is an important point to clarify here. He talks about the BBC documentary, but does he recognise that the calves t...
Mike Rumbles
LD
What I am talking about—and we raised this before the programme was broadcast—is not just the facts, but public perception, which is important. Ministers mus...
Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
The member is deliberately creating distortion between fact and perception. Interruption.
Mike Rumbles
LD
I am astonished by the interventions from a sedentary position from some senior members of this Parliament. The two issues of farmed salmon and the export f...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
We move to the open debate. It will be speeches of five minutes, but there is time in hand for interventions. 15:15
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
As the cabinet secretary outlined, Scotland’s food and drink sector is one of its stand-out economic success stories. The sector is estimated to be worth aro...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I remind members that I have allocated five minutes for each speech; however, I can be slightly elastic with the time, although not so elastic that the elast...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
That was an indication to stretch it as far as I like. Members: Oh!
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
You are in dangerous territory—that is you down to five minutes exactly, Mr Mountain. I will keep you to that.
Edward Mountain
Con
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I declare an interest in that I am a partner in a farming business. On my more than 2,500-mile summer surgery tour, I saw cle...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I agree entirely with everything that Mr Mountain has said—I did not think that I would find myself saying that. He has set the scene very well in relation t...
Edward Mountain
Con
I always welcome payments being brought forward. The fact that they have been brought forward a month from where they were five years ago is welcome, but far...