Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 November 2022
09 Nov 2022 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Forestry (Contribution to Net Zero)
I will take it in a second.
Should we be using land for the production of barley for whisky? Is that more useful than just growing trees? That is a debating point. I have an anaerobic digester in north-east Fife that is using sugar beet grown on the land to generate gas. That might be quite a good thing, considering the issues with Russia and energy security, but should we be using land in this country to generate gas when we are trying to reduce our carbon emissions?
Of course, trees sometimes take productive land. As the minister has said, 2 per cent of our productive land has been lost since 2015. That might not sound like a lot, but the farmers feel it, and that is why they are raising the matter with us repeatedly. I accept what the minister said—it sounds a small amount, but the farmers feel the pressure of that, particularly as land prices are shooting through the roof. Those are all massive competing demands, and we cannot look at them in isolation; we need to consider them in the round.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-06658, in the name of Màiri McAllan, on forestry’s contribution to net zero Scotland. I invite members wh...
The Minister for Environment and Land Reform (Màiri McAllan)
SNP
This debate is timely: it comes as world leaders gather for the 27th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP27. I take the opportunity, o...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
We should all celebrate the success of the tree-planting strategies. However, the minister will be aware of the very real concerns from the agricultural comm...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I can give you the time back, minister.
Màiri McAllan
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank Murdo Fraser for raising that point. My view is that sustainable food production and increased forest cover must be pa...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP)
SNP
I share the minister’s sentiments and wish her well, and I hope that she is enjoying the portfolio as much as I did. I would like to direct the minister’s a...
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I am very much enjoying the portfolio. It is a pleasure to have taken over from Fergus Ewing, who did so much to support the industry in his time as cabinet ...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
Will the minister take an intervention?
Màiri McAllan
SNP
I am conscious of time, Presiding Officer, but I will take one more intervention.
Rachael Hamilton
Con
Funding for rainforest recovery is valued at £1.3 million. Woodland Trust Scotland says that the Scottish Government needs to invest £500 million to meet the...
Màiri McAllan
SNP
In a very packed programme, I have opportunities to speak with a number of international colleagues about forestry. One thing that I will be saying is that, ...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am pleased to open the debate for the Scottish Conservatives. I thank the Scottish Government for bringing a debate on such an important issue. I also tha...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
Does Mr Whittle agree that the industry throughout Scotland, whether in the sawmill sector or in the panel products sector, very much relies on and requires ...
Brian Whittle
Con
Of course we have a significant industry in Scotland around conifers, and of course we need to maintain it. Whether it be EGGER, an international forestry an...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As the world gathers in Egypt for COP27, it is easy to forget that just 12 months ago, Scotland hosted COP26, when the Glasgow leaders’ declaration on forest...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I share many of Mr Smyth’s sentiments. However, I allude to the research that I referred to earlier, which was commissioned by Scottish Forestry and prepared...
Colin Smyth
Lab
Having higher targets would reduce our demand for imports, as would, crucially, meeting those targets. As I have just said, there is pressure as a result...
Brian Whittle
Con
Does the member agree that there is a balance to be struck, because commercial forestry has a negative impact on the biodiversity of the land that it is plan...
Colin Smyth
Lab
There is absolutely no doubt that there is a balance to be struck, and that is one of the reasons why, as we increase our targets, Labour not only wants to s...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I remind members who have made an intervention and intend to speak later in the debate that they should press their request-to-speak button again. 15:29
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I want to start by complimenting the minister. She has genuinely listened to the concerns that have been expressed—particularly the point that Murdo Fraser m...
Brian Whittle
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Willie Rennie
LD
I will take it in a second. Should we be using land for the production of barley for whisky? Is that more useful than just growing trees? That is a debating...
Rachael Hamilton
Con
What is Willie Rennie’s opinion on greenwashing? We know that not only farmers but gamekeepers can be displaced. Gamekeepers are integral to managing the lan...
Willie Rennie
LD
That is slightly left-field, but, yes, I think that it is important. I understand the concept of having the right tree in the right place. The James Hutton I...
Jim Fairlie (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention? Brian Whittle rose—
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Mr Rennie has to wind up fairly shortly.
Willie Rennie
LD
I would love to, but I had better not. The minister talked about the land reform bill and the agriculture bill that are coming—I hope that we might see an i...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the open debate. I advise members that we have pretty much exhausted the time in hand, so interventions will have to be accommodated in the speech...
Jenni Minto (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
SNP
It gives me great pleasure to speak in favour of the Government’s motion, which underlines the essential contribution to reaching net zero that trees, woods ...