Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 01 September 2021
01 Sep 2021 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Food and Drink
I am delighted to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives.
As the cabinet secretary outlined, food and drink is Scotland’s largest international export industry. It has a strong worldwide reputation, whether due to the quality of our wonderful Scotch beef or our tremendous whiskies. It is Scotland’s largest manufacturing sector, which employs 47,000 people, contributes nearly £4 billion gross value added to the economy and has a turnover of £11 billion.
Today, in advance of Scotland’s food and drink fortnight, we take the opportunity to celebrate the significant contribution that the food and drink sector makes and all the key workers who have done tremendous work over the past 18 months, including warehouse workers, corner shop retailers, the hard-working farmers who found a window of opportunity in which to cut their barley, and our fishermen, who go out in all conditions to get the best fish and seafood, which is sent across the world.
As we celebrate the fantastic work of farmers, I must say that I found a couple of the cabinet secretary’s points astonishing. I will give her the opportunity to address the point about the future farm policy and the news that civil servants would rather cull 300,000 beef cattle than work with farmers to produce food sustainably and meet climate change targets.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-00990, in the name of Mairi Gougeon, on supporting success in food and drink in Scotland.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands (Mairi Gougeon)
SNP
I am delighted to bring the debate to the Parliament, enabling all MSPs the opportunity to show their support for food and drink in Scotland, just ahead of f...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
Is the Government able to achieve its manifesto ambition to cut childhood obesity by 2030?
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
The member will be aware that the work to tackle those issues is on-going. We are aware of the need to consider the environmental impacts of our food consum...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Does the minister understand the farming community’s frustration that we still do not have a future farm policy in place? It will be the driver for our cuts ...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
There absolutely is urgency. That is why we established the agriculture reform implementation oversight board just last week, and it will be driving forward ...
Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
The United Kingdom Government offered extended powers in the Agriculture Bill to enable devolved Administrations to develop their own subsidy system. Wales a...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
That is absolute nonsense when it is the UK Government that is decimating the food and drink industry in Scotland right now. There is no doubt that some sec...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The cabinet secretary raised the issue of HGV drivers. Obviously, there is a shortage of those across Europe and supply chains have struggled on that basis. ...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
It is convenient for the member to gloss over the issue of HGV drivers, when we know—from the letters and briefings that we have seen from industries—that mi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Can we have less noise from sedentary positions, please?
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. We should not forget that, as businesses faced Brexit border disruptions and barriers to trade, which cost UK food exporters £...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
I am delighted to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. As the cabinet secretary outlined, food and drink is Scotland’s largest internati...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I will happily address the point: it is absolute nonsense.
Rachael Hamilton
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for acknowledging that, because I wrote to her two months ago about it and Jim Walker’s recommendations with regard to the suck...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Does Rachael Hamilton accept that the most damaging nationalism and ignoring of farmers has been through Brexit and the Conservative Party?
Rachael Hamilton
Con
I remind John Mason that our biggest export market is the rest of the United Kingdom, which is important to the food and drink industry. Therefore, sticking ...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Rachael Hamilton has stated that I want a hard border, which is absolutely not true. I refute that, and I am grateful...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is not a point of order as formally understood, but Emma Harper has made her point.
Rachael Hamilton
Con
On the delay in the future farm policy, will the cabinet secretary tell us why the farming and food production future policy group report has still not been ...
Jim Fairlie (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
SNP
The member said that the SNP-Green agreement could be damaging to the Scottish farming industry. Does she not find it a bit concerning that there is no menti...
Rachael Hamilton
Con
The member should look at what the fishing industry has said about the Green-SNP deal. It is absolutely extraordinary that the agreement does not mention fis...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I would also be really interested to hear Rachael Hamilton’s take on the impact of the trade deal with Australia on our red meat producers, who are set to su...
Rachael Hamilton
Con
I think that farmers are more concerned about possibly being instructed to cull their cattle than they are about having to look at sustainable methods of fut...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I begin by saying thank you on behalf of Labour members to Scotland’s food and drink sector. Thank you to our farmers and crofters who, in the face of the un...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
The member was at the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee this morning, where this issue came up. Does he recognise that there is a shortage of HGV drive...
Colin Smyth
Lab
It would be unfair to say that the failure to be able to access overseas labour is not impacting that problem. However, I recognise that some of the labour s...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I agree with a lot of what Colin Smyth has said about public procurement. Does he agree that procuring locally would also cut down the high amount of food wa...
Colin Smyth
Lab
I absolutely agree with Brian Whittle. Local procurement has many advantages, including supporting businesses, reducing our carbon footprint and reducing foo...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
Will the member give way?