Meeting of the Parliament 18 March 2025
Absolutely. As I highlighted in my previous response to Daniel Johnson, it is still very much a live issue. It has certainly not been resolved; that is certainly not what we are hearing from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is dealing with the application. [Interruption.] The consultation is still very much open. That is why I encourage members—[Interruption.] I am sorry, but I have taken a number of interventions, and I really have to make progress. I am drawing towards a close.
Although I realise that I am rapidly running out of time, there is another important matter that I want to touch on today, which is other barriers to trade and how we can potentially see progress in relation to those.
I have already mentioned the impact of global instability on food and drink businesses. The impact of Brexit continues to be felt at the border through the post-Brexit regime of checks and controls under the border target operating model, which was published in 2023. Overall, additional trade barriers and red tape faced by our exporters continue to hamper business and trade flow with the EU, and we know that there are significant issues around imports. The new UK Government has indicated a willingness to open negotiations with the EU on a sanitary and phytosanitary—SPS—and veterinary agreement, to remove the need for many of those checks. The Scottish Government stands ready to work together to achieve the best possible results to protect Scotland’s interests.
It is clear that our food and drink industry is vulnerable to global currents, be that Brexit, geopolitical issues, or the tragic conflicts that are taking place around the world. However, it remains an industry with enormous potential and great ambition. We are doing much in Scotland to support this exciting sector, and the future is positive. In safeguarding our industry, we have to secure its long-term sustainability and empower it to thrive in the face of those challenges. I assure members that this Government will do everything in its power to do that.
I am pleased to move the motion in my name, and ask members across the chamber to support it.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises the value and importance of Scotland’s food and drink sector in terms of economic benefits, its particular importance to Scotland’s rural and island communities and, importantly, its role in enhancing Scotland’s reputation on a global scale; further recognises the risks of the proposal for an English whisky geographical indication that could undermine Scotch whisky and single malt, which is central to the economy; acknowledges the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector in an ever-changing world; calls for cross-party support to ensure that the sector continues to receive backing and support in order to grow sustainably and contribute to a prosperous and thriving economy; notes the new risk from tariffs, and calls on the UK Government to do all that it can to protect Scotland’s businesses and consumers from their impact.