Hansard

The Convener (Finlay Carson) Con

Good morning, and welcome to the 33rd meeting in 2025 of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee. Before we begin, I ask everyone to ensure that their electr...

The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie) SNP

I first give apologies for Alan Elder, who is unable to make this morning’s meeting due to a family incident. I thank the committee for taking the time to c...

The Convener Con

Thank you, minister. The policy note states that, with the passing of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 and the publication of the ...

Jim Fairlie SNP

I will let Paul Neison answer that question.

Paul Neison (Scottish Government)

The list of measures that the convener is referring to were co-developed with stakeholders and others, with a view to establishing a list of measures that co...

The Convener Con

It does not really. Stakeholders have said that very little progress has been made over the past few years. I am sure that the minister will recall that, whe...

Jim Fairlie SNP

From day 1, we have always said that we will try to do this with the industry at a pace that suits it and that will allow it and those who are farming on the...

The Convener Con

At some point, you have to jump off and actually put the policies in place. As I understand it, back in August 2024, you asked Scotland’s farm advisory servi...

Jim Fairlie SNP

I dispute that. FAS recently met with senior Government officials and policy advisers. There has been engagement. There has not always been agreement on what...

The Convener Con

That was a failure, because we heard from the Crofting Commission that it had not been consulted on it.

Jim Fairlie SNP

That is not the case, convener. I get where you are trying to go with this. We had this conversation when I introduced the SSI with the 410 days scheme. In m...

The Convener Con

Okay. What part does the information technology system play in the slow progress in developing the new tier 2 options?

Jim Fairlie SNP

That is not part of what I am thinking about right now at all. I am thinking about how we can move from a very limited number of people carrying out the EFA ...

The Convener Con

I ask the question because we were expecting more policies that would be moving towards a new tier 2 system. That is what the route map suggested would happe...

Jim Fairlie SNP

I would say that the biggest barrier to our making progress is the need to get agreement across the industry and the sectors.

The Convener Con

So, the IT system is not a barrier.

Jim Fairlie SNP

The IT system is not in my consideration at the moment. The biggest consideration in my thinking now is how we get policies that the industry will buy into, ...

The Convener Con

So, your ambition for a brand-new tier 2 scheme still remains.

Jim Fairlie SNP

Our ambition is to create the system that allows tier 1, tier 2, tier 3 and tier 4, which will take us to a point where Scotland becomes a world leader in re...

The Convener Con

Thank you.

Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

Minister, there are a few things in what you have just said, and I do not think that we got any answers, to be frank. This has been your programme and your r...

Jim Fairlie SNP

I said that it is not in my thinking.

Tim Eagle Con

Okay. It is not in your thinking just now. What do you mean by that statement? Let us talk about the list of options that were going to be available, whic...

Jim Fairlie SNP

I am giving you the clear message that my thinking right now is about how we take the sector with us by delivering policies that it will buy into. As I said ...

Tim Eagle Con

Which stakeholder is saying that you cannot have an enhanced list of options under tier 2? Why have you put in only another four options, instead of providin...

Jim Fairlie SNP

We have put in four options for enhanced screening because they are the options that people will be able to buy into and with which people will come with us ...

Tim Eagle Con

But which stakeholder is it? My understanding is that most stakeholders originally thought that there would be a much greater list of options.

Jim Fairlie SNP

There are not just four options.

Tim Eagle Con

We have been talking about this for years, minister, and there are four options a few months before we are going to put this into place.

Jim Fairlie SNP

There are four extra options—in addition to all the other ones. There are farmers who have been doing this since 2015. Some farmers pushed back on doing anyt...