Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
I am pleased that that was a slightly more positive answer than I have had from another minister, who has simply dismissed the issue by saying that national security is a reserved matter. I am glad that it seems to be on the cabinet secretary’s agenda, because the warnings in the assessment are stark, saying that every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse and that the implications are severe.
As this is one of the cabinet secretary’s last opportunities to speak in the chamber, I thank her very warmly for her service to Scotland. I think that she will be a loss both to Parliament and to Government. However, I urge her to send a clear message to her successor in Government that the implications of the assessment for devolved responsibilities, including for our food security, need a much clearer and sharper focus if we are going to avoid the potentially catastrophic implications that the report warns us of.