Hansard

The Convener (Roseanna Cunningham): SNP

I welcome everybody to the meeting and remind members and witnesses to switch off their mobile phones and pagers or to put them in flight mode, not receiving...

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment (Richard Lochhead): SNP

It is a pleasure for me to be at the committee for the first time in 2008. I was informed on the way here that the Scotland rural development programme has b...

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): Con

That is very welcome.

Richard Lochhead: SNP

I thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to present the two orders to it. Both orders are made under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities...

The Convener: SNP

While we are on agenda item 1, I ask members to keep their questions to relatively factual issues. We will take any argumentative debate under agenda item 2....

John Scott: Con

I am pleased to hear that piece of good news from the minister.There was an issue with regard to the value added tax status of the levy boards. I presume tha...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

My understanding is that that is the case, but I ask Aileen Bearhop to comment—we were discussing the issue earlier.

Aileen Bearhop (Scottish Government Rural Directorate):

John Scott is correct.

John Scott: Con

So that has been sorted out.I have another question, just out of interest. You have decided to include butchers as levy payers at the point of slaughter, whe...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

The principle is that organisations or individuals that buy animals for slaughter pay the levy. The rationale has been extended to butchers, who do that in s...

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): SNP

Schedule 2 to the draft Quality Meat Scotland Order 2008 sets out the constitution of the new public body and the way in which it will be established. It sta...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

You are correct that ministers appoint the board. Quality Meat Scotland's current status is that of a private company. I have already reappointed the existin...

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): Lab

Under the previous Administration, there was a protocol between ministers that, if a minister made an application to set up a new quango, other ministers wou...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

Yes. It has been discussed at Cabinet. We discussed the way forward for Quality Meat Scotland. We also discussed the wider agenda of the future of public bod...

Des McNulty: Lab

It might be useful if you could write to the committee, indicating the steps that were taken to seek permission to establish a new quango, and the relationsh...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, there will be a direct transfer of the staff from the existing private company to ...

Des McNulty: Lab

Will they be counted in that context as members of an executive agency or as civil servants? Will they be counted in the overall total of staff who are emplo...

Aileen Bearhop:

They will not be civil servants.

Des McNulty: Lab

I am interested to know how the overall numbers will work out. Perhaps you can come back to us on that issue, too.

Richard Lochhead: SNP

We will come back to you on how we calculate the numbers when we publish who works for, and does not work for, the Government.

John Scott: Con

In the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Order 2007, the business case identifies"Net Present Value savings of £12.7 million"in a five-year peri...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

Scotland is involved in all the UK levy boards, other than those that relate to red meats. That is why we have QMS. Our cereal growers and potato producers, ...

Aileen Bearhop:

QMS is speaking to the Meat and Livestock Commission and its constituent bodies to ensure that assets transfer across and that it gets the benefits from that...

John Scott: Con

And funding for QMS in the future will be from—

Aileen Bearhop:

Scottish levy payers—the levies from producers and processors.

John Scott: Con

Will that be the sole source of funding?

Aileen Bearhop:

Yes, except for quality assurance schemes, which are self-funding schemes that are met from membership fees. It can also apply for grants from the Scottish G...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

We have supported Quality Meat Scotland financially in the recent past—we did so late last year, and that route remains open. The organisation also raised ap...

The Convener: SNP

There are no further questions, so we move to agenda item 2, which is the formal debate on both draft orders. At this point, officials may not participate. I...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

In the interests of time, I am happy to forgo an opening speech.I move,That the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee recommends that the draft Agriculture...