 Members, I can remind you of the cover-related measures that are in place and face masks should be worn while moving around the chamber and around the wider Holydod campus. Steven Kerr. Presiding Officer, I wish to seek your guidance on a matter. It's regarding a question that was raised with the First Minister by Christine Graham in that question. The member said that the UK had the worst state pension in Europe. Y mae'n gweinyddion gwybodaeth i'r llaw o'ch cyfieithio'r rhan, felly mae ffaith wedi ei ffacu yn y cwmbr, a gallai universaliaid yn gweinio caerbaeth gyda'r membunaeth cyrraedd yng Nghymru gan Llaffaidd, Nile, Llafffiaid, Germany, Swythreldaeth, Arland, Estonia efoedd i Lothwn. Cymru, wrth gwrs, mae'n fawr iawn i'n gweld me'n cael eu rhan ac iddyn nhw'n cael eu ddau iawn, codes. It is possible for members to avail themselves of this data on the OECD website so that such mistakes are not made again. As members will be aware, there is a mechanism that can be used to correct any contributions that are made in the chamber. Guidance on those mechanisms can be provided, but Mr A'r ry Temple has made his point. With that, we will move on to portfolio questions and the portfolio this afternoon is Rural Affairs and Islands. Anybody who wishes to ask a supplementary if they could press the request, the suitable buttons, the place and on the chat function during the relevant question. Question number one has been withdrawn. Question number two, Siobhan Brown. To ask the Scottish Government what support it currently provides to regional food groups. We support the groups through a £250,000 annual fund delivered by Scotland Food and Drink, which allows groups across the country to resource co-ordinator posts within each group. The fund leverages match funding from partners, including local authorities, and it allows for the establishment of an active network of regional ambassadors who work in conjunction with local authorities to promote regional food and drink and tourism strategies. The support has ensured that we have 19 regional food groups operating collaboratively within their regions and collectively in partnership across Scotland. As the cabinet secretary is aware, Asher food and all that in my constituency aims to identify and promote new opportunities for food and drink in Asher, including in areas of activity such as local procurement, education, skills and training. Does the cabinet secretary share my view that organisations such as this are vital to continuing the good work that Scotland has accomplished in our cultural approach to food as we strive towards our ambition of being a good food nation? I absolutely do. It is really clear to me that the regional food groups have an absolutely pivotal role to play in telling Scotland's fantastic food and drink stories. They are also going to be fundamental to the delivery of the next phase of ambition 2030 at both a local and a national level, too. The work that the member has outlined in relation to food and all that is exactly the kind of approach that we want to see and the kind of approach that we want to encourage. It is that kind of work that they are undertaking in relation to all the issues that the member has talked about, whether that is education or procurement, that is going to help us to build the good food nation and become the good food nation that we want to be. I also envisage that the groups playing a key role as we look to develop national and local good food nation plans as part of the good food nation Scotland bill. Those groups will also be vital partners as we develop our local food strategy, which has been based on our recent consultation. Bruce Supplementary from Rhoda Grant joins us remotely. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Being a good food nation means that people should have adequate access to food as well. This week I heard of a really sad case where an elderly person ended up in hospital due to starvation, not because they did not have food but that they did not have the electricity to cook it on. I asked the cabinet secretary what support she is giving to groups who are trying to help people in that situation, both to access food and the means to cook it. The member raises a really important question there. Some of that was teased out in the debate that we had earlier this week in stage 1 of the good food nation bill, because ensuring that people do have the right to adequate food is a right in itself that we will be enshrining and incorporating into Scots law as part of a human rights bill. It is something that we are trying to give effect to at the moment through the work that we are undertaking and through the good food nation bill itself, which provides the legal framework and underpinning for that. We are always looking at ways in which we can try to support people. I completely understand the issues that the member has raised and it is a situation that I think we will unfortunately see increasingly often, given the number of people that are currently in fuel poverty at the moment, and will continue to be in that situation. It is only set to get worse. Together, the Scottish Government is trying to do all we can to address these issues where that is within our capabilities to do so. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help farmers to make improvements to their farms. I refer members to my register of interests regarding agriculture. The Scottish Government supports farmers and crofters to make improvements through a range of measures. Those include the sustainable agricultural capital grant scheme and access to specialist advice and information through our farm advisory services. I can also announce today that we will be running a further round of the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund in 2022-23, with £1.6 million available to support projects that enable more sustainable and low-carbon farming and crofting. KTF has a significant track record in supporting projects that enable farmers, crofters and land managers to create improved opportunities for nature, adapt to climate change and benefit from new organic farming materials. We have helped to fund some really exciting projects over the last few years through this fund, and I would hope that people will apply for a shade of this year's fund to play their part in tackling climate change. There are reports that laun us later would not be prepared to convert wild land into farms. Rewilding is important, but this Government must be ready to adapt in the face of rising food prices and shortages. Does the cabinet secretary think a dogmatic, inflexible approach from the Greens could hold back support for our farmers in response to the crisis in Ukraine? I have a question on this matter from the member's colleague later on, but in relation to some of the requests that have been made in that regard, first of all, we just want to reiterate the Scottish Government's commitment to supporting our farmers, our crofters and our food producers. That has been a core part of the vision that we outlined in which we published earlier this month, and it is something that we have committed to continue to do. Given the horrendous board that we are watching and all the acts that we are watching unfold in the Ukraine, I think that it highlights just how important and how vital our food security is. That is why we recently established a task force to help us to address some of those issues and to address some of the immediate matters that we are facing, but also to look to what we can do to tackle these over the medium and longer term. Does the cabinet secretary share my dismay at the Tories' failure to deliver on their Brexit promise to at least maintain current rural funding, and instead they are now short changing Scotland to the tune of £93 million during this Parliament? Funding that could have been provided to farmers to help them mitigate and address and adapt to climate change? Yes, I absolutely do. The member's dismay in that regard, because the Scottish Government has been clear and consistent that we expect—because it is what we were promised—that full replacement of EU funds to ensure that there is no detriment to Scotland's finances. We would expect the UK Government to fully respect the devolution settlement in any future arrangement, and this so far has not happened. I know that my colleagues in the fellow administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland also share our frustration in that regard. There was also a review commitment to hold meaningful discussions to agree the principles of future intra-UK allocations. That should have occurred before the UK spending review, but we are still waiting on the UK Government and George Eustace to meet that commitment. In response to my colleague Martin Whitfield back in September, the cabinet secretary said that food should be processed as close as possible to the point of primary production. She also committed the Scottish Government to working with any operators looking to take forward a mobile abattoir model. Given that six months have passed, can the cabinet secretary update the chamber on what steps she is taking to improve abattoir provision and whether the Scottish Government will take forward the mobile abattoir model if no prospective operators come forward? I want to see, first of all, in response to that that my previous commitment still stands and we still stand ready to work with anybody who is interested in looking at this as a model to go forward. I would also stand by the first part of the member's question in relation to trying to ensure, as far as we possibly can, that food is processed as locally as possible. All of those are issues that we were considering through our draft local food strategy, which was out to consultation and which closed towards the end of last year. We are currently still analysing the responses of that consultation and we will be setting out our responses to that in due course. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Snare Watch annual report 2021 from one kind. I am aware of the report's findings and I understand the concerns around the use of snares. We have recently concluded a review of snaring in terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 2021 and we will publish it very shortly. However, I have also commissioned an additional review that will look beyond the terms of the act and will consider a potential ban on snaring. It will look at the land management aspects of it as well as animal welfare, but in the meantime Scotland has the most robust laws with regard to snaring in the UK. We remain committed to the highest possible animal welfare standards. Ruth McGuire I thank the minister for that very full answer. Ending cruelty against animals is something that is very important to myself and to my constituents. With that in mind, can the minister say a little bit more about the second review that she has commissioned? Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am happy to have said that while that initial statutory review is now complete and I will be pleased to share the details of it shortly, I have commissioned that further review and will look beyond the terms including considering a ban. I hope to announce the details of it very shortly. I know how strongly the member and how strongly the public feel about that. I am clear that we need control measures, but what we cannot and must not tolerate is suffering. I will look to include that in the terms of the review. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with scientists regarding gene editing of crops. Scottish Government ministers and officials speak regularly with scientists on a range of issues, including gene editing. We have access to a wealth of scientific expertise, including from the chief scientific adviser for environment, natural resources and agriculture, the chief plant health officer and research and evidence provided by centres of expertise such as the plant health centre. Thank you for that answer. My colleague Rachel Hamilton recently met with the Roslyn Institute and they once again reaffirmed their support for gene editing to get the green light in Scotland. Why is the Scottish Government continuing to fail to support Scotland's top scientists on this? There are a range of views on this matter, which I am following very closely. I have greatly welcomed scientific opinion on that. However, our policy on GM has not changed. Russell Findlay and his Tory colleagues might be prepared to hurriedly change environmental standards post Brexit, but this Government will not take a considered approach and I am closely following progress at EU level in that regard. Can the cabinet secretary advise whether the Tory UK Government has shared or provided any cumulative impact assessment from the two trade deals that it has negotiated since Brexit, which by its own admission fall in UK and Scottish agriculture? That is not relevant to gene editing. I do not think that there is anything that you can add unless you advise me otherwise that we would relate back to the original question. Except perhaps in regard to advice received, but I will take your views on the matter and I will not answer the question. At our last rural questions, the cabinet secretary was clearly confused between GMOs and gene editing. Now it appears that the minister is equally as confused. Will the minister please take the time to understand the difference between GMOs and gene editing? Scotland's farmers can see potential benefits in gene editing. Why can't the Scottish Government? The member needn't try to patronise or belittle me or outsmart me because he will not succeed. I am following very closely both scientific and judicial reasoning about the decoupling of GM and gene editing. The latter being a process that is considered that could also have resulted in the same process as occurring naturally if not through the gene editing process. As I have said to his colleague, our position has not changed and I am following the EU in this regard. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is putting in place to attract younger people into the farming sector. We recognise that getting young people into the sector is key to driving our rural economy forward and we know that younger people face a number of obstacles getting into the sector, which can be off-putting. That is why this Government is continuing to support them by developing skills and talent through our skills action plan for rural Scotland and through the skills for farming group to guide employers on apprenticeships and work placements. Additional support will continue to be provided by our farming opportunities for new entrance group, the Scottish land matching service and farm advisory service. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for her acknowledgement that there is a problem because I have certainly been contacted by several younger constituents across Mid Scotland and Fife recently that they feel that they are struggling to get into the farming sector. That is an issue that has been highlighted at some of the NFUS meetings on a local basis. That includes the recent Scottish Government statistics that show that, since 2016, Scottish Government opportunities for new entrance programme has helped only 76 young entrants to get into farming. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that is a disappointingly low number and that a new strategy is required to address that? First of all, we want to say that we have a manifesto commitment that we would look at that. That is where I welcome the evaluation that has recently been published. I was pleased to read in that the grants were successful in encouraging 254 new younger entrants into the sector and that we granted more than £11.6 million to allow that to happen. As the member highlights, the review highlighted that there are challenges relating to land availability and profitability of agricultural businesses, and that there still remain those considerable barriers to new entrants, which grants alone will not be able to address. However, as I have just previously intimated, we will be using the outcomes of that review to help to shape the future plans for new entrance support in line with our manifesto commitment. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the cabinet secretary advise Parliament about the skill seader programme, what it does, and how it is being funded? The skill seader company is delivering a really easy accessible rural land-based training and skill seader IT platform. Ultimately, what that aims to do is to break down the barriers for people throughout rural Scotland and make it easier for people to find the right training for them and for skill sharers and trainers to easily reach people who need their training. There are currently 5,000 courses on there already, including from colleges, machinery rings, renewable companies and forestry, and we have recently announced some funding in relation to that, so I would encourage people that, if they are interested in undertaking that training, to seek out those opportunities. I appreciate Liz Smith's original questions related to the farming sector. Similarly, the fishing and seafood industries are also working hard to attract young people to their sectors. That includes fish processors in my constituency, working with seafish and the seafood association through campaigns such as See a Bright Future. I ask the cabinet secretary for an update on the work being done to support young people moving in to the fishing and processing sectors. I do like to keep you on your toes, but the cabinet secretary is not also in an area where we are keen to see a new entrance. The Marine Fund Scotland has supported new entrants to secure their positions in the fishing industry, so, for example, we have been assisting young fishers to purchase their first fishing boat or to have a share in a fishing boat. To date, so far, we have awarded around £2 million of funding to assist entry of young fishers to the sector, and the fund has also supported new entrants by providing grant support to seafish to deliver training in Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the findings of the first stage of the review on licensing in the aquaculture sector. The review undertaken by Professor Griggs is comprehensive, ambitious and fulfills the remit that was given to him. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Professor Russell Griggs again for his work and all the effort that he put into producing this piece of work. I have already made clear my agreement to all the recommendations and principles, and I will, and I will shortly, take the next steps that will take us beyond this first phase. I think that it is really vital that we maintain that momentum and approach our commitment to streamline the regulatory process for aquaculture with PACE. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response, and I am pleased to hear that there is an intention to proceed speedily. However, the cabinet secretary will be aware that some 600 jobs in rescyth in my constituency depend on the success of the salmon industry. Therefore, I ask the cabinet secretary to take the opportunity to confirm today that she will now instruct her officials to work at PACE to implement the Griggs review recommendations, because that will ensure a better, more efficient and transparent aquaculture regulatory framework, which is essential for future sustainability and competitiveness. Can the cabinet secretary also take the opportunity today to confirm that she will work constructively with industry to get this right? Yes, that is certainly my intention. Aquaculture is hugely important to Scotland's economy. I recognise rescyth as one of the communities that depend on the success of a sustainable aquaculture industry. As I have mentioned, we are determined to make sure that we continue with that momentum and PACE in progressing work that takes us beyond the first phase of the review, and we are committed to that collaborative working. We will continue to engage with stakeholders in phase 2 of the aquaculture review and in the production of a Government-led vision for aquaculture. We also want to mention that, as part of our manifesto commitments, we said that we would reform and streamline regulatory processes so that development is more responsive, transparent and efficient. To achieve that, we are also committed through our manifesto commitments to implement a process that will bring greater clarity and speed to the process of aquaculture regulation. We appointed Professor Griggs as part of that 100-day commitment, and we are now finalising the next steps into phase 2 of the work that is required to move beyond the status quo. The mortality rate of Scottish salmon farms is 24 per cent, and that was in 2020. Environmental sustainability depends on the robust enforcement of compliance, and we know that SEPA and NatureScot have recently suffered successive budget cuts. Cabinet Secretary, with any new licence fee, will it be used to pay for greatly expanded independent monitoring of fish farms' impacts, especially including sea lice counts and fish deaths? The work that has just been announced, as I have just said in my previous response, to continue that momentum and to build on the work that has already been announced, would be premature for me to make any specific commitments in relation to what the member is talking about given the phase that we are at with that work. I also want to point out that, as part of the Bute House agreement, we recognised that there was an immediate programme of work that needed to be carried out in that regard. I would also highlight to the member and to those across the chamber that that was also why we set out our response to the salmon interactions working group to try to tackle some of the issues that already exist while we were undertaking this review. Thank you, and question number eight is whoever who joins us remotely. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. For us, the Scottish Government, whether it is adapting its agricultural policy for crops and livestock stock due to the war in Ukraine. The Scottish Government recognises the impact that the terrible war in Ukraine is having on global agrifood markets. On 17 March, we announced the establishment of a short-life food security and supply task force jointly with industry leaders to monitor, identify and respond to any potential disruption to the food and drink supply chain. It will also seek to recommend actions that can be taken to mitigate impacts, resolve supply issues and strengthen food security and supply in Scotland, where we remain committed to producing more of our own food sustainably while maintaining and enhancing nature. Sue Webber. Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for her answer. I guess the war in Ukraine has highlighted the need to support farmers and growers to help deal with crises like this, inflationary pressures and the market volatility that they are facing. Will the Cabinet Secretary also promise that her Government will not approve any more deals to send thousands of seed potatoes to Russia? I think that there are a few points that need to be clarified in relation to this. The Scottish Government does not approve export deals. We have led calls for businesses to disinvest in Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, and we have communicated that very clearly to the seed potato suppliers concerned. The Scottish Government and its economic agencies will use all available powers not to support trade and investment activity within Russia, and where a company makes the decision to export any plants or other plant products from Scotland, including seed potatoes. The Scottish Government officials are required to carry out various activities in relation to this, including the inspection and the certification of goods. Again, the Scottish Government does not approve export deals. A couple of supplementaries, first of all, to any mental. The terrible conflict in Ukraine, as has been said earlier, will impact on food security in Scotland, as was highlighted in Tuesday's Good Food Nation Bill debate. So, could the cabinet secretary inform us how the UK Government is involving the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations in discussions and deliberations in this area? Right across the Scottish Government, we are in contact with the UK Government on a range of aspects relating to the conflict and the impacts as a result of that. I know that the First Minister attends a weekly domestic resilience meeting chaired by the minister for the Cabinet Office, and Ukraine has been one of the top agenda items at the regular inter-ministerial group meetings that we have with DEFRA and with other devolved administrations, too. However, I am also continuing to press for further engagement with DEFRA minister Victoria Prentis to ensure that we are closely involved in responding to this fast-moving situation, and that includes most recently at the last inter-ministerial group meeting, which took place at the start of this week. At that meeting, Victoria Prentis assured all the relevant devolved ministers that there would be that on-going close contact and liaison, given that many of the issues that are impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are devolved and are shared right across the UK. I am obviously keen to ensure that that commitment is followed through and that we will be doing what I can to ensure that it is. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I wish the cabinet secretary well in getting that engagement, because she will know that there are many Ukrainian seasonal workers carrying outstanding work at the moment supporting Scottish agriculture and fruit growing, and although their visas have been extending until December, they are only valid as long as workers stay on their current farm or are placed by their sponsor on another farm. However, those workers cannot apply for their families to join them, and they are generally subject to no recourse to public funds. Will the cabinet secretary consider what more support the Scottish Government could give those farm workers and indeed help more to come to Scotland from Ukraine, including how they may be able to bring their family over, have access to public funds and services, given the enormous contribution that they are all making to Scottish farming and fruit pickers at the moment? That is briefly as possible, cabinet secretary. Yes, absolutely. We are committed to doing that and are doing all that we can to ensure that we are giving that support where possible. I just want to provide the assurance to the member in the cross-chamber that we are engaging closely with our fruit and vegetable producers on a regular basis. We are aware that, of course, there are some workers from Ukraine already here, and the plan was for many more to join them as part of the seasonal workforce. Clearly, that is unlikely to happen, but we are working urgently with all of our stakeholders and internally to determine how best we can support those workers. That includes to ensure that they are aware of and are known to parts of Government, which are co-ordinating our action to support Ukrainian refugees. Just in addition to that, we have also reached out to RSAPI with a view to utilise their already-established seasonal worker helpline and are working closely with them to find out what and how they can provide assistance. Clearly, we want to be able to provide all possible practical and emotional support that we can, and we will certainly be doing everything that we can within the powers and resources that we have to provide that support. That concludes portfolio questions. Can I extend an apology again to Audrey Nicholl and Evelyn Tweed for the confusion? I also remind members that, for portfolio questions, if you have a question or you intend to ask a supplementary, you need to be here at the beginning of portfolio questions and remain until the end of portfolio questions. I am not going to name and shame on this occasion, but let it be noted. We will be slight paused before we move to the next item of business.