 Siwr mwy pobl yn bwysig serum nhwad~? Rhinityn ein sgareddant yn euuckles deglingosiau'r bwysig? Siwr mae'r sgareddant yng Nghymru yn ei pap formaidd na beth eich awr wononig a'r bwysig yn tua heddiw ysgadol i'w hwnnw wahanol glueodau i Gwgoriwr Williamston. Mae fod yn lawer ei daidd anref sungai. Mae bienchion cyftvarr Primur General o swyddan yn sefydlu bwysigat Roti, broadband access to at least 95 per cent of premises by the end of 2017. Without that investment, only 66 per cent of premises would have been reached. To date, the programme has provided fibre broadband access to 4215 premises in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, 95 per cent of which are capable of accessing superfast speeds. Can I welcome that? I'm sure that 4215 premises in my constituency will welcome that too. However, constituents from the village of Stonehouse in my constituency have had a very difficult time with getting access to broadband, and when they do, they have experienced loss of service, a slow service, which has been disruptive not only to domestic use of broadband services, but to the many businesses in that area who depend on an uninterrupted high-speed service in order to do their business. Can the cabinet secretary look into the particular problems that are faced by my constituents in Stonehouse and reassure them that everything possible is being done to provide them with that quality service from that £400 million investment? Yes, I'm happy to provide Ms McElvie with that assurance and I'm happy to receive more details from her if she so wishes. She will appreciate, of course, as we all do, that telecoms and telephony is a reserved responsibility for the UK Government, but, despite that, we are committed to providing 100 per cent superfast broadband access by 2021. I'm obviously aware that BT is handling many of those cases. I'm very happy to take up any particular case with Ms McElvie, who is obviously working hard for her constituents on this serious matter. 2. Douglas Ross Thank you, Presiding Officer. To answer this, the Scottish Government, when it last met the board of NFU Scotland and what issues were discussed. I last met the board of the NFUS on 22 December last year when we discussed cap greening and the issue of linked holdings in relation to livestock movements. I can also advise that I will be meeting with the new national farmers union Scotland presidential team tomorrow morning. 2. Douglas Ross I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and my question allows me to wish the new NFU Scotland board announced at the recent AGM all the best and, in particular, to Martin Burst from Putgaveny Farms near Elgin, who is the new regional board member for Highland. The NFUS was very supportive of the new farm advisory service when it was launched in September last year. The scheme costs £20 million and will run until 2020. Can the cabinet secretary tell us what the uptake of that scheme has been so far and what has been the feedback from crofters and farmers for this new service? Just this morning, I can assure members that I was discussing with the rural committee some of the good work that is done by the SRUC. That includes, for example, arranging, facilitating and handling meetings for farmers to understand the opportunities to avail themselves of greening measures, which, as well as good for the planet, are good for their pocket. There is a wide range of activities that are being undertaken by SRUC. I have discussions with SRUC on various matters recently and have asked for a further meeting, specifically to address the issues that Mr Ross fairly raises. After that meeting, if he wishes, I am happy to go over with him what they do, because it is a substantial contract and it is absolutely essential that, in those challenging times, where farmers risk the possibility of facing the loss of their CAP and SRDP financial support as a result of the total failure of the UK Government to give any details that are there in end, we must do all that we can to address those matters. Gillian Martin The cabinet secretary, what changes has taken forward to the greening measures in response to the NUFS and farmers' concerns? I announced three particular measures, shortening the period during which maintenance of field drains is prohibited on ecological focus areas, such as the EFA fallow from 1 July 2015, to allow hedges to count separately as EFA and agroforestry supported under the forestry grant scheme, and located on temporary grassland, we will be able to count as EFA. I and Ms Cunningham, the environment secretary, also announced the establishment of our group, chaired by Professor Russell Griggs, that has been asked to undertake a forward looking review of our approach to greening. Further, we plan to publish our analysis of the impacts of changes to rules as requested by stakeholders. Further research will be commissioned on those matters. It is my understanding that the twin announcements of specific measures and an on-going approach of serious consideration of those matters have been broadly welcomed by farmers and their representatives. I am sure that the NUFS board will wish to discuss with the cabinet secretary the progress that has been made in terms of payments for 2017, but at a recent meeting with the NFUS locally in Orkney, a concern was raised around some uncertainty about the payments for 2016. Some farmers are still yet to receive payments and, given the change in the regime, I think that there is a lack of clarity there. Would you consider writing out to all farmers explaining the payments that have been made and any outstanding amounts that may still be due? Well, Ms MacArthur raises perfectly reasonable points. I can assure him and all other members that those matters occupy a great deal of my time and attention, and rightly so, and that my officials are working flat out in order to address those matters. I believe that substantial progress is being made. I can also say that I discussed those matters in Orkney, not in Orkney but in Shetland, on Monday with the farmers there. I think that I should perhaps point out, as Mr MacArthur will know well, that in respect of the various farming payments that a loan scheme was brought in and was implemented in the first fortnight of November, and that made sure that for most farmers they received up to 80 per cent of their full entitlement and they received that earlier than would normally be the case. That did inject, Presiding Officer. I think that there are some from memory, not unadjacent to £270 million to the rural community in Scotland, including in the Isle of Orkney, where farming is of such importance. 3. Margaret Mitchell To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives from the Scottish Roads partnership. Minister Humza Yousaf. Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, last met representatives of the Scottish Road partnership. The project contracted on 1 February 2017, when he visited the site to view the progress on the Wraith underpass. Transport Scotland, of course, is part of the Scottish Government. Officials meet representatives from the Scottish Road partnership on a regular basis. Margaret Mitchell I thank the minister for that answer and very much welcome the significant progress made on the on-going works at the Wraith interchange, including the opening of the East Kilbride underpass. However, there are problems with the lack of appropriate signage generally, and in particular to make motorists aware early enough of the new EK underpass road configuration, where many drivers are ending up on the bypass by mistake. They then have to do a detour and double back to get to the bottle Glasgow turn-offs, which adds to the confusion and congestion at the Wraith. Will the minister take up the issue and confirm the completion date for the entire project? I thank the member for the constructive way in which he approaches the issue. Roadworks, of course, will involve disruption. We do our best to advertise that disruption and diversion routes as early as we possibly can. However, I will take her point in regard to signage. I will ask the contractors and, indeed, my own officials in Transport Scotland to look again to see if anything can be done. In terms of the completion date, I will stick to what has been said about spring 2017. That is the schedule that we are working towards when we expect the entire project to be complete. Can the minister advise why the Government chose the Scottish roads partnership PPP model as opposed to a traditional roads maintenance contract? Will he agree to publish the level of profits that is being delivered through the public sector contract to the private investors involved? If Neil Findlay was sitting here in this role, which I think is a feat of imagination, but nonetheless, if he was, I do not think that he would have constructed the amount of infrastructure that we have managed to do—the M8, M73, M74 project, the AWPR, of course, the dualling of the A9, the A96 and many, many other infrastructure projects. I will write to the member to give him a little bit more information, but he will understand that commercial confidentiality is important. However, the Government has a great record of not only delivering infrastructure projects but delivering them on time and on budget. That is something that I am very, very proud of. Neil Findlay. I simply ask the minister if he will publish the level of profits that is being provided under the contract. Will he do that? It is a public contract. I said that there is commercial confidentiality and I will explore what can be published and what cannot be published, what is not appropriate and I will write to the member in that regard. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle livestock worrying. We are fully supporting the campaign that was launched recently by Police Scotland to highlight the importance of dog owners keeping their pets under control when walking in rural areas. The campaign is being run in conjunction with the Scottish partnership against rural crime, SNH and the represented body land and estates. It is time to coincide with lambing season when the effects of livestock worrying can be devastating. Police Scotland is committed to using the law robustly if dog owners fail to keep their dogs under control, including investigating all incidents of livestock worrying and reporting cases to the Procurator Fiscal with a view to securing convictions. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and also for the very helpful information that he has provided. He will know about the dreadful event that happened in Muthall when a whole field of sheep was destroyed in Muthall. According to the NFU Mutual, the cost of dog attacks in livestock is estimated to be about £1.4 million across the UK and that the cost has more than tripled in Scotland. I appreciate what the cabinet secretary has just said about the policing of the issue, but could he also tell us what is happening to ensure that the farmers who are affected are actually reporting the issue in the first instance? My attention has been drawn to that particular episode. It is absolutely devastating, not only for the financial, but I think that the emotional consequences for any farmer seeing his livestock suffer in this way is appalling. It must be said that the primary responsibility must lie with the dog owner to keep his or her dog under proper control. There is legislation that criminalises a dog owner that attacks livestock, chases livestock or be at large, but not under close control in a field. There is legislation in place, but that legislation requires evidence for the prosecution. That is why, in 2015, the former Solicitor General conducted a review to ensure that the matter was taken absolutely seriously, which it is. To respond to the second part of the question, I would obviously encourage every single person who sees witnesses, an incident, to report that to the police. That is really our civic duty and one that, if taken seriously by most people—I am sure that most people do and, of course, most dog owners are responsible dog owners—that duty to report would in itself be of great help in part of the solution to this serious matter. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports Scottish firms in the food and drink sector in accessing public sector contracts. Significant progress has been made in recent years, with almost half of our public sector food and drink contracts now awarded to Scottish businesses. I want to see more of our schools, hospitals and public sector organisations taking advantage of the high-quality food and drink that is produced in Scotland. That is why I convened a round-table discussion earlier this month to bring together the supply chain for the first time to discuss the barriers and opportunities, to increase local sourcing in public sector contracts and to help to boost the economic potential of the food and drink sector. A range of actions are now being considered and a further round-table event will be convened later this year to review progress. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. In my constituency, there is great concern among food producers, such as McDuff, Shellfish and Mintlaw, that they will face severe difficulties if they cannot get a guarantee that workers from other EU member states can continue to work in Scotland when we leave the EU. What contingencies should we be suggesting to them as they prepare for the future, for example, as they bid for the kind of contracts that we have just discussed? The member has raised an extremely important point. I know from my own visits in Peterhead and Fraserborough and, indeed, this week to Shetland, just how absolutely crucial the continued presence of EU nationals working in the processing sector and the food and drink sector is to Scotland. Around 8,000 working in that sector, and a further 15,000 EU nationals are employed by Scotland's farmers. They are all welcome in Scotland and we want them to continue to be welcome. If they are not, as a result of the granite hard Brexit plans proposed by the UK Government, then we may see the horrendous human tragedy of people leaving because they are not welcome here. That is repulsive and repellent to us and it also would have the effect of shrinking the economy, because if a processing factory relies on half its workforce being of EU origin living in Scotland and that factory cannot continue to operate, the other half, Indigenous Scottish residents, will also risk losing their job. That matter could not be more serious for the rural economy and therefore this Scottish Government believes that it is essential that everybody stands up and defends the right of EU nationals to continue to work here and enjoy this as their home, which of course it is. I am glad that the Scottish Government is treating the issue of local food procurement with the importance it deserves. However, there is a real performance gap between our better achieving rural areas and underperforming urban areas in regard to public sector contracts. What further work will the minister undertake to narrow this gap? Just in the last couple of weeks, I convened the very first event of its sort in Scotland of bringing together those involved in procurement. I am not sure that I would necessarily accept the presentation of the event of the situation as put forward by Mr Chapman, although if he wants to send me evidence, I will happily have a look at it. However, I think that there has been great progress made in sourcing more food and drink from Scotland and from local sources. However, the issues are very substantially practical and business ones. The supply of food and drink is very much a business issue. Farmers and co-operatives, for example, need to be able to co-operate to provide food and drink to large retailers on a day basis 365 days a year. There are business issues here and the Government should not dictate to business. However, there is a great deal of goodwill amongst local authorities, the Scottish Government and all businesses involved in the chain. I think that working collaboratively is by far the best way to advance those matters. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the instance of avian flu and what advice and support it is giving to commercial and domestic poultry keepers. To date, there has only been one confirmed finding of a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in Scotland this winter, and that was a wild peregrine falcon found in the Dumfries area. There have been no confirmed cases in domestic poultry or captive birds in Scotland. I have met key representatives of the poultry and game bird sector in the past few weeks to discuss how we can best support keepers during this unprecedented situation. In addition, we have regularly provided advice and support to poultry keepers on how best to protect their birds at this time, done so through digital media, news releases and emails to a wide range of stakeholder groups. We also arranged for the animal and plant health agency, AFA, to issue email and text alerts to subscribers through their notifiable diseases alerts service. Can I thank the cabinet secretary for his response? Subject to no further outbreaks, when does the Government expect to be able to lift the current restrictions on the movement of live poultry? I think that I would answer the question this way. I am not assigned to see or react on advice from Sheila Voastie, chief veterinary officer, obviously, and her colleagues. However, my understanding is that this virus is one that is not expected to be, if you like, killed off until the warmer weather arrives. Therefore, it is not reasonable to expect that there will be an absence of problems until, perhaps, May or June. There have been a number of outbreaks, confirmed cases in England, nine cases, and we have, on veterinary advice, taken the step of indicating that, when the current prevention zone comes to an end at the end of this month, it will be renewed, but it will be amended so that birds may be let out, subject to heightened biosecurity. That will have the benefit, of course, that those who are producing free-range eggs will not be liable to forfeit their free-range status, provided they maintain the other conditions, apart from, obviously, being outdoors and free-range. That is extremely important to Scotland because there is an enormous amount of money involved here, £46 million of business, so that is not a minor issue. That is why I met many of the players involved, including some farmers who are very important players in this field, and it has been receiving the utmost attention, which, of course, is quite right. I was a detailed answer, but there are a couple of supplementaries, and I am afraid that we do not have time. That concludes that section of topical questions. We move on to environment, climate change and land reform. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the safe restoration of opencast coal mine sites in East Ayrshire and the south of Scotland. Cabinet secretary, Roseanna Cunningham. Following the liquidation of Scotland's two largest coal mining companies, a cross-party Scottish opencast coal task force was established to deal with the key issues of coal sector employment, improving regulation and promoting restoration of legacy sites. Two subgroups to the main task force were established in 2014 to look at and make recommendations on compliance monitoring and financial factors. The final report to the task force was published in October 2015 and included a comprehensive suite of 29 recommendations. In addition, a short-life coal restoration working group was also established to take forward and progress the recommendations of the task force. It met between February and October 2016. The Scottish Mine Restoration Trust was formed in May 2013 to seek innovative solutions to restoration. That is chaired by Professor Russell Greggs and is continuing its work and has now taken over the ownership and care of eight legacy surface mines. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with councils, communities and with industry to ensure the safe restoration of surface mines in Scotland. Brian Whittle. As you will be aware, the mining companies were supposed to be accumulating a restoration fund to ensure that the landscape could be properly restored after mining was finished through regular surveying and cost analysis. I was taken off the ball and when the Scottish Gold Folded, it was unfortunately discovered that the funds had been grossly underestimated. Those sites scarred the landscape and, at the very least, need to be made safe for the local communities. However, there are some very innovative and interesting alternatives to just making them safe such as pumped hydro storage schemes or bike tracks or outdoor activities that could attract visitors to the area. Will the Scottish Government commit to at least the very minimum investment that is required to make those sites safe? Will the minister consider looking at some of the very interesting projects that might be worth further investment? We are already supporting work with funding and that is the work of the SMRT, the group that has been working since 2013 on that. I think that most of us would agree with the concerns being expressed by the member as to the environmental on-cost of the effective closure of the mines and the consequences thereof. I know that a very great deal of work is currently being done and continues to be done and I would have hoped that my initial answer would have indicated to the member that this is an issue that this Government takes extraordinarily seriously. Related to similar issues, what is the Scottish Government doing to address the coal-related damage to the Muirkerch and North Louth's upland special protection area? As the member may be aware, on 10 March 2016, we published details of the package of measures now being deployed to address the ecological impacts of opencast coal mining in the Muirkerch and North Louth's upland special protection area. Work is on-going and includes the partial restoration of the Powharnol opencast site, the restoration of the Griefill opencast site, the re-establishment of supportive mitigatory land management and the extension of the SPA to compensate for the permanent loss of habitat. In addition, work to remove an overland coal conveyor from the SPA was completed last year. We have made significant financial commitment to support the completion of the work, with some £2 million spent during the current financial year and a commitment for a further £8 million over the next four years. Can I ask the cabinet secretary whether she or any of the organisations involved has considered making clearer definitions of restoration at a Scotland-wide level? For instance, it has been raised with the East Asher Council the possibilities of three definitions—restoration, partial restoration or reinstatement and alternative use—and a number of constituents have approached me to highlight that that would help in letting community groups and all those involved know what the process was that was happening on particular sites. The member is raising an interesting point. It may very well be that it is part of the discussions that are already taking place, but perhaps not in as overtly defined a way, as she might wish. I will make sure that her comments are drawn to the attention, particularly of the trust itself, to see whether there is a way to make that more systematic, which I expect is really what the member is looking for. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place to prevent the spread of diseases that affect woodlands and forestry. Tackling threats to tree health is a priority for the Scottish Government. Our approach to preventing the spread of diseases that affect woodlands and forestry is set out in the Scottish plant health strategy that was published in March last year. I hope that the member has had an opportunity to have a look at that. The aims of the strategy are to demonstrate the importance of safeguarding Scottish plant health to protect and enhance Scotland's economy and natural environment, to indicate how Scotland will take forward the plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain and to ensure that the Scottish Government and stakeholders work together to protect plant health in Scotland. I am grateful to the minister for that answer. A few months ago, Forest Enterprise Scotland confirmed that almost 20 hectares of woodland will have to be felled as a result of the spread of large disease into new areas in Argyll and Stirlingshire. Surely, with a spread into areas outside the so-called management zone, it means that efforts will have to be increased across the whole of Scotland to stop the spread, and the Scottish Government must act now as the strategy for 2015-17 is surely not effective enough. I outlined the position of the Scottish Government in respect of the general issue of plant health and, indeed, tree health. In preparation for this question, I now know more about potential diseases in trees than I thought I would ever need to know. I am conscious of the concerns about the spread. There is still, if I recall correctly, a view that the west coast remains the biggest concerning area in respect of the issue, and it is one that we are keeping under close observation. However, the member will also be aware that, effectively, being concerned about the health of our forests is a matter for everybody involved in it, not just, for example, the Government or the Forestry Commission. It is also a landowner responsibility and the responsibility of all those involved. I do not believe that the Scottish Government's plans in respect of how that is taken forward are, in any way, insufficient. The draft budget has protected Forestry Commission Scotland expenditure, and we do anticipate that that budget will be adequate to meet our on-going tree health requirements at similar levels to recent years. At times, the only option when woodland and forestry areas are affected by disease will be to clear the area. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will agree with me that replanting of trees is crucial. Can she give details on the number of trees that have been planted in Scotland since 2007 and how that compares to other UK nations? National statistics estimate that, since 2007, Scotland has planted 59.4,000 hectares, or around 119 million trees in new woodland creation. The estimate for the same period in England is around 50 million trees for new woodland and 9 million for Wales. The replanting of trees following felling will be in addition to those numbers, and detailed estimates of replanting numbers are not available. The figures that we have are initial planting rather than replanting. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is given to piloting the devolved management of seabed assets to the island communities of Orkney and Shetford. The Scottish Minister's first priority is to complete the devolution of management of the crown estate to the Scottish Parliament and ensure a smooth transition. That takes effect on 1 April this year. We have made a commitment that communities will benefit directly from devolution of the crown estate. After crown estate revenues are devolved to Scotland, coastal and land communities will receive 100 per cent of net revenues raised from crown estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles. With the three island councils, we have been exploring the potential for piloting enhanced local accountability ahead of legislation on a new long-term framework for managing crown estate assets in Scotland. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I also thank Roseanna Cunningham for sparing the time to meet with Tavish Scott and myself on the issue. From that meeting, she will understand the long-standing desire within Orkney and Shetland to take responsibility for managing the crown estate assets, extending what is already happening under the Orkney and Shetland acts. It is not just about the revenues that she knows, it is the opportunity to manage the seabed resources that are so critically important to the island communities that I represent. Will she therefore agree to allow Orkney and Shetland to lead the way and take forward pilots ahead of legislation being introduced to Parliament later on this year? The member may be interested to know that I am meeting with the leaders of the three island councils on 2 March. Discussions will continue between the Scottish Government and the island councils on the potential for a pilot in the islands. We have received an outline proposal from them, which has been considered, but as I indicated in the meeting that the member referred to earlier, a detailed proposal is required to enable us to make a proper decision. I know that both himself and his colleague, Tavish Scott, will ensure that they are kept well informed on the progress of this, and I look forward to further meetings, no doubt, with both of them, singly or together. Does the cabinet secretary share my view that the Smith commission stressed the importance of devolving seabed assets to local authority areas such as Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles? Is the cabinet secretary sympathetic and relaxed about further empowerment of island communities and avoiding centralisation in Edinburgh? As the member knows, there is an ongoing consultation in respect of the long-term future for the Crown and State commission. We have had to devolve initially in the way that we have done it on an interim basis to bring the devolution to Scotland, and the consultation and future legislation will determine what the long-term plans will be. As the member is aware, there is a variety of views about that, and it is our intention to ensure that, as many communities as possible benefit directly from that, both in terms of, indeed, as the previous member pointed out, the funding but also the management. Question 4, George Adam. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the environmental standards in towns and cities help to promote Scotland's image. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the environment and its contribution to the quality of life of our communities, as well as Scotland's international image and reputation. The Scottish Government supports delivery of local environmental standards through its establishment of policy frameworks, supporting tools, and funding to local authorities and other organisations. George Adam. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. Does she agree with me that, in these challenging economic times, it is even more important that our towns and cities environment is clean to a high standard? The cabinet secretary may be aware that the previous SNP-led Remfrewshire Council won awards with its clean remfrewshire campaign. Does the cabinet secretary agree that educational campaigns like that are a way forward to ensure that we keep our towns and cities clean and promote a positive image of Scotland? Our national litter strategy supports higher quality local environments. I encourage all local authorities to share best practice so that successful approaches to influencing behaviour can be replicated or adapted to suit individual council circumstances. Not every plan will fit every area, but where there is good practice such as the clean remfrewshire campaign, other councils would be advised to have a look and see if there are lessons that can be learned. Question 5, Miles Briggs. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of fly tipping. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling fly tipping. We have provided SEPA and local authorities with the powers to find people who are caught fly tipping, the minimum fixed penalty of £200 to a maximum fine of £40,000 if prosecuted. Zero Way Scotland has introduced the Fly Mapper system to enable the recording, managing and reporting of fly tipping, making it easier to catch offenders and to deal with illegal dumping sites. Miles Briggs. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Keep Scotland Beautiful's 2016 report, Scotland's local environmental quality and decline, painted a concerning picture of increases in littering and fly tipping. Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for a review of the effectiveness of the fixed penalties that the cabinet secretary outlined to see whether or not the enforcement is actually deterring this. Is the Scottish Government planning to take this forward and commit to a review of the current penalties? Well, we keep these issues under review on a constant basis. We are wanting to ensure the maximum environmental standards for Scotland and by doing the work that we do behind the scenes, ensuring that that is something that is kept going forward on a regular basis. The member will be aware, however, that, with respect to fly tipping, it is difficult to catch offenders. As much as I would like to make an argument for increasing penalties, which I rather suspect lies behind his question, the issue is more how does one actually get individuals to court in the first place? That is an important aspect of the assessment that needs to be done. Increasing penalties is one thing—getting people into court is what will be key. I hope that he would agree with me that perhaps that is where we need to be putting our focus in the early stage. There is no reason for anyone to fly tip material when councils are providing both recycling and residual collections. I think that every one of us here would condemn that it happens. Christina McKelvie Thank you very much. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is a responsibility of councils such as South Lanarkshire to ensure that those who are known to be guilty of fly tipping are held to account whenever possible and do all that they can to encourage responsible disposal of items of rubbish? The member will have heard some of the comments that I made to Miles Briggs. The real trick here is to know who is responsible, and while we may colloquially know in some places, knowing in a way that allows us to take that evidence to court is different. However, I do think that councils play a vital role in holding fly tipping offenders to account. We have supported them by increasing the level of fixed penalty that they and others with enforcement powers can impose on fly tippers when they identify them, and we encourage the use of those powers. I perhaps should have mentioned that in response to Miles Briggs. There is also guidance to enforcement officers who deal with the illegal disposal of waste in Scotland. It is within a document called fly tipping in Scotland, a guide to prevention and enforcement. It is perhaps something for those who are interested in this particular area to go and have a look at. Ivan McKee To ask the Scottish Government what the value of Scotland's natural environment is to the Scottish economy. Scotland's natural environment is estimated to be worth around £20 billion per annum to the economy. That is £20 billion, not million. Many of Scotland's growth sectors such as tourism, energy and food and drink depend on our high-quality air, land and water. We believe that protecting and enhancing our stock of natural capital is fundamental to a healthy and resilient economy, which is why, in 2011, we became the very first country in the world to establish a natural capital asset index. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Does the cabinet secretary therefore agree with me that it is essential that we continue to invest in our environment and work to unlock opportunities that will not only help to protect the environment but further benefit Scotland's economy? I agree with that. Investing in our natural environment is important in helping to grow the economy. We make that point in the Scottish economic strategy, which explicitly states that protecting and enhancing our stock of natural capital is fundamental to a healthy and resilient economy. I draw members' attention to the fact that many of our wonderful produce is sold on an image of Scotland's environment, which I would hope always was reinforced by a reality. It is really important that private sector particularly understands that that reality has got to sustain the image that it chooses to sell its premium products on the back-off. Maurice Golden Thank you, Presiding Officer. Scotland's prosperity is intertwined with Scotland's natural capital. That is why the Scottish Conservatives have made natural capital a key part of our new environmental policy paper launched today. Can the cabinet secretary explain what specific steps the SNP Government is taking to develop and a holistic model to leverage finance to protect our natural capital? As I have already indicated, this country is the very first one in the world to establish a natural capital asset index. I would have expected the member to have welcomed that fact. I am aware of the document that was published today, and I reassure the member that I will be looking at it all very carefully indeed. However, one of the stand-out highlights so far is the Conservatives in Scotland committing to two nuclear power plants for Scotland with no indication whatsoever of where any of the money for that is coming from. Indeed, that was something absent from the entire document, not a single cost put to anything. When the member wants to arise in this chamber, whether or not he might have regard to that aspect of things as well. Thank you. That concludes portfolio questions. The next item of business is a ministerial statement. We will just take a few moments for ministers and other members to change seats.