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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 23 July 2025
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Displaying 5898 contributions

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Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

We will move on to deal with the issue of wildfires in a little more detail. I have a question for Bruce Farquharson. Should the muirburn code include obligations for landowners to control the fuel load where there is an increased risk of wildfires? Countries such as Portugal have strict laws to ensure that landowners carry out some sort of muirburn—it is probably not called that in Portugal—to reduce the risk of incidents such as the one in Inverness last week.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

In that case, should the muirburn code also cover those who are not burning for biodiversity, grouse moor or agricultural purposes, but are doing so basically to reduce fuel load?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

I will bring in Robbie Kernahan before I go to Alasdair Allan.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

I will take a brief comment from Emma Hinchliffe.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

Ariane Burgess had a question but that has been covered as well, so I will move on to a question from Karen Adam, who will probably explore the issue a bit further.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

I am going to move on. We are getting into the minutiae of the topic, and we need to be conscious of the time.

I will bring in Christine Grahame on the subject of wildfires.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

Yes.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

My point is that I have not had any comfort or assurance from anywhere that the agriculture bill will offer adequate provisions to give Scottish ministers these powers. I would find it difficult to make a decision on that, because I have had no reassurance that that will be the case. I am also concerned that there has been no risk assessment, because of the potential five-year period, which is slightly longer than I would consider to be temporary.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

No. It is just that the policy note says that the NFUS

“stated that the forthcoming Agriculture Bill would offer ... adequate provision”.

If the NFUS has been given reassurances, it would be good for the committee to be given them, too.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 21 June 2023

Finlay Carson

That concludes our meeting in public.

12:45 Meeting continued in private until 12:48.