RACCE/S4/13/5/M

RURAL AFFAIRS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

MINUTES

5th Meeting, 2013 (Session 4)

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Present:

Claire Baker (Committee Substitute) Claudia Beamish Graeme Dey (Deputy Convener) Nigel Don Alex Fergusson (Convener) Jim Hume

Angus MacDonald

Apologies were received from Jayne Baxter.

The meeting opened at 9.31 am.

1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee agreed to take item 4 in private.

2. Subordinate legislation: The Committee considered the following negative instruments—

Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing () Amendment Regulations 2012 SSI/2012/355; The Plant Health (Scotland) Amendment Order 2013 SSI 2013/5; Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2013 SSI 2013/9.

The Committee agreed to make no recommendations in relation to these instruments.

3. Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting our Emissions Reduction Targets 2013- 2027 - The Draft Second Report on Proposals and Policies: The Committee took evidence from—

Professor Robin Matthews, Team Leader, James Hutton Institute;

RACCE/S4/13/5/M

Professor Pete Smith, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen;

Clifton Bain, Peatland Programme Manager, IUCN;

Jim Densham, Senior Land Use Policy Officer (Climate), The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland;

Rory Crawford, Seabird Policy Officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland, representing Scottish Environment LINK Marine Task Force;

Alan Hampson, Programme Manager, Land and Freshwater, Scottish Natural Heritage;

Jo Ellis, Policy Adviser, Land Use and Climate Change, Forestry Commission Scotland;

Andrew Bauer, Policy Manager, National Farmers Union Scotland;

Andrew Midgley, Head of Policy, Scottish Land and Estates Ltd;

Graham Kerr, Group Manager Environment and Design, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC);

Morag Watson, Senior Policy Officer, WWF Scotland;

Stuart Fraser, Technical Director, William Tracey Group;

Dr Andy Kerr, Director, Centre for Carbon Innovation, University of Edinburgh;

Linda Ovens, Vice Chair for Scotland, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management;

James Curran, Chief Executive, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency;

Simon Pepper;

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, Royal Scottish Geographical Society;

Professor Mike Bonaventura, Chief Executive Officer, Crichton Centre.

4. Work programme (in private): The Committee agreed a draft timetable for its proposed visit to Brussels; correspondence to the Crown Estate; a to the Scottish Government on flooding; and agreed to keep Petition PE1450 open and to notify the petitioner, James A Mackie, of the process of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill to date, and to re-visit the petition once the Scottish Government has issued its response to the Committee's Stage One report on the Bill. RACCE/S4/13/5/M

The meeting closed at 12.53 pm.

Lynn Tullis Clerk to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee Room T3.40 The Edinburgh Tel: 0131 348 5240 Email: [email protected]