Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“The Scottish Government recognises the challenges that certain plant and animal species pose to agricultural businesses and is supporting farmers to manage those impacts.”
“Will the Government also commit to implementing a more pragmatic licence application scheme for the removal of species where the impact on business and other conservation species or habitats is clear? Jim Fairlie: As Amanda Lindsay points out, there is a management scheme.”
“The Scottish Government remains committed to that work. Indeed, in September, in the Scottish Parliament, I hosted and chaired a constructive round-table discussion on alternative farrowing systems with representatives from the Scottish pig industry, animal welfare organisations and academia.”
“Therefore, we will be working closely with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations on the delivery of the programme. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting.”
“I welcome Joe Fagan to the chamber. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting agriculture, food production and our food and drink sectors in a fair manner. In March, we published our first rural support plan, outlining support for the next five years and providing the clarity, certainty and opportunity to plan.”
“At column 3, paragraph 3— Original text— I point out to the member that we are doing this in concert with the UK Government. There is a joint consultation ongoing as we speak, and I have confirmed with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers our agreement to do that joint consultation.”
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“Therefore, we will be working closely with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations on the delivery of the programme. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting. The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report. Official Report Email: official.report@parliament.scot Room T2.20 Telephone: 0131 348 5447 Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP The deadline for corrections to this edition is 20 working days after the date of publication.”
“At column 3, paragraph 3— Original text— I point out to the member that we are doing this in concert with the UK Government. There is a joint consultation ongoing as we speak, and I have confirmed with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers our agreement to do that joint consultation. Therefore, we will be working closely with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations on the delivery of the programme. Corrected text— I point out to the member that we will be doing this in concert with the UK Government. There is a joint consultation planned as we speak, and I have confirmed with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers our agreement to do that joint consultation.”
“Wildfires and Vegetation Fires (Management) 7.”
“Will the Government also commit to implementing a more pragmatic licence application scheme for the removal of species where the impact on business and other conservation species or habitats is clear? Jim Fairlie: As Amanda Lindsay points out, there is a management scheme. Licences are available and there is funding through various schemes, such as the sea eagle management scheme or any number of other schemes that we have and through which funding is available, such as the goose management and goose mitigation schemes. We already have practical solutions that involve working with land managers to help to tackle any issues that arise. However, that does not mean eradication, which is sometimes what people call for. We are looking for a balanced approach to ensure that we can farm alongside nature.”
“The Scottish Government recognises the challenges that certain plant and animal species pose to agricultural businesses and is supporting farmers to manage those impacts. Ministers engage directly with land managers through forums such as the strategic wildlife and species land managers forum, which promotes collaboration and balanced solutions. Financial and practical support is also available through species management schemes. Further support is available through the agri-environment climate scheme, which helps farmers to manage land sustainably alongside wildlife. Amanda Lindsay: Many farmers and crofters are bearing the impacts and dealing with the consequences of species management, both financially and mentally. Will the Scottish Government increase the funding and commit to a multiyear ring-fenced budget that is fit for purpose?”
“Animal welfare organisations such as Humane World for Animals have been calling for a phasing out of those crates for years. Will the minister commit to legislating swiftly on the issue and ensuring a transition to free farrowing pens? Jim Fairlie: I point out to the member that we are doing this in concert with the UK Government. There is a joint consultation ongoing as we speak, and I have confirmed with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers our agreement to do that joint consultation. Therefore, we will be working closely with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations on the delivery of the programme. [Jim Fairlie has corrected this contribution. See end of report].”
“The Scottish Government remains committed to that work. Indeed, in September, in the Scottish Parliament, I hosted and chaired a constructive round-table discussion on alternative farrowing systems with representatives from the Scottish pig industry, animal welfare organisations and academia. Work is ongoing, which has included my officials having further discussions with academia to find a definitive direction as to what replaces farrowing crates while improving sow welfare and supporting the viability of the industry. We will continue to listen to and work with the industry and key stakeholders on how best to achieve improvements in animal welfare. Clare Haughey: Roughly half of the more than 25,000 mother pigs in Scotland are housed indoors, almost all of them held in farrowing crates.”
“We have just announced that there will be a public sector task force, and co-operation and collaboration are exactly what will make it a success. I welcome Joe Fagan’s question.”
“Joe Fagan: The Scottish Government knows that the benefits of community wealth include shorter, more resilient supply chains and more of the wealth being built locally and retained within communities. Does the Government agree that the question of community ownership, as referenced in the good food nation plan, must be about more than access to land and should be explored further? Does it also agree that growing the co- operative economy in the sector can help to build resilience and economic justice in a changing and uncertain world? Jim Fairlie: I agree with Joe Fagan: co- operation is absolutely essential, whether it is about land ownership, food production or getting food into the public sector.”
“I welcome Joe Fagan to the chamber. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting agriculture, food production and our food and drink sectors in a fair manner. In March, we published our first rural support plan, outlining support for the next five years and providing the clarity, certainty and opportunity to plan. We have committed to continuing direct payments to active farmers and crofters and to delivering key outcomes for Scotland, but also to ensuring that there is proportionality for our valuable small producers. We have also committed to a phased transition from the legacy common agricultural policy to the new tailored domestic support schemes, which were developed in partnership with the sector, to avoid cliff edges in support.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My apologies. My system did not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you. Your vote is recorded.”
“Does Claire Baker accept that the Scottish Government and this Parliament have made the necessary injections of cash into agriculture by ensuring that we continue with direct payments, continue voluntary coupled support— Finlay Carson: You cut the budget. Jim Fairlie: —and continue to have a ring fenced fund for cattle production in this country while, in England, the policies introduced by the Tories and continued by the Labour Party have decimated agriculture there? Claire Baker: I do not agree with that analysis, which does not recognise the reality that farmers are dealing with. When I met NFU Scotland this week, it called for clarity on the money that the Scottish Government will provide. Jim Fairlie: It has clarity.”
“I, James McGregor Fairlie, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”
“From our support for our iconic livestock sector to our continued investment in less favoured area support, it is clear that things are better here in”
“How does the support that is offered to farmers in Scotland compare with the support that is offered to farmers elsewhere in the UK? Jim Fairlie: Bob Doris raises a very good point. I emphasise again that the Scottish Government cares deeply about our farmers and crofters and our natural environment. Through our rural support plan, we are delivering a balanced approach, including through continued direct payments. That is in stark contrast to the policies that have been adopted in other parts of the UK. We are committed to providing certainty for the long term. That is why we are delivering the most generous direct support package in these islands, through which we are providing more than £660 million annually.”
“The Scottish Government invested £2.416 billion in the agricultural sector in direct support payments in the five years from 2021 to 2025. Those payments were delivered via the basic payment, greening, young farmers payment, Scottish suckler beef support and Scottish upland sheep support schemes. That funding represents the most generous direct payment package in the United Kingdom. Bob Doris: I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government’s package of support is the most generous package of direct support in the UK, but can the minister reassure me that the Scottish Government remains committed to providing direct payments to farmers in the future, given that the provision of such payments appears to be ending elsewhere in the UK?”
“I will try to get them all in, but the questions will need to be brief.”
“She is correct that London does not understand Scottish agriculture and what the food and drink sector in Scotland is delivering. We are supporting and protecting the farming sector with the powers that we have. That is in stark contrast with policies in other parts of these islands. We continue to provide our farmers and crofters with the most generous package of support, worth more than £660 million per annum. That support is vital in underpinning food production and helping businesses to deal with a wide range of issues, from supply chain shocks to volatile commodity markets. The published rural support plan now provides the industry with certainty for the years ahead, so it should have the confidence to invest for the long term. The Deputy Presiding Officer: A number of members would like to ask supplementary questions.”
“It needs to be reminded of how important our farming community is in providing high‑quality food and drink for domestic consumption and for export. Food and drink is Scotland’s top international sector and is valued at £8 billion annually. Does the minister agree that the London-centric UK Government overlooks the contribution of our rural communities and our farming communities? As a last word in my many years in the Parliament, I will say that that is particularly the case in my constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale. Jim Fairlie: I thought that Christine Grahame’s last contribution was going to be yesterday, but here she is, back again and making sure that she continues to represent her constituents. Christine Grahame is absolutely right to make the point that she has made.”
“The £10 million Scottish emergency oil heating scheme, which commences on 1 April, includes £4.6 million from the UK Government and is for households and individuals. Scottish ministers are writing to the UK Government about the significant impacts of increased costs on farmers, including the lack of regulation on kerosene and red diesel, as well as the implications for our domestic food supply and overall food security. Many of the levers to help address the issues are reserved, and the Scottish Government remains in close contact with the UK Government to monitor the situation as it unfolds in order to understand what can be done to alleviate pressures as they arise. Christine Grahame: I hope that the UK Government responds positively.”
“Our bus services are in the private sector, so we have to manage that and deal with it. However, her point is absolutely spot on, and we should look at the issue.”
“Katy Clark: A constituent of mine who lives on Arran has contacted me about the lack of joined- up, integrated provision of public transport on the island. She advises that no bus service runs to Brodick from Blackwaterfoot in time for the first ferry sailing and no bus service runs to meet islanders off the last ferry in the evening. Despite engagement with Stagecoach, CalMac Ferries and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the situation has not improved. Will the minister commit to integrated timetables and ticketing, and will he look at the specific situation on Arran? Jim Fairlie: Katy Clark has raised a very good point on integrated services, which I have raised before. It does not work if a ferry arrives in port and the passengers watch a bus drive away.”
“The Government has published its on-going and proposed investments in ferries and other public transport island connectivity in the islands connectivity plan of May 2025 and the recent national islands plan. Since 2021, the Government has delivered the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Isle of Islay, purchased the MV Loch Frisa, chartered additional tonnage, commissioned 13 new vessels, invested in ports—including the purchase of Ardrossan harbour—and extended free travel to all young islanders. We have also retained the road equivalent tariff, which has saved passengers around £25 million annually. For example, an islander travelling monthly by car from Arran saves more than £360 annually compared with previous multijourney tickets.”
“However, I recognise that it is for each local transport authority to determine which powers, if any, are suitable to improve the services in their specific area. Affordable Childcare (Clydebank and Milngavie) 4.”
“Colin Beattie: My constituents are gravely concerned about the adjustments to the routes that I mentioned, which will make it harder for residents to reach hospitals, workplaces and essential appointments. With that in mind, what guidance does the minister provide to ensure that local authorities are deploying the powers at their disposal in the public interest? Jim Fairlie: We have published a range of guidance to support local authorities in using the powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and most recently published guidance on franchising on 17 March this year. As I said, I want all local authorities and transport authorities to consider the full range of tools that are available to them under the 2019 act to ensure that everyone has accessible public transport regardless of where they are in Scotland.”
“The Scottish Government and I very much appreciate the vital role that local bus services play in supporting the communities of Midlothian. We have given local transport authorities powers to improve services within their areas, and I encourage them all to explore the powers that are available to them to make necessary improvements as they see fit. It is for each authority to determine what actions are best to address their own transport challenges. Additionally, local authorities have a duty under the Transport Act 1985 to identify where there is social need for particular bus services and can subsidise services at their own discretion.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I cannot get my device to connect. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, minister. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“In concluding my opening remarks, I reflect on the deep connection and sense of belonging that characterise our crofting communities. The pull and draw of the land, its stewardship through generations and that deep sense of community and culture are things that we must cherish and support. That is why I assure members of the Government’s commitment to our crofting communities and to a unique way of life, which is built on the hard-won rights of those who refused to be forced from their own land. In this age of instability, their courage and persistence are a lesson to us all. Today, through the bill, we honour that proud legacy as we seek to build on it to secure crofting’s place in Scotland’s future. I move, That the Parliament agrees that the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill be passed. 17:03”
“On part 2 of the bill, I recognise the contributions of both the former and the current chairs of the Scottish Land Court, who have each played an important part in the consideration and development of that reform. Part 2 creates a single judicial body for resolving disputes that relate to crofting, agricultural land or valuation. It brings together the Land Court’s specialist remit and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland’s wider land, title and valuation functions. The court will continue to work in the long- standing traditions that matter deeply to the community that it serves. Rightly, the statutory requirement for a Gaelic-speaking member and local sittings, and the specialist character of the court, will remain. The reform is proportionate and practical, and will provide the flexibility that is required to respond to future demands.”
“It also commits any future Government to scoping and launching a review of crofting law within three years of royal assent at the latest. I have put it on record that, if my party is in Government, it will take place sooner than that. Crofters and stakeholders have been clear about the need for a broader review of crofting legislation and subsequent future reform. The bill will help to lay the foundations of a stronger and healthier future for crofting, in which we will aim for increased residency levels and more people actively using their crofts and common grazings. The provisions of the bill will support our joint endeavour to breathe new life into crofting communities and to enable rural repopulation.”
“It will prevent crofters who are in breach of their duties from profiteering and removing land from crofting tenure. It will prevent the separation of a grazing share from the inby croft, unless that is specifically approved by the commission. It will give more power to the commission to approve crofter-led environmental uses of common grazings. Crofters will be able to apply to the commission for boundary and registration changes. The bill will create a power to regulate the transfer of owner-occupier crofter status. All of that represents significant change. The bill will make crofting regulation less onerous for active crofters and the commission, and flexible enough to allow them to grasp new opportunities and cope with future challenges. However, it goes further.”
“The bill provides the commission with the tools to support crofters by tackling breaches of duty and making stronger decisions on crofting applications that will support active crofting. It will also strengthen the role of grazings committees in managing common land and give crofters, and their communities, a greater say in how the land that they work is used. We know how complex crofting law is, but the bill takes out some of that complexity. I will take a moment to outline some of the real-world improvements that the bill will deliver. It will give crofters more options in how they use their land. It will allow approximately 700 people to apply to become crofters. It will streamline the enforcement of duties and the family assignation processes.”
“That understanding of what it means to be a crofter is at the epicentre of many of the provisions in the bill and has helped us to shape it so that it can deliver the improvements that I believe that it will. As I explained in the chamber at stage 1, this crofting reform should be viewed not in isolation but alongside the work of the Crofting Commission. It is important to understand the interplay between the legislation and the commission’s policy plan. The bill provides the necessary framework and the plan provides the detail of how the commission will administer and regulate. I meet the Crofting Commission regularly—in fact, I met its chair and chief executive officer today, and I know that they care deeply about the communities that they serve.”
“Because of the time that has been spent, the diligence and the extensive engagement, we come to today’s stage 3 debate knowing that no opportunity has been lost to maximise the potential to get to a point where our aims and objectives for the bill are met. I thank everyone who has had a role in helping us to get to where we are. My final and, I believe, most important thanks go to the crofters and the stakeholders. I have had the great pleasure of meeting many of them. I enjoyed their craic and their hospitality but, most important, I took away the sense of community, of family ties and of the anchor to the land that makes crofting the very heart and soul of our crofting counties.”
“I thank the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee for its work, its diligence, its scrutiny and its evidence gathering, which have helped to shape and reshape the bill so that it will do what we collectively set out to achieve—that is, a simplification of the accumulation of bills that I mentioned, which have, in all honesty, left us with remedial work to do in order to make the crofting legislation fit for purpose in modern Scotland. I believe that the bill will take us to that place. I place on the record my profound and sincere appreciation for the incredible amount of work and engagement that my officials and policy development teams have put in. It has been a gargantuan effort, with engagement across the crofting communities, the Crofting Commission, the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.”
“From the crofters uprisings in the late 1880s to the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 and the 10 major acts of Parliament on crofting that have been delivered since then, with the last one being the Crofting (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2013, we can see the evolution and the embedding of Scotland as a unique crofting nation. Our crofting communities are the very heart and soul of what, arguably, makes Scotland the best small country in the world. The bill that we will vote on today is the latest instalment, but certainly not the last, in Scotland’s crofting story.”
“They will both be missed tremendously. I conclude by saying to the chamber—and to Christine Grahame, in particular—that we are, rightly, determined to continue to do more. However, if we do not go faster and deliver more, I fully expect to hear Christine Grahame in my ear saying, “This is simply not good enough,” and that we must do more to get our act together. To be honest, I would not have it any other way. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate, although not, I suspect, the contribution of Christine Grahame to public life in Scotland. For now, though, I suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2 o’clock. 11:35 Meeting suspended. 14:00 On resuming— Time for Reflection”
“In the absence of my former partners in the transvaginal mesh debate, Alex Neil and Neil Findlay, Rona was one of the ones who stepped forward, and she has been most vocal and supportive on the issues surrounding transvaginal mesh. Rona convenes the cross-party group on chronic pain, and that support and sustained commitment have meant so much to the many people who suffer from the chronic pain ailment, who have looked to her with great gratitude for all the work that she has done during this session of Parliament. Jim Fairlie: I offer Rona my very best wishes for what comes next. Before I finish, I want to mention the fact that there are so many powerful women in this Parliament. I pay particular attention to Nicola Sturgeon and Elena Whitham, who have been enormously influential and huge characters in our Scottish Parliament.”
“I would like to put in a word for Rona Mackay, because her speech in this debate has been her last contribution to the work of the Parliament. Rona has been a fantastic colleague. Her formidable powers of persuasion, even if they did not all work on Christine Grahame, are legendary. When Rona sets her mind, there is a settled face that she gets that she has perfected. Once we see that determination on her face, her will is not going to be bent, and we might just as well give up the argument. Jackson Carlaw: I, too, pay tribute to Rona Mackay—I knew that this was her final speech, and I meant to comment on the fact—because she has been an indefatigable champion of the issue of chronic pain throughout her time as a member.”
“We should be proud of what we have achieved so far: the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021; the mandating of closed-circuit television in abattoirs; the ban on live exports of store and slaughter animals; and our support for members’ bills, namely Emma Harper’s Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021, the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, Christine Grahame’s Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2025 and Mark Ruskell’s Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill. In addition, we are currently consulting the other United Kingdom nations on tail docking and lamb castration. As the motion says, sentencing guidelines are for the judiciary to decide, but this debate will allow members in the next session of Parliament to consider the content of the motion.”
“She has been steadfast in her belief that we can and must always do more for the animals in our care and in the wild. She has undoubtedly been animals’ voice and champion. I thank the cross-party group and all its members, including the vice-conveners, Emma Harper and Maurice Golden, for their excellent work in this session. Collectively, they have been responsible for raising awareness and helping us to deliver significant improvements in animal welfare in this session. Is there more to do? Absolutely. However, we have a pretty formidable track record, which is worth highlighting.”
“She has always offered advice and a helping hand, whether that was to the depute leader of the party in the 1980s or to the First Ministers who have sat in this seat. I am quite sure that Nicola Sturgeon will know very well the feeling of having Christine Grahame sitting in the chair directly behind this one over a number of years. That determination and intent were never more evident than when Christine was advocating for better animal welfare in Scotland. She has been instrumental in driving that agenda for as long as this place has been reconvened. She is the convener of the cross-party group on animal welfare, and she has raised every kind of question, statement and debate that this place enables members to raise to do their work.”
“She was merely telling dad so that he would understand that the silence was a sign not that people were disagreeing but that they were listening intently. Apparently, my late mum was none too pleased at that sage advice, because she had misinterpreted Christine’s intent, which was, in fact, to be helpful to my dad. Just as Mary Scanlon taught Christine a lesson, I took a lesson from Christine, which was always to be mindful of the intent, as much as the content, of the things that people say to us. Why have I recited that story in the chamber today? I have done so merely to highlight that the force of nature that is Christine Grahame has never been afraid to challenge, to probe, to be inquisitive and to push hard for what she believed in.”
“She recited a story about a crucial debate that was being held by the party, in which my dad was debating with Jim Sillars on the direction that the party should take in relation to the constitutional convention. By all accounts, dad, in his own style, had made a very compelling speech. The conference hall was quiet while listening to the debate and, right at the end, my dad apparently attacked Jim Sillars in a way that Christine thought was unnecessary. She told him that she took the view that dad had let the silence and intense attention make him believe that he had lost the argument, which he had not. He had, Christine said, simply had conference’s undivided attention, and the attack on Jim Sillars was not needed. It was not a criticism from Christine; it was her point of view.”
“If there was a point to be made, Christine would make it, even if it was not always received in the spirit in which it was intended—her points were always well meant and made with the best of intentions. I knew Christine vicariously because she knew my dad, who was the depute leader of the Scottish National Party in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her name was spoken regularly in our house, to the point where I recognised her and felt that I knew her long before I ever met her. I got a greater understanding of why she was a familiar name in my house in my early youth when Christine told me a story during one of our earliest garden lobby blethers about the old SNP.”
“In my earliest days in the Parliament in 2021, I spent quite a bit of time with Christine in the garden lobby, getting lessons on how to be a good parliamentarian; how to make impactful interventions—we heard earlier about Mary Scanlon, who is in the gallery today; how to be succinct in making my points—I am sorry that I never learned that; and what a privilege it was to be here and that we should all remember that the people of Scotland sent us here to represent them and to stand up for what they wanted from this Parliament. Christine Grahame is a lady of immense character who does not suffer foolishness gladly, as Rona Mackay has rightly pointed out. At the same time, she would attempt to guide folk in the direction that she felt would be beneficial to them in achieving the best outcomes.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is an enormous pleasure to respond to what I had thought was going to be the debate in which Christine Grahame made her final speech. That is not the case, as Jackson Carlaw pointed out, and it should hardly be any surprise that the last word of the entire parliamentary session is likely to go to Christine Grahame tomorrow. However, it is still an enormous pleasure to respond to—dare I say it?—my friend, Christine Grahame, who has had a long and hugely respected career in the Scottish Parliament, where she has been a formidable and tireless advocate for animal welfare in all its guises across all its sectors.”
“Official Report Email: official.report@parliament.scot Room T2.20 Telephone: 0131 348 5447 Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP The deadline for corrections to this edition is 20 working days after the date of publication. Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 8th Report, 2026 (Session 6), Standing Orders rule changes – Elected Conveners (SP Paper 1033), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 11 May 2026. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 19:19. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting. The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report.”