4. To ask the Scottish Government whether the standing council on Europe plans to publish a report on Scotland’s relationship with the European Union and, if so, when. (S5O-00164)

The standing council on Europe, which has now met in plenary on two occasions, is providing on-going advice to the First Minister and other ministers.

The Scottish Government is determined to protect our place in Europe and will explore all options to do so. The standing council is therefore undertaking work on the options that are available to Scotland for our future relationship with the European Union. As that work is informing our negotiating position, elements are obviously confidential, but I am committed to sharing as much of the work publicly as possible, as early as I can.

The standing council is also engaging widely with a range of individuals and organisations to further develop our understanding of the details of our relationship with the EU in a range of fields.

Through that process, information is being shared and views are being gathered as openly as possible across a range of topics including the environment, human rights, and higher and further education.

I commend the Government for its forward thinking in setting up the council and especially in looking at options. However, in the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee this morning, I asked the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity if he had set up a team of civil servants to design options for our Scottish system of farm payments post-2020, after we have left the EU, because that is an entirely devolved matter. From his response, it turns out that he has done absolutely no forward thinking on the subject. Will the minister encourage Fergus Ewing to put his thinking cap on?

I would encourage everybody to put their thinking caps on. It would be quite nice to see thinking caps on the Liberal Democrats, if that is not something that baffles them; I would like to see thinking caps on the ministers in the United Kingdom Government.

It is important that we all consider the range of options. I have found Fergus Ewing to be very forward thinking on these matters. He attended the first event that I attended, which was organised for stakeholders. He has another event this week—I think that it is in Moffat on Friday, on the forestry sector. He is talking to the relevant sectors; he is looking at the potential of those sectors; and he is trying to come to some conclusions. It will not all be done in an afternoon, even if the Lib Dems think that it can be.

I understand that the standing council recently considered the impact of Brexit on human rights and social protections. Does the minister agree that, as legislation in those areas is reserved, there is a very real risk that advances that have been made in those areas could be threatened?

That is a very important point and I agree with the member.

There is a risk that the social protections that we currently take for granted could be impacted by an exit from the EU. The work that is being undertaken by the members of the standing council has highlighted the extent to which an exit from the EU could create a gap between the current protections that are enjoyed across a range of areas, including employment law and human rights, and any future policy making in those areas outwith the EU framework.

The standing council will undertake further analysis and engage widely to ensure that Scotland’s interests are protected in future; that there is no regression from the current range of protections that are enjoyed by all citizens; and that we continue to move forward, as obviously there is a European dynamic in both social protection and human rights.

The standing council benefits greatly from the input of Professor Alan Miller, who is a United Nations envoy on human rights.