Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:40 pm on 10 December 2025.
Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party
5:40,
10 December 2025
I will address Mr McArthur’s points as I go through my speaking notes.
We know that agriculture in Scotland is diverse and that it faces significant challenges due to weather, costs and fragile ecosystems. That has been addressed by reviewing the existing EFA measures and making them more suitable for conditions across all Scotland, including Orkney, while adding more policy value, such as by removing the restriction on grazing green cover before 31 December. To ensure that the changes are fit for Scotland, we have listened to the industry and had wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders, and we will continue to listen, as we always have. We will refine and develop our greening measures to ensure that they work for all rural Scotland.
The regulations also improve the operation of the provisions for the Scottish suckler beef support scheme by introducing a derogation from the calving interval requirements for smaller businesses. That is in response to the concerns that were raised by smaller producers and the Scottish Crofting Federation, because we listen and engage with our stakeholders. The regulations will also extend the application submission period to allow submissions to be made up to 14 January, following the end of the relevant calendar year, which will make it easier for applications to be submitted in time.
The regulations mark a significant point in our progress towards our aim of becoming a world leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and they deliver on our previous commitments. We got here by co-developing in detail with our partners, and I fully endorse that approach.
The regulations have been considered by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, which agreed by Division to recommend to the Parliament that we approve them, and I invite the Parliament to do so. Failure to bring the regulations into force would undermine the remarkable progress that we have made in our efforts to work with our farmers as we continue to provide direct support, such as the Scottish upland sheep support scheme and the calf scheme, and do all the things that we have done in conjunction with our farming community, which knows that it is being represented by the SNP Government far better than any other Government anywhere in the rest of the United Kingdom.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
