Protecting and Growing Scotland’s Iconic Food and Drink Sector (Amendment 2)
S6M-16839.2: As an amendment to motion S6M-16839 in the name of Mairi Gougeon (Protecting and Growing Scotland&rsquo;s Iconic Food and Drink Sector), leave out from &ldquo;notes the new&rdquo; to end and insert &ldquo;recognises the need to rapidly deliver key infrastructure projects to aid the movement of goods and services, particularly in remote and rural communities; notes that further exploration of gene-editing technology should be undertaken in order to improve plant resilience and domestic food security; believes that the failed implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme, the further review of restrictions on marketing and sponsorship of alcoholic products,&nbsp;and the failure to fully pass on rates relief to all of Scotland&rsquo;s hospitality operators has driven up costs and created uncertainty for food and drink businesses; welcomes the commitment by food and drink businesses to enhance self-regulation; notes the risk from tariffs, and calls on both of Scotland&rsquo;s governments to do all that they can to protect businesses and consumers from their impact.&rdquo;

Original motion(S6M-16839):
That the Parliament recognises the value and importance of Scotland&rsquo;s food and drink sector in terms of economic benefits, its particular importance to Scotland&rsquo;s rural and island communities and, importantly, its role in enhancing Scotland&rsquo;s reputation on a global scale; further recognises the risks of the proposal for an English whisky geographical indication that could undermine Scotch whisky and single malt, which is central to the economy; acknowledges the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector in an ever-changing world; calls for cross-party support to ensure that the sector continues to receive backing and support in order to grow sustainably and contribute to a prosperous and thriving economy; notes the new risk from tariffs, and calls on the UK Government to do all that it can to protect Scotland&rsquo;s businesses and consumers from their impact.