The instrument amends the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/364) to implement provisions of Commission directive EU 2015/1787, on monitoring requirements for drinking water, and of Council directive 2013/51/Euratom, on radioactive substances in drinking water. There are a few drafting errors in the instrument.
In new schedule 1A, which is to be inserted in the 2014 regulations, paragraph 4(3) of part E, on radioactive substances, provides that, when the indicative dose requires monitoring, the frequency of the monitoring must be determined
“depending on the screening strategy adopted pursuant to Part B of this schedule.”
The Scottish Government has confirmed that the reference to part B is an error and that the reference should be to part F.
In the second column of table 1 in part B of new schedule 3, which is to be substituted into the 2014 regulations, headed “Uncertainty of measurement”, the value that is given for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is 30. The Scottish Government has confirmed that that is an error and that the value should be 50.
In the fourth column of table 2 in part B of new schedule 3, headed “Limit of detection”, the value that is given for oxidisability is 25. The Scottish Government has confirmed that that is an error and that the value should be 10.
It is suggested that the committee could report the instrument under reporting ground (i), as the drafting appears to be defective, as I just outlined. The committee could welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to correct the instrument by making and laying an amending instrument at the earliest opportunity. Does the committee agree to report the instrument to the Parliament under reporting ground (i), as the drafting appears to be defective?
Members indicated agreement.