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Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill

The Bill requires the Scottish Ministers and certain public bodies (referred to in the Bill as ‘relevant authorities’) to create Good Food Nation Plans.

This is a Government bill

The Bill became an Act on 26 July 2022

Introduced: the Bill and its documents

Overview

The Bill requires the Scottish Ministers and certain public bodies (referred to in the Bill as ‘relevant authorities’) to create Good Food Nation Plans.

The relevant authorities identified in the Bill are health boards and local authorities (or councils). Other public bodies may be required to produce plans in the future.

The Scottish Ministers and relevant authorities need to have regard to these plans when carrying out certain functions. These functions will be set out by the Scottish Ministers in secondary legislation that will be considered by the Parliament.

Why the Bill was created

The Bill was created to support the ambition of the Scottish Government that Scotland becomes a ‘Good Food Nation’.

The Scottish Government has a vision that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.”

Bill as Introduced

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill as introduced (470KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Accompanying Documents

Explanatory Notes (141KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Policy Memorandum (235KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Financial Memorandum (157KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Delegated Powers Memorandum (160KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Statements on legislative competence (89KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Accompanying Documents (print versions)

Explanatory Notes (194KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Policy Memorandum (275KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Financial Memorandum (186KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Delegated Powers Memorandum (250KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Statements on legislative competence (139KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021

Financial Resolution

The Presiding Officer has decided under Rule 9.12 of Standing Orders that a financial resolution is not required for this Bill.

Research on the Bill

The Scottish Parliament's Information Centre (SPICe) prepares impartial research and analysis to assist MSPs in their examination of Bills and other parliamentary business.

Research Briefing on the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill

The Bill was introduced on 7 October 2021

Stage 1: general principles

At Stage 1, the Bill is given to a lead committee. This is usually the committee whose remit most closely relates to the subject of the Bill. The lead committee will consider and report on the Bill. Other committees may also examine the Bill and report to the lead committee. Finally, there is a debate and vote by all MSPs on the general principles of the Bill. If the general principles are not agreed to, then the Bill ‘falls’ and can’t become law.

Lead committee examines the Bill

The lead committee for this Bill is the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee.

Committee name change

Before 1 February 2023, the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee was called the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee.

Call for views (closed)

The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee held a call for views to help inform its examination of the Bill.

Read the call for views

The call for views closed on 5 January 2022

Meetings of the lead committee

Engagement

Other ways the committee heard views and experiences

Watch video submission from Professor Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Correspondence: lead committee

Scottish Government response to Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 22 April 2022

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report - letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 22 March 2022

Good Food Nation Scotland Bill - letter from the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Letter from the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, to the Convener, 24 February 2022

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill - letter from NHS Board Chief Executives

Letter from the NHS Board Chief Executives' Group, to the Convener, 10 February 2022

Good Food Nation Scotland Bill - letter from the Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Letter from the Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, to the Convener, 8 February 2022

See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence

Stage 1 report by the lead committee

The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee published its report on 17 March 2022.

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report

The Committee received the following responses to its report:

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands  (48KB, pdf) posted 22 March 2022

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands (539KB, pdf) posted 22 April 2022

Work by other committees

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meetings

Report

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on 2 February 2022.

Read the report


Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Meetings


Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Meetings


Stage 1 Debate and decision

A Stage 1 debate took place on 22 March 2022 to consider and decide on the general principles of the Bill.

  • Motion title: Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill.
  • Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon
  • Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
  • Motion reference: S6M-03704
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, 22 March 2022

See further details of the motion


Parliament agreed the general principles of the Bill

The Bill ended Stage 1 on 22 March 2022

Stage 2: changes to the Bill

At Stage 2, MSPs can propose changes to a Bill. These are called 'amendments'. Any MSP can suggest amendments but only members of the Stage 2 committee can decide on them. 

First meeting on amendments

Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 11 May 2022:

Marshalled List of amendments for Stage 2 (1MB, pdf) posted 06 May 2022

Groupings of amendments for Stage 2 (1019KB, pdf) posted 06 May 2022

Stage 2 Correspondence

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill - Scottish Food Commission

Letter from the Convener, to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 9 June 2022

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill - Scottish Food Commission

Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 6 June 2022

Bill as amended at Stage 2

Work by other committees

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meetings

Report after Stage 2

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on the Bill after Stage 2 on 8 June 2022.

Read the report


Revised Documents (print versions)

Revised Explanatory Notes (206KB, pdf) posted 09 June 2022

Supplementary Delegated Powers Memorandum (169KB, pdf) posted 13 June 2022

The Bill ended Stage 2 on 11 May 2022

Stage 3: final changes and vote

At Stage 3, MSPs can propose further amendments (changes) to the Bill. These are debated and decided on in the Debating Chamber. At this stage, all MSPs can vote on them.  There is then a debate on whether to pass the Bill. If the Bill is not passed, it ‘falls’ and can't become law. 

Debate on proposed amendments

Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 14 June 2022:

Marshalled List of amendments for Stage 3 (752KB, pdf) posted 08 June 2022

Timed Groupings of amendments for Stage 3 (800KB, pdf) posted 13 June 2022

Stage 3 Correspondence

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 22 December 2023

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act - Timetable

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 23 March 2023

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill - Scottish Food Commission

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 13 June 2022

Final version of the Bill

Final debate on the Bill

Once MSPs have decided on the amendments, they debate whether to pass the Bill.
  • Motion title: Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament agrees that the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill be passed.
  • Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon
  • Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
  • Motion reference: S6M-04938
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 15 June 2022

Result 113 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 16 did not vote Vote Passed

See further details of the motion


Parliament decided to pass the Bill

The Bill ended Stage 3 on 15 June 2022

Bill becomes an Act

The Bill was passed on 15 June 2022 and became an Act on 26 July 2022.

Read the Act

Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022