The Digital Government (Scottish Bodies) Regulations 2022 [SSI 2022/Draft] were laid before the Parliament on 2 March 2022 and referred to the Economy and Fair Work Committee.

The purpose of the regulations is to add specific Scottish public bodies to schedule 7 (debt) and schedule 8 (fraud) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (“the Act”). This is an Act of the UK Parliament.

Part 5 of the Act introduced new information sharing powers to reduce debt owed to, or fraud against, the public sector. These data-sharing provisions affect a number of devolved matters and were subject to a Legislative Consent Motion, approved by the Scottish Parliament, on 22 February 2017.

Under the Act, an “appropriate national authority” can amend the list of specified public bodies in schedules 7 and 8. In the case of Scottish bodies, the “appropriate national authority” is the Scottish Government. The UK and Welsh Governments have already added UK, English and Welsh bodies to the schedules.

The regulations provide a legal means for the Scottish bodies specified in the policy note’s annex to share information with other public bodies listed in the relevant schedule, for the purposes of reducing debt owed to, and combatting fraud against, the public sector.

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 8 February 2022 and made no recommendations.

Following the evidence session, Tom Arthur moved motion S6M-03050—

That the Economy and Fair Work Committee recommends that the Digital Government (Scottish Bodies) Regulations 2022 be approved.

The motion was agreed to without division.

The Economy and Fair Work Committee recommends to the Parliament that the Digital Government (Scottish Bodies) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/Draft) be approved.