Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Official Report 450KB pdf

Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 (Commencement No 1) Regulations 2019 (SSI 2019/277)

Agenda item 7 is consideration of SSI 2019/277, which is not subject to any parliamentary procedure. The instrument commences sections 1 to 18(2), excluding section 7(2)(g), of the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 on 19 September.

Section 7(2)(g) requires the Scottish ministers, in preparing the fuel poverty strategy, to consult the Scottish fuel poverty advisory panel. However, the Scottish Government has confirmed that the effect of the instrument is that the statutory panel will not be consulted in respect of the first fuel poverty strategy. The Government has indicated that, instead, it intends to consult the existing fuel poverty advisory panel and partnership forum in the meantime. That is because the statutory panel will not have been set up in time.

Does the committee wish to draw the instrument to the attention of the Parliament under the general reporting ground, as the Scottish fuel poverty advisory panel will not be consulted in respect of the first fuel poverty strategy?

Members indicated agreement.