Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Official Report 711KB pdf

Subordinate Legislation

Insolvency (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 [Draft]

We turn to subordinate legislation. I welcome Jamie Hepburn, the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, who is accompanied by Alex Reid, David Farr and Victoria Morton. I invite the minister to make a one-minute opening statement on the regulations before members ask questions.

I shall do my level best to make it within one minute, convener.

Thank you for having me here to move the motion on the draft regulations, which the committee is considering in the light of contingency and in the event that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a deal, in which circumstances the UK’s insolvency regime would cease to be automatically recognised under the provisions of the EU insolvency regulation.

Given that I have only one minute, I will not rehearse the Scottish Government’s position on, and great concern about, a no-deal Brexit. However, it is of course necessary to plan for all eventualities, including a no-deal outcome, so the draft regulations deal with the situation that would be created by that outcome. I will leave it at that, convener.

We move to formal consideration of motion S5M-15528, on approval of the regulations, which are subject to affirmative procedure.

Motion moved,

That the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee recommends that the Insolvency (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 [draft] be approved.—[Jamie Hepburn]

Motion agreed to.

Do members agree that I, as convener, and the clerk should produce a short factual report of the committee’s decision and arrange to have it published?

Members indicated agreement.