Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
The Committee was established in June 2021. It focuses on:
- checking secondary legislation coming before the Parliament for legal and technical accuracy
- checking whether proposed powers to make secondary legislation in Bills are appropriate
- reporting its findings to the Parliament so all laws and proposals for laws get proper oversight from MSPs
- looking at certain Bills which are based on reports from the Scottish Law Commission. The Commission recommends changes to the law so it keeps pace with the way we live and work.
Next meeting
Meeting details are not yet available. They will be published here in due course.
Get in touch
If you want to get in touch, you can email [email protected]
Address: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5974 Find out about call charges.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @SP_DPLR
If you're appearing as a witness at a committee, take a look at our witness guide for more information.
Members
Members of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Current Members
Stuart McMillan
Convener
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Greenock and Inverclyde (Constituency)
Bill Kidd
Deputy Convener
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Glasgow Anniesland (Constituency)
Jeremy Balfour
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Lothian (Region)
Oliver Mundell
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Dumfriesshire (Constituency)
Colin Smyth
Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Substitute Members
Rhoda Grant
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Rona Mackay
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Constituency)
Alexander Stewart
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Mid Scotland and Fife (Region)
Committee work
Current
Previous
Correspondence
Committee correspondence
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs to the Convener, 21 November 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Convener, 20 November 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Law Society of Scotland letter on Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill
Letter from the Law Society of Scotland to the Convener, 20 November 2023
Official Reports
Official Reports
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instrument subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Interests, Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Interests, Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure, Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure, Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Meeting date: Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Minister for Parliamentary Business, Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instrument subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Instrument subject to Affirmative Procedure, Instruments subject to Negative Procedure, Instrument not subject to Parliamentary Procedure, Document subject to Parliamentary Control
Reports
Committee reports
Delegated powers in the Scottish Employment Injury Advisory Council Bill at Stage 1
A report by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee of its consideration of the delegated powers in the Scottish Employment Injury Advisory Council Bill at Stage 1.
A report on the subordinate legislation considered by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee on 28 November 2023.
Delegated powers in the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1
A report by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee of its consideration of the delegated powers in the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1.
Remit
To consider and report on the following (and any additional matter added under Rule 6.1.5A)—
(a) any—
(i) subordinate legislation laid before the Parliament or requiring the consent of the Parliament under section 9 of the Public Bodies Act 2011;
(ii) [deleted]
(iii) pension or grants motion as described in Rule 8.11A.1; and, in particular, to determine whether the attention of the Parliament should be drawn to any of the matters mentioned in Rule 10.3.1;
(b) proposed powers to make subordinate legislation in particular Bills or other proposed legislation;
(c) general questions relating to powers to make subordinate legislation;
(d) whether any proposed delegated powers in particular Bills or other legislation should be expressed as a power to make subordinate legislation;
(e) any failure to lay an instrument in accordance with section 28(2), 30(2) or 31 of the 2010 Act;
(f) proposed changes to the procedure to which subordinate legislation laid before the Parliament is subject;
(g) any Scottish Law Commission Bill as defined in Rule 9.17A.1;
(h) any draft proposal for a Scottish Law Commission Bill as defined in that Rule; and
(i) any Consolidation Bill as defined in Rule 9.18.1 referred to it in accordance with Rule 9.18.3.