Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Official Report 589KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Plant Health (Scotland) Amendment Order 2018 (SSI 2018/112)

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Common Agricultural Policy (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (SSI 2018/122)

Item 4 is the consideration of two negative instruments, as detailed on the agenda. I advise the committee that no motions to annul have been received in relation to either of the instruments.

I will just make a comment before I ask whether the committee wishes to make any recommendations. I am disappointed that the policy note that goes with the common agricultural policy Scottish statutory instrument is longer than the SSI that it purports to support. I know that there might be reasons for that, but all I have ever asked is that there are short briefings so that policy can be understood. I know that that might entail producing a separate bit of paper, but I have to say that producing a briefing on an instrument that is longer than the instrument itself raises a question.

I want to put a slightly different view. I have just done a quick check. There are five pages in the policy note and seven pages in the SSI. There are 120 lines in the policy note and 240 lines in the SSI, and the font size in the policy note is two points larger than the font size in the SSI.

I do not want to detract from the general point that policy notes should be clear. There is a general issue—the convener is absolutely correct about that and I support him in raising it. However, in this particular case, because the SSI inserts things into other instruments, it is not possible to understand it without a policy note that explains what is being inserted where, so the point might not be as justified as it often is in other cases.

I now declare my interest as a farmer and a rural surveyor with 15 years’ practice. The fact that the policy note was difficult for me, as someone with 15 years’ experience, to understand says something about it.

The only other comment that I would make is that sometimes pages, font sizes and lines do not add up to the same as word count. I will leave it there. I think that shorter policy notes need to be produced so that people can understand them.

I will move straight to the question. Does the committee agree that it does not wish to make any recommendations in relation to the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

The committee will now move into private session.

12:07 Meeting continued in private until 12:27.