Subordinate Legislation Committee, 02 Feb 2010

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Official Report 79KB pdf

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Correspondence

Agenda item 4 is consideration of Scottish Government correspondence. Members have seen the letter from the Minister for Environment regarding the transposition into national law of the European drinking water directive. The minister's letter explains that the Scottish Government proposes to introduce to the Parliament legislative measures that are necessary to comply with a reasoned opinion from the European Commission. The Government intends to use a single Scottish statutory instrument, which has been given the working title, "The Water Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2010", and has decided that it will be subject to negative rather than affirmative procedure.

We are invited to consider how we wish to respond to the minister's letter. The options that are available to the committee include inviting the minister to give oral evidence to explain in more detail the circumstances of the case and the reasons for the choice of negative procedure; awaiting the laying of the instrument and then inviting the minister to appear before us to give evidence; or acknowledging the letter and considering the instrument in the normal manner once it has been laid.

Do members have any comments on the letter? How would members like to proceed?

I would like us to hear from the minister prior to the instrument being laid. That would be helpful to the minister and to us, in that it might allow us to influence the shaping of the instrument prior to its laying.

As there are no further comments, do members agree with Helen Eadie's suggestion?

Members indicated agreement.