Transport and the Environment Committee, 04 Oct 2000

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 4, 2000

Official Report 227KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

We have to consider a negative instrument: the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (SSI 2000/320). A copy of the instrument has been circulated to members and is accompanied by the usual covering note. In addition, there is an Executive note on the instrument, accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment and extracts from the covering directive, 97/11/EC, amending directive 1985/337/EEC.

The order came into force on 5 October 2000, with the time limit for parliamentary action being 6 November 2000. We are required to report on the instrument by 30 October 2000. Consequently, any member who wants to lodge a motion to annul must do so in advance of the meeting on 25 October 2000.

The Subordinate Legislation Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 19 September 2000. In its 33rd report, it determined that the attention of the Parliament need not be drawn to the instrument. Do members have any comments on the instrument?

I have no comments on the instrument as such, because I am quite satisfied by the Executive note about the nature of the regulations, the level of consultation and the various certificates of competence that will no doubt be signed in due course. The Executive note was brief and easily understood. We know what the instrument is about and the note highlighted the differences that the order makes and why it has been introduced. I suspect that that is all we need and that this huge amount of material could have been sent electronically for us to browse through if we wanted to, without someone having to photocopy the works every time. Could we consider whether we can reduce the paper chase?

That is a valid point. The envelope with all this paper in it made a severe thud as it landed on the doormat on Saturday. We shall look into the matter. I have to confirm that the committee is content and has nothing to report. Are we all content?

Yes.

I advise members of the press and public that the committee previously agreed to take the next two agenda items in private, to consider the contents of our report on genetically modified organisms and our approach to the next stage of the budget process. I thank members of the press and public for attending today's meeting.

Meeting continued in private until 13:02.