Official Report 123KB pdf
We have had a fairly extensive briefing on SSI 2000/246, which will also relate to our consideration of the other seeds regulations on the agenda.
It was said that relevant European legislation was slowly being produced. We need to bear that in mind, as that issue will come up in discussion of other instruments that this committee and others will consider. If the problem is being flagged up at this early stage, we need to find out why the relevant information is not on the web and why it takes some time to get it.
It would certainly be helpful if the Executive produced a table of derivations indicating which directives were being implemented. It would be eminently logical for the Executive to let us know why directives are not being implemented.
We should discuss with the Executive the fact that European legislation is not being produced. If a chain of reasoning is not produced that makes it easy for us and our advisers to follow the logic, it makes it very difficult for us to understand decisions that are taken. It is in everybody's interest to work together.
If there is no table of derivations and we cannot understand these regulations, what chance have the many different kinds of farmer who are affected of relating the subordinate legislation in Scotland to the European regulations? They will be completely flummoxed, and perhaps a bit resentful that we have not prodded the Executive. I am glad that we are taking a clear view on this.