Rural Affairs and Environment Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Official Report 459KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Air Quality Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/204)

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Plant Health (Scotland) Amendment Order 2010 (SSI 2010/206)

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Plant Health Fees (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/207)

Agenda item 2 is consideration of three negative Scottish statutory instruments: the Air Quality Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2010, the Plant Health (Scotland) Amendment Order 2010 and the Plant Health Fees (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010.

The Subordinate Legislation Committee has made no comments on the instruments, no member has raised concerns about any of the instruments in advance of the meeting, and no motions to annul have been lodged. Do members have any comments?

I will be brief. On SSI 2010/206 and SSI 2010/207, the case that has been made for the approach that is being taken seems to be pragmatic, and I support it, but it perhaps flags up the wider issue of the cumulative impact of regulation. It would be helpful—certainly for me and perhaps for other committee members—to get an update from the Government on how it seeks to address the cumulative impact of regulation. I think that there was an earlier commitment, if not to a one-in, one-out approach, to look to scale back the level of regulation. SSI 2010/206 and SSI 2010/207 are a useful peg on which to raise that issue with ministers.

That would probably be difficult, as a European Council directive is involved.

Notwithstanding that, the commitment was there from ministers. Many provisions of this sort come from Europe, and the commitment was made in that context.

We can write a letter to the Government and ask for its views on the matter.

Do we agree not to make any recommendations in relation to the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.