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Agenda item 2 concerns six pieces of subordinate legislation to be dealt with under the negative procedure. We will go through them one at a time, but I will not read out all the titles.
Seeds (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (SSI 2002/520)
I have no particular difficulty with the regulations. However, in the changes to the handling of cereal seed in particular and fodder plant to a lesser extent, I am slightly concerned about the omission of any provisions to prevent cross-contamination by genetically modified organisms. I suggest that it might be useful to hear from the minister on that issue. Given that we have a time limit of 17 January, there is clearly an opportunity to do that, unless I am mistaken.
We have to report by 13 January.
That would give us one committee meeting in which to hear from the minister.
I notice that the regulations will allow seeds to be transported in an unsealed container. If seeds are transported in that way, we will lose the security that comes from knowing that the container is sealed. That might lead to further agitation of the current public concern about GM crops. I would certainly like to hear whether the minister could allay any such concerns. Perhaps he would accept an early new year invitation to come and meet the committee.
I wonder whether members might feel that we could address the issue by letter.
If the minister cannot attend, perhaps we could send a letter. Obviously we would be giving him short notice.
I am content to send a letter as a second but less favourable option.
We could determine the minister's availability. However, given the short notice, we would have to accept it if he could not come, especially as we have to report by 13 January. Fergus Ewing has picked up on a valid point and we would certainly seek robust assurances from the minister.
We do not get much notice, do we? I think that this is the first time that the committee has seen the regulations.
My concern is not the notice that we have received; it is the minister's availability on 6 January, which is the only date on which we are meeting before 13 January.
There are two ministers. One of them could come. We do not need both of them.
In fact, we have two dates—6 January and 13 January.
If the matter has to be dealt with by correspondence, I would like to have the opportunity to discuss it at our meeting on 7 January before we come to a conclusion. If the minister is not present, he might or might not like the conclusion.
I am concerned that, if we leave the discussion of the letter that we are going to send until 7 January—
I was hoping that the letter could be left to me. I will e-mail it to members for their approval.
That is fine.
I hope that, by the end of this week, we will have determined the minister's position. If I have to write a letter, I will e-mail it to members this week so that they can get their responses back to me. I am leaving the country first thing on Friday morning, so I will get the letter signed off on Thursday.
The minister might not be back from Brussels by then.
As Fergus Ewing rightly pointed out, the minister has a deputy. Do members agree to follow that course of action?
Seeds (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (SSI 2002/526)<br />Poultry Breeding Flocks, Hatcheries and Animal By-Products (Fees) (Scotland) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/529)
Sheep and Goats Identification (Scotland) Amendment (No 2) Regulations 2002<br />(SSI 2002/531)<br />Plant Protection Products Amendment<br />(No 3) (Scotland) Regulations 2002<br />(SSI 2002/537)
Potatoes Originating in Egypt (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002<br />(SSI 2002/518)
As there are no comments on any of those statutory instruments, does the committee agree to make no recommendation to the Parliament on them?
Meeting continued in private until 15:52.