Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Official Report
416KB pdf
Public Body Consent Memorandums
British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 [Draft]
Inland Waterways Advisory Council (Abolition) Order 2012 [Draft]
Under agenda item 3, the committee is invited to consider Scottish Government memorandums in relation to two draft UK Government orders to which the Scottish Parliament has been asked to give consent under the Public Bodies Act 2011. The Parliament’s consent is required because the public bodies in question operate in both reserved and devolved areas. The Scottish Government has provided the Scottish Parliament with a public body consent memorandum for each order.
The Parliamentary Bureau has agreed an interim arrangement for parliamentary scrutiny of such orders, with a view to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee considering the procedure that will apply in the longer term. Under the arrangement, the lead committee considers the order in question and reports its findings to the Parliament, after which the Parliament’s view will be sought by way of motions in the chamber. I refer members to the cover note and memorandums in paper 3.
The British Waterways (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 seeks to transfer the functions of the British Waterways Board in relation to England and Wales to a new waterways charity and to ensure that the board continues in existence as a Scottish public body. It is understood that, although in Scotland the board will continue to be called the British Waterways Board for legal purposes, it will for most purposes operate under the name Scottish Canals. Scottish ministers considered options for the board’s Scottish functions but concluded that the management of Scotland’s inland waterways should remain the responsibility of a public body.
The Inland Waterways Advisory Council (Abolition) Order 2012 seeks to abolish the advisory council across the whole of the UK and to make a number of associated consequential amendments, repeals and revocations. As detailed in paper 3, the Scottish Government agrees that the advisory council’s functions should be abolished in so far as they relate to Scotland.
Do members have any comments?
I do not think that this is a controversial measure, convener.
In that case, does the committee agree to recommend to Parliament that the draft motions in relation to these orders be approved?
Members indicated agreement.
As agreed under agenda item 1, we will now move into private.
11:35
Meeting continued in private until 11:58.