Health and Sport Committee, 19 Sep 2007

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Official Report 196KB pdf

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Public Health Bill

For item 5, I ask members to look at paper HS/S3/07/4/7, on forthcoming legislation on public health. Last week, the Scottish Government announced that it is likely to introduce a public health bill shortly. It is reasonable to assume that the Health and Sport Committee will deal with the bill and we need to make a couple of preliminary decisions.

First, does the committee wish in principle to appoint an adviser if required, given that the bill will be quite technical?

Members indicated agreement.

Secondly, in relation to our approach to the bill at stage 1, does the committee wish to dispense with an open call for written evidence if the provisions in the bill are similar to provisions on which the Scottish Government has already consulted?

No.

Do members wish to reserve our position?

We should call for written evidence. The committees' scrutiny role is important.

I agree. The options are that we can wait and see what the bill contains, look at the consultation that has already been done, or reserve our position and make no decision today.

The important point is that, when an initial Executive consultation takes place, some people miss the boat. I am reluctant for us to close off the opportunity for those people to comment.

I think that we have agreement.

I think that we agree. Only 98 individuals or organisations responded to the consultation, which is a low number given the subject of the bill.

I take the committee's views. We will do the usual consultation. I remember that, even though the Government held a large consultation on the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill, the committee that I was on still pressed ahead and took interesting evidence.

First, we will appoint an adviser. Secondly, we will have an open call for evidence when the bill is published.

That ends today's business in public.

Meeting continued in private until 12:32.