Justice 1 Committee, 23 Oct 2001

Meeting date: Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Official Report 265KB pdf

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Fur Farming (Prohibition) (Scotland) Bill

I am delighted that the convener has arrived to deal with fur farming et al.

I refer members to paper J1/01/27/5, which is a note on the Fur Farming (Prohibition) (Scotland) Bill. The bill is likely to be referred to the Rural Development Committee as the lead committee and, because of the central role that has been given to the creation of offences in the bill, to the Justice 1 Committee and the Justice 2 Committee as secondary committees. I invite members to consider whether they wish to examine the bill at stage 1 and to report to the Rural Development Committee, with a likely reporting date of late November.

As I have just come from a meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau, it would be appropriate for me to add at this point that the Justice 2 Committee will deal with the land reform bill and that the Justice 1 Committee will deal with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill. We have negotiated a deferred date of around mid-January for our stage 1 report on the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill. I offer that information by way of background, so that members know about our work load when they consider whether we should examine the Fur Farming (Prohibition) (Scotland) Bill. I ask members for their views on whether they wish to examine and report on that bill at stage 1.

I could live without it.

Does any member think that we must comment?

Have we got enough time? How long would it take?

I do not know whether there would be any benefit in the committee considering the bill. Perhaps it would be better if the Rural Development Committee dealt with it. That is my view, but I solicit others' views.

I agree with you, convener.

Gordon Jackson agrees—I do not know whether that is good. The consensus seems to be that we should leave the matter to the Rural Development Committee, which is the lead committee.

Members indicated agreement.