Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Official Report 282KB pdf

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Food (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Thank you, John.

Members have no other comments. Are members content to note the Government’s response and, if necessary, to reconsider the bill after stage 2?

Members indicated agreement.

That completes our agenda. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 5 August. I look forward to the recess.

Meeting closed at 10:42.

Agenda item 6 is consideration of the Scottish Government’s response to the committee’s stage 1 report on the bill. Members have seen the briefing paper, the Scottish Government’s response, and a letter from the Lord Advocate, which he penned yesterday, concerning publication of the Lord Advocate’s guidelines. May I have members’ comments, please?

We should welcome the letter from the Lord Advocate and his willingness to work with the Government on lodging amendments and publishing guidelines. I think that the Government’s explanation, as outlined in paragraph 11 of its response, is entirely reasonable. The fact that the power has not been used in recent times is a matter to rejoice over. Nonetheless, having lived through BSE and E coli incidents in the food industry, I know that the ability to make regulations at short notice can be required and, indeed, has been required in the past. The Government’s explanation of its desire to retain such a power for such emergencies is therefore entirely reasonable.