Rural Development Committee, 25 Jun 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Official Report 234KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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TSE (Scotland) Regulations 2002<br />(SSI 2002/255)

We have three instruments to consider under negative procedure. I am slightly concerned by the fact that the wording in the Westminster instrument and in the first instrument before us today differs from the wording of the European regulation on transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. The European regulation refers to susceptible animals while the UK and Scottish instruments talk about suspicious animals. I think that the choice of words makes a difference and could lead to the possibility that the UK and Scotland could take somewhat more draconian measures than would be required under the European directive. I do not know whether other members have had that concern raised with them.

We could write to the minister and put that point to him but we cannot hold up the statutory instrument as we have to report on it by 2 September, which means that we have to deal with it today. I do not think that we ought to go to the length of asking the minister to come before the committee, as that would mean that we have to have an extra meeting this week. As the matter appears to be nothing that a letter could not put right, are we agreed that I should write to the minister to raise the concern?

Members indicated agreement.

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Loch Caolisport Scallops Several Fishery (Scotland) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/272)<br />Plant Protection Products Amendment<br />(No 2) (Scotland) Regulations 2002<br />(SSI 2002/279)

If there are no comments on the instruments, are we agreed that we wish to make no report on them to the Parliament?

Members indicated agreement.

I now close this meeting. I thank members for the questions that they put to the minister. I hope that his answers will be useful to our adviser, Frank Rennie, as he embarks on the simple task of drawing together all the evidence and writing a draft report over the summer recess.

Meeting closed at 16:04.