For item 4, I draw members' attention to the draft paper that has been circulated, the aim of which is to put forward the Health Committee's response to the Subordinate Legislation Committee's inquiry into the regulatory framework in Scotland. The paper incorporates various points that were raised by members on 27 September. It also contains one or two points on the way in which the National Assembly for Wales handles subordinate legislation, which, in my view, is considerably better than ours. Its straightforward approach to explanations should be incorporated by the Scottish Executive forthwith. I invite comments from members on our draft paper. If members wish to propose any substantial changes, now is the time to do so, although I would argue that the paper gives a good summation of our views.
I do not propose any changes. I fully support the contents of the paper, which addresses some important matters. One of our big bugbears with subordinate legislation over the past six years has been the inability of committees to amend it. If that can happen in the National Assembly for Wales, there is no reason why it cannot happen in the Scottish Parliament.
I wonder whether there are any more examples. The Welsh example is very good with respect to timing and amendments. On the quality of information, are there any examples to which attention could be drawn, rather than—
On the quality of information, you will find an attachment, which—
Is the attachment not all about the Welsh system?
Are you talking about poor quality of information?
Yes. I am looking at what we have said in the draft paper. To be honest, it does not matter—the Subordinate Legislation Committee will know of lots of examples. I was just wondering whether there was a particular—
—model of obfuscation.
Things are put quite aggressively in the paper, and I was wondering whether there is any example of—
It would indeed be useful if we could find a model of obfuscation, as Janis Hughes put it. We could append that as a counterpoint to the crystal clear explanatory memoranda that the Welsh Assembly's Health and Social Services Committee receives. That point is taken on board.
Meeting continued in private until 15:41.