Official Report 572KB pdf
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Miscellaneous Amendments and Revocations) (Scotland) Regulations 2018
Welcome to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee’s fourth meeting of 2019. Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones as they may affect the broadcasting system.
The first item on the agenda is to consider the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Miscellaneous Amendments and Revocations) (Scotland) Regulations 2018. Do members have any comments on the regulations?
I note that the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, in its consideration of the regulations, has identified a number of drafting errors in the regulations and has received a commitment from the Government that they will be fixed
“at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Although that does not cause me to object to our supporting the regulations, I encourage our colleagues in the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee to ask the Government to move from a general commitment to fix the regulations at an indeterminate date, and instead to provide a date by which it will fix them, because I know that “at the earliest opportunity” can, in practical terms, mean never.
I support what Stewart Stevenson has said. It would be wise to get the mistakes corrected as soon as possible and, if possible, sooner than at the earliest convenience.
We want the Government to commit to a date on which that will be done.
It would be worth moving this forward, for the sake of completeness.
Just to be clear, I am addressing my colleagues in the DPLR Committee, because it is their responsibility.
Do we want to write to the Government or do we want to liaise with the DPLR Committee?
We want to write a courteous, encouraging letter to the DPLR Committee.
That is fair enough. We will write to the DPLR Committee, echoing what it is saying, but also saying that there should be a date attached. It can do with that what it will.
Do we agree that we do not want to make any recommendations in relation to the regulations?
Members indicated agreement.
That concludes the public part of the committee’s agenda. At its next meeting, on 5 February, the committee will continue its consideration of its draft stage 1 report on the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill. As previously agreed, the committee will now move into private session, and I request that the public gallery be vacated.
09:19 Meeting continued in private until 12:32.Previous
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