Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, 01 Oct 2008

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Official Report 225KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Adoptions with a Foreign Element (Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 (SSI 2008/303)<br />Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Cambodia (Scotland) Order 2008 <br />(SSI 2008/304)

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Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Guatemala (Scotland) Order 2008 <br />(SSI 2008/305)

Agenda item 3 is consideration of three negative Scottish statutory instruments. Do members have any comments or questions on the SSIs?

I tried to see whether my question was answered in the briefing, but I may have missed something. I am not unhappy with the instruments, but I want to ask whether there is an on-going review of the process. If the situation in the countries that the instruments cover changes, will there be an opportunity for the issue to be revisited by the Government at some stage? Indeed, if other countries exhibit similar characteristics, is there a programme to extend the restrictions further?

Unfortunately, I am not in a position to answer that question. It might be worth our while writing to the minister to seek clarification.

That is fine.

Members have no further comments—I am glad about that, as I would not have been able to answer those either.

No motions to annul the instruments have been lodged. The Subordinate Legislation Committee determined that it did not need to draw the Parliament's attention to any of the instruments. Do members agree that we have no recommendation to make in relation to SSI 2008/303, SSI 2008/304 and SSI 2008/305?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of today's meeting. The committee's next meeting will be on 8 October.

Meeting continued in private until 12:20.