Health and Sport Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Official Report 566KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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National Health Service Superannuation and Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/30)

Item 2 is consideration of subordinate legislation. Colleagues are aware that the regulations are simply an uprating in the level of funding to account for inflation. Do members have any comments on those regulations?

Annex A of the clerk’s note says that NHS employees and employers, the Scottish Government and UK Government departments were consulted but that

“No responses to the consultation were received.”

The instrument might be a good thing, but I wanted to point that out.

I also wonder whether we will get an update on what is said in annex B on page 8 under “Consultation”. It says:

“it is noted that the structure to apply for member contributions is still under active discussion amongst Scottish Ministers, the Scheme Advisory Board and HM Treasury”.

It says that an assessment of

“whether the proposals are likely to achieve the required yield of 9.8% of pay over the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, as required by HM Treasury ... shows that the yield is expected to be around 0.1% to 0.2% below the required yield of 9.8%.”

There is uncertainty there. You asked us for comments; I do not want to delay the instrument, because it is about a rise and a lot of people will lose out if they do not get it. However, there is no agreement yet and the change is happening next month. Can we ask for clarification on that, or will that delay it for a while? Has there been no consultation or am I reading it wrongly?

These matters are under constant negotiation and I am not aware of any substantive impact. That is also the view of the clerks.

12:45  

I just wanted to point out that the change is due to happen next month but no agreement has been reached. However, I do not want to delay the instrument. I am just being a pest.

You do it so well.

I know that I do.—[Laughter.]

Far be it from me to reach that conclusion. Having noted the comments that Sandra White has made, are we agreed to make no recommendations on the regulations?

Members indicated agreement.

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Public Health etc (Scotland) Act 2008 (Notifiable Diseases and Notifiable Organisms) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/51)

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee has noted that the regulations, which relate to coronavirus, came into effect the day after they were laid. While drawing our attention to that fact, having concluded that the Government was reasonable to act as it did, the committee made no recommendation. As members have no comments, are we agreed to make no recommendations on the regulations?

Members indicated agreement.

12:46 Meeting continued in private until 12:56.