Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Official Report 831KB pdf

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Animal Welfare (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022

Agenda item 2 is consideration of the consent notification for the Animal Welfare (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022. I refer members to paper 2 and paper 3, from page 11.

Do members have any comments on the regulations?

I agree with the Scottish Government’s decision, but I would like the committee to ask it to explain how its decision to consent to the provisions being included in the United Kingdom legislation can be reconciled with its stated intention to maintain regulatory alignment with European Union law and the high standards that Scotland enjoyed as part of the EU when the UK is applying to join free trade agreements such as the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership, or CPTPP. According to a House of Lords committee report, that raises concerns about food that is imported to lower standards

“undercutting UK farmers and undermining the UK’s food standards regime.”

Are members content that we write to the Scottish Government to ask the question that Ariane Burgess has set out, to seek further information about requirements for reporting on the welfare of animals during transportation, and to ask about its policy of cost recovery from transporters in the event of non-compliance with animal welfare requirements?

Members indicated agreement.

I will briefly suspend the meeting to allow the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to join us for our next agenda item.