Question reference: S2W-29880
- Asked by: Scott Barrie, MSP for Dunfermline West, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 14 November 2006
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Current status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 15 November 2006
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legislative consent motions it will lodge in the Parliament in connection with the legislative programme of the UK Government that will be announced in the Queen’s Speech on 15 November 2006.
Answer
Under the Sewel Convention,the UK Government does not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters inScotland without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.This is an important part of the devolution settlement, signifying respect for therole of the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliamenthas recently indicated the value of legislating under the Sewel Convention by establishingprocedures in its Standing Orders for the Parliament to scrutinise proposed LegislativeConsent Motions. These procedures ensure that the Parliament plays a full role inlegislation in areas entrusted to this Parliament in the devolution settlement.
Within the UK Government’snew legislative programme announced today, the Executive has identified and agreeda number of specific opportunities to legislate for the benefit of Scotland on matters that are within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and on matters which relate to the executive competence of the Scottish ministers.
The bills are:
Consumers, EstateAgents and Redress – to give Scottish consumers the benefit of a new statutoryNational Consumers Council, including food safety matters.
Education and Training– to allow Scottish students the benefit of UK-wide schemes on informationsharing and career development loans, and to modernise industrial training levylegislation.
Statistics and RegistrationServices – to include Scotland in national standards and scrutiny for governmentstatistics.
Tribunals, Courtsand Enforcement – to establish a UK-wide reserved Tribunal Service modernising thestructure and process of decisions made by such tribunals and to make provisionto safeguard from seizure cultural artefacts on loan to Scottish museums and galleries.
The Executive willbe bringing forward memorandums and Legislative Consent Motions for these billsover the next few weeks, in line with the requirements of Standing Orders. It will be for the Scottish Parliament then to determinewhether to give or withhold consent.
Further opportunities to legislatefor the benefit of Scotland may well develop in other bills announced today as theircontent is finalised. We will continue to work with the UK Government and will bringto the attention of the Parliament any such opportunities as soon as they are identified.