Question reference: S6W-11264
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 30 September 2022
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 October 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to fulfil its commitments to protect nature in Scotland and maintain or exceed EU environmental standards, in light of the reported plans by the UK Government to dismantle laws protecting nature.
Answer
The Scottish Government is deeply concerned by, and fundamentally opposed to, the UK Government’s plans to potentially dismantle laws protecting nature as outlined in their Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. As drafted, the Bill will undermine the Scottish Government’s ability to protect Scotland’s natural environment because unless existing legal protections set out in retained EU law are preserved, they will be removed from the statute book at the end of 2023. In addition it is unacceptable for the UK Government to give itself powers to act in areas of devolved competence. Devolution must be respected.
The Scottish Government will do everything within the powers available to us to prevent such dismantling of laws protecting nature and to protect devolution. We remain fully committed to protecting nature in Scotland and maintaining or enhancing environmental standards. The Scottish Government shall achieve alignment with improvements to EU environmental standards, wherever this is possible and within our interests, including where appropriate through specific powers within the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.