Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Thursday, March 18, 2021

Official Report 1072KB pdf

Standing Order Rule Changes (Delegated Powers Memorandums and Emergency Bills)

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-24391, also in the name of Bill Kidd, on changes in relation to revised accompanying documents for emergency bills.

The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s report on rule changes in relation to delegated powers memorandums and emergency bills proposes two changes to chapters 9 and 9C of the standing orders.

First, it proposes to make the delegated powers memorandum an accompanying document that is required on the introduction of a public or hybrid bill. As delegated powers can be used to make significant provision, the SPPA Committee considered that it was important that they are fully scrutinised. The provision of a delegated powers memorandum as an accompanying document will enable that scrutiny from the point at which the bill is introduced, as well as ensuring that the delegated powers memorandum has the same status as other accompanying documents.

The second change that the report proposes is to remove the requirement to produce revised or supplementary accompanying documents for a bill that is designated an emergency bill. The committee considers that it is unlikely that there would be any circumstances in which there would be sufficient time in the process for the production and scrutiny of revised or supplementary documents for a bill that is designated an emergency bill. Following consultation with the Parliamentary Bureau, the committee therefore agreed to propose that rule 9.21 be revised to disapply the requirements to lodge revised or supplementary documents after stage 2. The proposed changes were the subject of both internal consultation and consultation with the Scottish Government.

I move,

That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 10th Report 2021 (Session 5), Standing Order Rule Changes — Delegated Powers Memorandum and Emergency Bills (SP Paper 987), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 12 May 2021.

[Applause.]

The popularity of these SPPA Committee motions is quite remarkable.