The Bill requires the Scottish Ministers and certain public bodies (referred to in the Bill as ‘relevant authorities’) to create Good Food Nation Plans.
This is a Government bill
The Bill became an Act on 26 July 2022
This Bill was passed and is now an Act of the Scottish Parliament.
The Bill requires the Scottish Ministers and certain public bodies (referred to in the Bill as ‘relevant authorities’) to create Good Food Nation Plans.
The relevant authorities identified in the Bill are health boards and local authorities (or councils). Other public bodies may be required to produce plans in the future.
The Scottish Ministers and relevant authorities need to have regard to these plans when carrying out certain functions. These functions will be set out by the Scottish Ministers in secondary legislation that will be considered by the Parliament.
The Bill was created to support the ambition of the Scottish Government that Scotland becomes a ‘Good Food Nation’.
The Scottish Government has a vision that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.”
Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill as introduced (470KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Explanatory Notes (141KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Policy Memorandum (235KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Financial Memorandum (157KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Delegated Powers Memorandum (160KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Statements on legislative competence (89KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Explanatory Notes (194KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Policy Memorandum (275KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Financial Memorandum (186KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Delegated Powers Memorandum (250KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
Statements on legislative competence (139KB, pdf) posted 07 October 2021
All Bills introduced in the Parliament must be accompanied by specific documents. For most Bills, this includes:
Explanatory Notes: this document provides an overview of what the Bill does, plus a more detailed explanation of individual provisions.
Policy Memorandum: this sets out the objectives of the Bill. It also lists any alternatives considered, details of consultations, and an assessment of the effects of the Bill on a range of areas.
Financial Memorandum: this sets out estimates of costs, savings, and any changes to revenues expected to result from the Bill.
Delegated Powers Memorandum: this is needed if a Bill gives powers to make subordinate legislation or allows Scottish Ministers to issue directions, guidance or codes of practice.
Statements on legislative competence: two short statements, one by the Presiding Officer and one by the Member introducing the Bill. “Legislative competence” means the powers the Parliament has to make law.
The Presiding Officer has decided under Rule 9.12 of Standing Orders that a financial resolution is not required for this Bill.
For each Bill, the Presiding Officer must decide if a 'Financial Resolution' is required. The main reasons a Bill would need a Financial Resolution are that:
If a Bill requires a Financial Resolution:
The Scottish Parliament's Information Centre (SPICe) prepares impartial research and analysis to assist MSPs in their examination of Bills and other parliamentary business.
The Bill was introduced on 7 October 2021
At Stage 1, the Bill is given to a lead committee. This is usually the committee whose remit most closely relates to the subject of the Bill. The lead committee will consider and report on the Bill. Other committees may also examine the Bill and report to the lead committee. Finally, there is a debate and vote by all MSPs on the general principles of the Bill. If the general principles are not agreed to, then the Bill ‘falls’ and can’t become law.
The lead committee for this Bill is the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee.
The lead committee will usually examine the Bill through evidence sessions. This will involve contributions from individuals and organisations, known as 'witnesses', with knowledge of the subject matter. The committee might also discuss the Bill in private sessions.
Before 1 February 2023, the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee was called the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee.
The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee held a call for views to help inform its examination of the Bill.
The call for views closed on 5 January 2022
Other ways the committee heard views and experiences
Watch video submission from Professor Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 22 April 2022
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 22 March 2022
Letter from the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, to the Convener, 24 February 2022
Letter from the NHS Board Chief Executives' Group, to the Convener, 10 February 2022
Letter from the Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, to the Convener, 8 February 2022
See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence for this committee
The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee published its report on 17 March 2022.
Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report
The Committee received the following responses to its report:
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands (48KB, pdf) posted 22 March 2022
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands (539KB, pdf) posted 22 April 2022
If a Bill is relevant to more than one committee, 'secondary committees' may consider and report on the general principles of the Bill to the lead committee. Some Bills may also be considered by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee or the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
Read the Official Report of the meeting
The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on 2 February 2022.
Read the Official Report of the meeting
Read the Official Report of the meeting
A Stage 1 debate took place on 22 March 2022 to consider and decide on the general principles of the Bill.
See further details of the motion
The Bill ended Stage 1 on 22 March 2022
At Stage 2, MSPs can propose changes to a Bill. These are called 'amendments'. Any MSP can suggest amendments but only members of the Stage 2 committee can decide on them.
Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 11 May 2022:
Marshalled List of amendments for Stage 2 (1MB, pdf) posted 06 May 2022
Groupings of amendments for Stage 2 (1019KB, pdf) posted 06 May 2022
A Stage 2 'Marshalled List' is a list of all the amendments that have been lodged at Stage 2 (or, if the Stage is mid-way through, all those still to be dealt with). They are listed in the order in which they will be called by the convener and then decided on.
A 'Groupings' list shows how the amendments that are listed in the Marshalled List have been grouped together for debate. Each group contains amendments that are related to each other, even if they are at different places in the Marshalled List.
Letter from the Convener, to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 9 June 2022
Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 6 June 2022
Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill as Amended at Stage 2 (630KB, pdf) posted 11 May 2022
If a Bill is relevant to more than one committee, 'secondary committees' may consider and report on the general principles of the Bill to the lead committee. Some Bills may also be considered by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee or the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on the Bill after Stage 2 on 8 June 2022.
Revised Explanatory Notes (139KB, pdf) posted 09 June 2022
Supplementary Delegated Powers Memorandum (96KB, pdf) posted 13 June 2022
Revised Explanatory Notes (206KB, pdf) posted 09 June 2022
Supplementary Delegated Powers Memorandum (169KB, pdf) posted 13 June 2022
Sometimes an amendment at Stage 2 makes substantial changes to a bill. If this happens, the Accompanying Documents need to be updated to explain what these changes are.
The Bill ended Stage 2 on 11 May 2022
At Stage 3, MSPs can propose further amendments (changes) to the Bill. These are debated and decided on in the Debating Chamber. At this stage, all MSPs can vote on them. There is then a debate on whether to pass the Bill. If the Bill is not passed, it ‘falls’ and can't become law.
Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 14 June 2022:
Marshalled List of amendments for Stage 3 (752KB, pdf) posted 08 June 2022
Timed Groupings of amendments for Stage 3 (800KB, pdf) posted 13 June 2022
A Stage 3 'Marshalled List' is a list of all the amendments that have been proposed at Stage 3 and that have been selected by the Presiding Officer. They are listed in the order in which they will be called by the Presiding Officer and then decided on.
A 'Groupings' list shows how the amendments that are listed in the Marshalled List have been grouped together for debate. Each group contains amendments that are related to each other, even if they are at different places in the Marshalled List.
‘Timed Groupings’ are usually produced at Stage 3 and set out how long Parliament expects to spend debating the groups of amendments.
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 22 December 2023
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 23 March 2023
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, to the Convener, 13 June 2022
Result 113 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 16 did not vote Vote Passed
See further details of the motion
The Bill ended Stage 3 on 15 June 2022
The Bill was passed on 15 June 2022 and became an Act on 26 July 2022.