Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon George Eustace MP, 22 December 2021
Dear Cabinet Secretary and Secretary of State,
The Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee considered the consent notification for the Approved Country Lists (Animals and Animal Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 at its meeting on Wednesday 15 December. Members agreed they were content with the Scottish Government giving its consent for the UK SI to include provisions within devolved competence.
As part of its consideration, the Committee agreed to ask the Scottish Government to confirm whether the trade agreements with Ukraine and Australia specify a timeframe in which changes to import restrictions must be made.
In addition, members expressed concern that the short time between the Committee being notified of this SI, on 7 December, and the proposed date for laying in the UK Parliament, on 16 December, has not given the Scottish Parliament the full 28-day scrutiny period provided for in the SI protocol agreed between the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. The Committee asks both the Scottish Government and UK Government to ensure that UK SIs can be notified to the Scottish Parliament to allow sufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny, as set out in the SI protocol.
The Committee agreed to copy this letter to the Convener of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee to draw her attention to our concerns relating to the time available for parliamentary scrutiny for this notification.
Yours sincerely
Finlay Carson MSP
Convener
Rural Affairs, Island and Natural Environment Committee
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Letter to the Convener from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 7 December 2021