Chamber and committees

Under agenda item 3, we are taking evidence from George Adam MSP, the Minister for Parliamentary Business. This is one of our regular sessions with the minister on the Scottish Government’s work that is relevant to the committee.

The minister is accompanied by three Scottish Government officials: Karen Auchincloss, head of the Parliament and legislation unit; Gordon Johnstone, Brexit legislation manager in the Parliament and legislation unit; and Rachel Rayner, deputy legislation co-ordinator in the Scottish Government legal directorate. I welcome them all to the meeting.

I remind all attendees not to worry about switching their microphones on and off because that is done for them.

I invite the minister to make some opening remarks.

I would like clarification. When you said that you sometimes do not see things until the last minute, do you mean at official and ministerial levels?

Thank you, minister. You mentioned the strategic review. Will you provide a timeline for that, please?

Mr Kerr, I am sure that you are aware of the inquiry that the committee undertook and the debate that we had in the chamber. Since then, the number of made affirmative instruments that this committee and the Parliament have had to deal with has reduced—which has been useful, I hasten to add.

On the same area, in March, the Government provided a response to the committee’s made affirmative inquiry, in which it mentioned that it was still considering a number of items. Will you provide a written update on the various strands of that work over the summer?

Indeed. Thank you for that.

You touched on the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill, which we will discuss later in the meeting. Does the Scottish Government have any proposals or plans for further Covid-related legislation, either primary or secondary, later in the session?

You are selling it well, minister. [Laughter.]

Under agenda item 6, we are considering one instrument, on which no points have been raised.

The committee has previously called for an impact assessment of those affected by a made affirmative SSI, and ministers’ plans to publicise its content and implications, to be included with the explanation of the reasons for the urgency of the SSI. The Scottish Government has since said that it considers that

“current scrutiny frameworks … are fit for purpose.”

Will you provide an update on the steps that the Government will take to ensure that it provides the Parliament with a clear assessment of the impact of any instruments made using the made affirmative procedure?

That is helpful.

Before I bring in Graham Simpson, I will return to the issue of historical commitments. At one point in the previous parliamentary session, there was a plethora of historical commitments and the committee pressed the Government to improve that situation, which it did. The one that Paul Sweeney mentioned is the last outstanding commitment. It has been there for a number of years while Brexit and the Covid pandemic have happened. Can you provide an indication of when the Government will complete that commitment?