Chamber and committees

Under agenda item 3, we are considering four instruments. This agenda item was amended on Friday, due to the following two emergency Scottish statutory instruments being laid by the Scottish Government.

Under agenda item 2, we are considering whether the appropriate scrutiny procedure and categorisation have been applied to the following instrument.

Does the committee wish to call on the Scottish Government to amend the instrument to correct the error at the next legislative opportunity?

Members indicated agreement.

Also under this agenda item, no points have been raised on the following instruments.

In relation to SSI 2022/138, does the committee wish to welcome that the instrument corrects a drafting error that the committee identified at its meeting on 19 April?

Members indicated agreement.

Under agenda item 5, we are considering two instruments, on which no points have been raised.

Good morning, and welcome to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee’s 15th meeting in 2022. Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone present to switch their mobile phones to silent.

The first item of business is to decide whether to take items 6 and 7 in private. Is the committee content to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

The instrument authorises five new types of genetically modified maize and soybean products for use in food and animal feed that are sold in Scotland. It also renews authorisation for the continuing use of four genetically modified maize products. The committee has identified a document reference error in schedules 3, 4 and 7.

In response to correspondence with the committee, the Scottish Government acknowledged that there is a referencing error in the instrument but does not consider it necessary to correct the error. The correspondence is published online, in paper 3.

Does the committee wish to draw the instrument to the attention of the Parliament on the general reporting ground, in respect of an error in paragraph 4(2) of each of schedules 3, 4 and 7?

Members indicated agreement.

Is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

The aim of the instruments is to ensure that the appropriate level of disclosure checks can be undertaken on all individuals who are being assessed as suitable to provide accommodation under the homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, to help provide safer housing options for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The Scottish Government is seeking to have the SSIs come into force on 12 May 2022. As I have said before, the committee needs sufficient time to properly consider each and every SSI that is laid before the Parliament to make sure that it is correct as a matter of law. However, members will have seen a letter from Gerard Hart, the chief executive of Disclosure Scotland, explaining the reasons for the urgency of the instruments. I have allowed them to be added to today’s agenda, but I nevertheless reserve the right for the committee to look at the instruments again next week should any issues subsequently be found. We could then write to the Scottish Government to highlight those issues.

Taking that into account, is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.