Chamber and committees

Under agenda item 4, we are considering two instruments. No issues have been raised on the following instruments.

Is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

We turn now to SSI 2021/343. Are members content with the amending instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

There will be a division.

For

Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)

Against

Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con)
Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con)
Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab)

Agenda item 4 is consideration of four negative instruments, on which no points have been raised.

Agenda item 5 is consideration of two instruments not subject to parliamentary procedure, on which no points have been raised.

The final made affirmative instrument for consideration brings into force the Covid-19 vaccination certification scheme. Members will recall that the committee asked the Minister for Parliamentary Business a number of questions on the proposed scheme at its recent evidence session, and followed that up with a number of points of clarification.

The regulations were laid on Thursday 30 September before being brought into force on Friday 1 October. As such, this is the first opportunity that the committee has had to consider the regulations. No technical points have been raised on the regulations. I invite comments from members on the instrument.

Notwithstanding the points that colleagues have made about whether the made affirmative procedure or the affirmative procedure should have been used, no technical points have been raised on the regulations that are in front of us and on which we have to vote. As no technical points have been raised, I will vote for them.

It would be right for the committee to write to the Scottish Government to ask some questions about procedure and highlight the concerns that colleagues have raised. Who knows what will happen over the winter and what actions may or may not have to be taken as a result?

I will ask the question, although I understand what the answer will be: is the committee content with the regulations?

Members: No.

The result of the division is: For 2, Against 3, Abstentions 0.

The committee is not content with the regulations. A report will be published setting out the committee’s decision on all the instruments that it is considering today. That will include a summary of the committee’s discussion. We will also write to the Government as agreed to highlight the points that have been raised regarding the procedure that was used.