Chamber and committees

That engagement will be important to stakeholder organisations as well, so I welcome that reassurance.

Over the summer, when I was out and about in my constituency, I talked to a lot of small businesses about a variety of issues. The convener said that he had heard about a business that was perhaps not acting responsibly. However, most grocers’ shops, or other shops, that do not specialise in these products but sell them as part of the range of products in their store, will be thinking about what the ban will mean for them. Can you give them any reassurance in that regard?

Trade bodies have raised concerns about the impact of the ban on the viability of small retailers. What engagement has there been to help to mitigate any negative impacts that the ban may have on small businesses? For example, is it helpful that we are considering the regulations now, in order to ensure that there is around six months’ notice to enable those businesses to clear their shelves—so to speak—of products that, in the spring, will no longer be legal?

Good morning, cabinet secretary. You have touched on the engagement that you and your officials have had with UK officials and UK ministers, and it seems as though that has all been very positive and there have been good intergovernmental relations on the bill. Has there been any further discussion on possible wider reform of the British rail industry? The Scottish Government is a leader in the renationalisation of our railways. Is there anything that the UK Government is learning from Scotland?

On the points that have just been made, we will also need to keep an eye on what the European Union does in this space, because when that huge market begins to regulate, it could have a significant impact in terms of market change. Perhaps there will be good lessons learned from Scotland and elsewhere that can help in that process.

Thank you all.

That was helpful feedback from both of you, thank you. It is good to get some recommendations, particularly based on previous Government work. The committee would welcome any follow-up from either of you. Before I move on to other questions, does anyone else on the panel want to add anything?

Mhairi Robertson, do you want to add anything?

Your clear view is that automatic is a preference. If automatic is not provided—

I note colleagues’ contributions with interest, and I think that the committee will want to keep an eye on developments in this area. However, I am comforted to a large extent—to the point where I wish to give my consent to the SI—by the cabinet secretary’s response. On the second page, it states:

“It is important to note that the proposals in the UKSI will bring the UK POPs regulation into closer alignment with the EU regulation than is currently the case.”

The SI that is before the UK Parliament and that we are being asked to consent to will be a step forward in the area.

I am also comforted by the fact that the cabinet secretary sets out that, as we would expect, at ministerial and official level, the Scottish Government will continue “engagement with counterparts” at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and continue to monitor these matters.

All things considered, I am content that we consent to the instrument.

Thank you all for that feedback. My next question is on the registration of tenants’ right to buy. This is a question that I asked our panel last week as well. Do you agree with repealing section 99 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, which removes the requirement for tenants to register their interest in exercising their right to buy, and do you agree with provision for registration to be amended by regulations?