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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,095,827 contributions. Latest 30 days: 2,655. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 09 Jun 2026.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed. With that, I draw this session’s meetings of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee to a conclusion. 11:57 Meeting continue...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Agenda item 4 is consideration of four instruments that are not subject to parliamentary procedure and on which no points have been raised.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

The final instrument on which an issue has been raised is SSI 2021/151, which provides for 100 per cent non-domestic rates relief for properties with specified uses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, as well as properties that are used for newspaper publishing. It...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

An issue has also been raised on SSI 2021/145, the purpose of which is to provide that specified relief in respect of non-domestic rates that would otherwise be granted will not be granted from 1 April 2021 if that relief, when added to any other prescribed relief, would excee...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

The next instrument on which an issue has been raised is SSI 2021/142, the main purpose of which is to make provision to further extend the duration of planning permissions and consents granted during the coronavirus pandemic. The instrument also corrects drafting errors in th...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

An issue has also been raised on SSI 2021/140. The Carer’s Allowance (Coronavirus) (Breaks in Care) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/117) relaxed the eligibility criteria for carers allowance to take account of the effects of coronavirus. Regulation 2, which delivered the...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

The next instrument on which an issue has been raised is SSI 2021/137, which amends the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (SSI 2012/303) and the Council Tax Reduction (State Pension Credit) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (SSI 2012/319). The instrument provides tha...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

An issue has also been raised on SSI 2021/131, which has been brought into force urgently to further the conservation objectives for the designated Red Rocks and Longay marine protected area in order to protect flapper skate and their eggs. Does the committee wish to draw the...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

Under agenda item 3, issues have been raised on seven instruments that have breached the rule that requires instruments that are subject to the negative procedure to be laid at least 28 days before they come into force. The first such instrument, SSI 2021/115, amends the Natio...

The Convener Con Committee

Instrument subject to Made Affirmative Procedure

Agenda item 2 is consideration of an instrument that is subject to the made affirmative procedure, on which no points have been raised. Is the committee content with the instrument? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener (Bill Bowman) Con Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the 11th meeting in 2021, and the final scheduled meeting in session 5, of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. Before we begin, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all committee members for their diligence and support, ...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Covid-19 (Tracking the Implications for Scotland’s Public Finances)

I want to move on to the subject of whole public sector accounts. I hope that somebody is familiar with that and can give us an answer. At the end of session 4, our predecessor committee indicated in its legacy paper to this committee that it had “received an undertaking that...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Covid-19 (Tracking the Implications for Scotland’s Public Finances)

Okay. I am aware of the difference between aggregation and consolidation. In conclusion, if timeliness is your argument, I have a suspicion that this might never happen, because it always seems to be coming afterwards. We have been trying to get something since 2015. I am sur...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Covid-19 (Tracking the Implications for Scotland’s Public Finances)

That does not give me much comfort, to be honest, but I do not put that down to you. The Auditor General has also made the point that, given that the Covid funding arrangements are getting more complex and that we know that some things are outside the boundary, it becomes mor...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Covid-19 (Tracking the Implications for Scotland’s Public Finances)

I thank you for that. However, the situation has been going on since 2015. I appreciate that, if someone is a chief financial officer and someone else comes along and says, “By the way, could you just do this extra work?”, that is the last thing that they will be thankful for....

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Section 22 Report

Prudence is a good travelling companion. I do not know about your commercial experience, but are you able to compare raising funds from a commercial bank with how easy it was to get that from your parent company?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Section 22 Report

Quite a bit of time and effort has been focused on Business Stream and its potential to require extra borrowing. It is good to see that it is perhaps not that bad a situation. Do you think that somebody perhaps overreacted and focused on that too much when, in reality, you are...

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Section 22 Report

I have a question for Business Stream. When we had our briefing, we spoke to the external auditor and, if I recall correctly, we asked about an updating of the projections that the Auditor General had seen at one point and that the external auditor had seen at a later point. T...

Bill Bowman Con Chamber

Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021

No, I do not realise that—but I thank Ivan McKee for letting me know. The SNP Government’s total budget has risen to £44.1 billion in 2021-22. In comparison, the total budget for local government is rising to £11.6 billion. Furthermore, the amount of money that the Governme...

Bill Bowman Con Chamber

Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021

Of course. How could I resist one last chance to be corrected by Ivan McKee?

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2021

This is my last speech here, and I would like to say a few words about my time in the Parliament. I joined the Parliament following a sad event—the untimely passing of Alex Johnstone—and I leave it following the untimely passing of my wife, Helen, last October. It has been an...

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Scotland’s Railway

In the coming weeks, the rail trade unions may press ahead with strike action in their claim to get more money for overtime. Does the cabinet secretary support such action or view it as counterproductive, given that the railway in Scotland is suffering from the most significan...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed. 11:49 Meeting continued in private until 12:00.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

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

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

Although no points have been raised on SSI 2021/122, the committee may wish to note that the instrument fulfils a commitment that the Scottish Government gave to the committee to make clearer the meaning of “care home” in subordinate legislation that was amended by the Disabil...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

An issue has been raised on the first instrument for consideration under agenda item 4. SSI 2021/123 lays down the compositional and labelling standards for a specific type of infant formula and follow-on formula that is manufactured from protein hydrolysates, which can be use...

The Convener Con Committee

Instrument subject to Affirmative Procedure

Agenda item 3 is consideration of a draft affirmative instrument, on which no points have been raised. Is the committee content with the instrument? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

Instrument subject to Made Affirmative Procedure

Agenda item 2 is consideration of an instrument that is subject to the made affirmative procedure and on which no points have been raised. Is the committee content with the instrument? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is ag...

The Convener (Bill Bowman) Con Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the 10th meeting in 2021 of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. Mary Fee has passed on her apologies, as she will not be able to join us for the start of the meeting, but she hopes to be able to join us for later items. As we ar...

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I raise a point of order concerning my vote on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill last Thursday. I intended to vote no but voted yes in error. I would be grateful for that to be recorded in the Official Report.

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Section 23 Report

I would be a supporter of localism. The issue is the balance between that and being agile. I wish you well in that. I will not be here to see what you do.

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Section 23 Report

As you settle into the role—you are not new to the organisation—are you finding that the structure is cumbersome and inhibits you from getting things done?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Section 23 Report

I echo my colleagues’ appreciation of the NHS staff and their sacrifices in this period. I think that Caroline Lamb said that the NHS is huge and complex, and she spoke about the NHS being agile during the pandemic and getting organised through it. We have heard from others, ...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Public Finances (Implications of Covid-19)

Whole public sector accounts are something that we will push.

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Public Finances (Implications of Covid-19)

Will some of that money have gone outside the envelope of the Scottish Government accounts? Would whole public sector accounts help to ensure that all of that is captured?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Public Finances (Implications of Covid-19)

We need to start at the top of the tree in the Scottish Government in regard to how this was set up. If we were looking at another organisation, it would have an agency agreement or a contract on how money was spent and reported. Has the Scottish Government gone through how it...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Public Finances (Implications of Covid-19)

Does the Scottish Government regard the money as spent when it pays it to an agency, or does it say that it is spent when the agency says that it has passed the money on to somebody else?

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Public Finances (Implications of Covid-19)

Regarding the previous line of questioning, I support the Auditor General for not issuing numbers when he is not happy that he has done all the work on those numbers, even if there is still a wish to get figures out quickly. Auditor General, the report highlights that informa...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed. 11:56 Meeting continued in private until 12:29.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Under agenda item 7, an issue has been raised on SSI 2021/83. The instrument amends the Zoonoses Order 1989 (SI 1989/285) to designate SARS-CoV-2 as a zoonotic organism that requires notification under section 29 of the Animal Health Act 1981 to assist the monitoring and contr...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

The final negative instrument on which a point has been raised is SSI 2021/109, which amends the commencement date of regulations 3 and 4 of the Food, Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/66)...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

An issue has also been raised on SSI 2021/100, the main purpose of which is to extend until 31 March 2022 the period for which planning consents remain valid during the coronavirus pandemic. Issues were raised with the Scottish Government in relation to drafting errors that w...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Negative Procedure

Issues have been raised on three of the instruments for consideration under agenda item 6. SSI 2021/82 establishes the milk and healthy snack scheme as a food benefit in Scotland for pre-school children who receive childcare services from a registered childcare provider. Th...

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Affirmative Procedure

Agenda item 5 is consideration of two instruments that are subject to the affirmative procedure, on which no points have been raised.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Made Affirmative Procedure

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

Instruments subject to Made Affirmative Procedure

Agenda item 4 is consideration of two instruments that are subject to the made affirmative procedure, on which no points have been raised.

The Convener Con Committee

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018: Instrument Category

Is the committee content that the instrument has been categorised properly as being of low significance? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018: Instrument Category

Is the committee content that the instrument has been categorised properly as being of medium significance? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed.

The Convener Con Committee

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018: Instrument Category

Agenda item 3 is consideration of two instruments that have been laid under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The committee is considering only whether the Scottish Government has applied the appropriate categories to the instruments.

The Convener Con Committee

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018: Instrument Procedure and Category

Agenda item 2 is consideration of an instrument that has been laid under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The committee is considering whether the Scottish Government has applied the appropriate scrutiny procedure and the appropriate category to SSI 2021/109. The inst...

The Convener (Bill Bowman) Con Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the ninth meeting in 2021 of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. As we are meeting online, it will be more difficult for members to indicate agreement to the items that are discussed. Therefore, I ask members to raise their hand ...

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

I think that appraisal is always good for the employee and the employer, so thank you.

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

I have a final point for Paul Johnston. It sounds as if the sponsor figure is perhaps not being assessed or appraised on their sponsoring activities against whatever the role definition is. I agree that it is good that you might do it, but is it not being done at the moment?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

How do you monitor the performance of a sponsor figure doing their role effectively? Is there some form of appraisal that assesses their performance specifically as a sponsor figure?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

Is that an external person? 10:30

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

Who is that person and what is he going to do?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

It seems to make sense to have consistency. I think that you mentioned earlier somebody called Mr Nicholl to do with the training—is that right?

Bill Bowman Con Committee

Scottish Government Support and Sponsorship Arrangements (Key Audit Themes)

I think that you said earlier that each portfolio accountable officer has responsibility for the sponsorship role in that area. Is there a commonality of skills and roles for sponsoring figures? The portfolio accountable officer does not set their own determination of what a s...

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Committee

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee 23 March 2021

23 Mar 2021 · S5 · Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Item of business

Instruments not subject to Parliamentary Procedure

Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 Amendment) (Court Sittings) 2021 (SSI 2021/153)

Bowman, Bill Con North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed. With that, I draw this session’s meetings of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee to a conclusion. 11:57 Meeting continued in private until 12:10.

In the same item of business

The Convener Con

Is the committee content with the instruments? No member has indicated that they are not content or that they wish to speak, so that is agreed. With that, ...