Hansard

I thank the cabinet secretary for her comments, which cleared up some of the points that I was going to raise because I feel that there is some confusion on the matter.

As I understand the timeline of Mr Dixon’s involvement with Environmental Standards Scotland, he was first appointed to the board in December 2020. He was then reappointed to the board in November 2024. In January 2025, he was appointed as interim chair, and today we are being asked to confirm his appointment as chair for a further four years, which will take us to 2029, unless I am mistaken. Therefore, he has been reappointed once and has changed roles twice within that time.

Paragraph 4.3 of the Environmental Standards Scotland framework document states:

“Ministers may reappoint members on one occasion only”.

I think that that might have been addressed by the cabinet secretary. I was thinking that, surely, this would be the individual’s secondary appointment and therefore contrary to the rules that are established by the framework document.

Paragraph 4.3 continues:

“members may thus serve a total of two consecutive terms”

and a member’s

“total period of appointment may not exceed 8 years.”

If Mr Dixon was first appointed in 2020 and the secondary appointment will take us to 2029, that would be about eight and a half to nine years. Once again, that contravenes the rules that are set out in the framework document.

At committee, I was willing to put aside Mr Dixon’s sympathies towards Just Stop Oil and his stance against nuclear power, but the rules were put in place for a purpose. They are there to ensure that the work of ESS remains independent and above reproach. Its reputation is essential for ensuring that public bodies recognise its authority, but the SNP’s proposal will drive a coach and horses through those relationships.

Given the fact that the motion breaks the very rules that the Parliament has agreed to, it is impossible for the Scottish Conservatives to support it. I suggest to colleagues that the Government needs to look at this appointment again and put forward a new timeline for the candidate.