Meeting of the Parliament 26 June 2025
This has been a fascinating debate on the legislative consent motion because, in quite amicable terms, it has highlighted one of the challenges that this Parliament and the Scottish Government have faced regarding legislative consent motions. By common custom, the matter is one for Governments to discuss between themselves, but, following discussions earlier in this session about legislative consent motions, Parliament is now taking the opportunity to look at the issue and to see whether we might do what I could call “assisting” a more generous and even discussion between Governments about how legislative consent should be dealt with.
To pick up on Murdo Fraser’s comments, there are concerns about framework bills. Those concerns have been expressed in this chamber and the chambers of other devolved Parliaments and, of course, at Westminster. There is also always the challenge of the interestingly named Henry VIII powers that can follow on from such framework bills. As we go forward, there is a question for Parliament about how to deal with that matter.
I turn to the legislative consent motion in front of us today. I omitted to do this in the previous debate, so I will put the record straight by thanking the committees that have provided information to members about the LCMs that are before us today.
We have here a bill that seeks to protect people. I thank Richard Lochhead for bringing some reality to a bill that may seem, to the millions watching us from the outside, to be strangely worded. We are talking about the world of e-scooters and other potentially challenging products that can put our citizens at risk, and the bill is a way of protecting them.
I also thank Richard Lochhead for the articulate way in which he described what I imagine may, behind the scenes, have been slightly more challenging discussions during the process of moving from the earlier legislative consent memorandums to the one that we have today. I welcome the amendment at UK level that has given the Scottish Government confidence to back the request for legislative consent.
I will leave it there except to say that this may be another part of the footpath that will lead this Parliament and others to look again at legislative consent at the right time.
15:43