Chamber
Plenary, 05 Mar 2003
05 Mar 2003 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Food Supplements<br />(European Directive)
I am grateful to Margo MacDonald for raising the debate in Parliament. The European Committee is currently considering the matter and Helen Eadie will present a report to the next meeting of the committee in three weeks' time. It would be wrong of me to pre-empt the committee's views, but in the discussions so far we are generally sympathetic to the type of points Margo MacDonald has raised. We welcome any input to the committee over the next few weeks.
Next week, Helen Eadie and I are meeting a petitioner to the Scottish Parliament on the matter. We will listen carefully to the views that members raise tonight.
It is important that the people's voice is heard on the directive. We should use the Parliament and its committees to do that. Other members have spoken about the effects the directive would have on consumers, patients and retailers. I will not go over that. We have also mentioned the robustness of current food safety legislation.
I address my remarks briefly to the process. The European Committee has had concerns for some time that, by the time pen is put to paper in the drafting of legislation in Europe, it is already too late and the process is difficult to change. Therefore, we must consider how to address that problem.
We have made some recommendations. The first—which has already been agreed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body—is to set up a presence in Brussels to act as an early warning system in the legislative process. Many members will agree that a Europe of 500 million—after enlargement next year—cannot be governed from the centre.
We would like more framework legislation. Members have talked about differences between the soils of various countries and Margo MacDonald highlighted it. We have certainly tried to draw attention to the need to agree the broad principles in Europe. We need to put the flesh on the legislation in the member states and in the regions. The committee is very supportive of that approach.
We have also asked for greater ex ante scrutiny, which means being involved with the Commission in the early legislative phases and taking evidence at that stage in much the same way as our committees do in the Scottish Parliament. If we put into place those instruments, we can ensure that the Parliament and the citizens are better connected to Europe and that they do not feel that Europe is inflexible and remote, as appears to be the case with the directive we are discussing tonight.
I shall end on a positive note. We now have a Parliament to articulate such concerns and it is important that its committees respond to the concerns of ordinary citizens. The European Committee will do that in the next few weeks and we will try to be as helpful as we possibly can be.
Next week, Helen Eadie and I are meeting a petitioner to the Scottish Parliament on the matter. We will listen carefully to the views that members raise tonight.
It is important that the people's voice is heard on the directive. We should use the Parliament and its committees to do that. Other members have spoken about the effects the directive would have on consumers, patients and retailers. I will not go over that. We have also mentioned the robustness of current food safety legislation.
I address my remarks briefly to the process. The European Committee has had concerns for some time that, by the time pen is put to paper in the drafting of legislation in Europe, it is already too late and the process is difficult to change. Therefore, we must consider how to address that problem.
We have made some recommendations. The first—which has already been agreed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body—is to set up a presence in Brussels to act as an early warning system in the legislative process. Many members will agree that a Europe of 500 million—after enlargement next year—cannot be governed from the centre.
We would like more framework legislation. Members have talked about differences between the soils of various countries and Margo MacDonald highlighted it. We have certainly tried to draw attention to the need to agree the broad principles in Europe. We need to put the flesh on the legislation in the member states and in the regions. The committee is very supportive of that approach.
We have also asked for greater ex ante scrutiny, which means being involved with the Commission in the early legislative phases and taking evidence at that stage in much the same way as our committees do in the Scottish Parliament. If we put into place those instruments, we can ensure that the Parliament and the citizens are better connected to Europe and that they do not feel that Europe is inflexible and remote, as appears to be the case with the directive we are discussing tonight.
I shall end on a positive note. We now have a Parliament to articulate such concerns and it is important that its committees respond to the concerns of ordinary citizens. The European Committee will do that in the next few weeks and we will try to be as helpful as we possibly can be.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr Murray Tosh):
Con
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S1M-3830, in the name of Margo MacDonald, on the European directive on food supplements. T...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that millions of people use food supplements and herbal remedies in the UK each year; regrets that the European Commission has publ...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
I thank the people who have been campaigning against this measure for a considerable time and regret the fact that it has taken many of us some time to catch...
Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD) rose—
LD
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
I will give way to a superb member of said superb committee.
Ian Jenkins:
LD
The magnificence of the Subordinate Legislation Committee is almost wholly due to the magnificence of its convener, Margo MacDonald. I did not intend to spea...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
I thank Ian Jenkins. I will call him to speak a lot at next week's meeting of the Subordinate Legislation Committee.There is a chance, before August 2005, fo...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Margo MacDonald might be familiar with the concept of subsidiarity. Would she agree that the matter that we are discussing is a clear example of an area in w...
Meeting suspended.
Meeting resumed in committee room 1.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Before we resume business, I ask Alex Johnstone to move a motion without notice on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau. I am minded to accept the motion.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees under Rule 2.7.2 of Standing Orders, that for the purposes of completing Members' Business on Wednesday 5 March 2003, the Meeting ...
Motion agreed to.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
The recording of the debate for the Official Report was lost during Murdo Fraser's intervention, so I ask him to repeat his intervention, to which Margo MacD...
Murdo Fraser:
Con
I am terrified to open my mouth. Does Margo MacDonald agree that the principle of subsidiarity should apply to the measure and that it should be up to member...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
I agree with Murdo Fraser. The matter is a prima facie case for subsidiarity, because it is obvious that the different cultures and cuisines that are to be f...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Thirteen members had wanted to speak, but I think that we have managed to lose a couple on the way down the road. I ask members to restrict their comments to...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab):
Lab
John McAllion said that history might be in the making and that we might be forming the largest meeting of MSPs outside the chamber—who knows? I am glad that...
Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I welcome tonight's important debate. I thank Helen McDade and John McKee from the save our supplements campaign for the very useful information that they pr...
Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
The legislation in question is said to be about food safety, but as Shona Robison has pointed out, the products are already fully regulated under current foo...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
It is excellent that Margo MacDonald has secured this debate and I particularly appreciated Alex Fergusson's speech.I want to make a few separate points. Fir...
Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab):
Lab
I am grateful to Margo MacDonald for raising the debate in Parliament. The European Committee is currently considering the matter and Helen Eadie will presen...
Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I declare an interest as convener of the cross-party group on autism and as a member of the European Committee. I will confine my remarks principally to peop...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
As Mr Quinan said, there are "developing" remedies. I wonder whether he is aware that the directive is defective in that it is so structured as to militate a...
Mr Quinan:
SNP
I whole-heartedly agree with what Margo MacDonald just said—in fact it saves my saying it. Little research has been done in this field, particularly for the ...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I commend Margo MacDonald for lodging the motion for this debate. I know that it is customary to say that at members' business, but I say it quite sincerely ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
We are making good progress, but I am minded to accept a motion without notice to extend the meeting by 15 minutes, which should comfortably allow members to...
Members indicated agreement.