New name proposed for Subordinate Legislation Committee

18.04.2013

Holyrood’s Subordinate Legislation Committee should be renamed, says a parliamentary report published today.

Changing its name to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee will reflect a new, wider role recommended today by the Standards Procedures and Public Appointments (SPPA) Committee.

If agreed by the full Scottish Parliament, the renamed committee will take on responsibility for scrutinising certain Bills brought forward by the Scottish Law Commission.

SPPA committee convener Dave Thompson MSP said:

“The Scottish Law Commission carries out an invaluable role, recommending reforms to improve, simplify and update the law of Scotland.   The Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament are responsible for deciding when and how to translate the Commission’s reports into law.  This can be challenging, given the many competing pressures on parliamentary time.

“The SPPA Committee has therefore been considering whether the Parliament’s procedures can be amended to carve out a little more space for certain Scottish Law Commission bills.  These would be bills where the need for reform and the approach suggested are widely agreed but which do not raise major or contentious political or financial issues.

“Accordingly, we are recommending that Standing Orders be changed to enable Scottish Law Commission Bills to be referred directly to the Subordinate Legislation Committee and that we change its name to reflect its new, wider role.

The full terms of SPPA Committee’s Report on Implementing Scottish Law Commission Bills can be found on its web pages at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/29890.aspx

The full Parliament will be asked to endorse the Committee’s recommendations before the summer recess.