Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 11 October 2021
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
At its meeting on 6 October 2021, the Committee considered two negative SSIs (one laid under powers set out in the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018), and five UK SI consent notifications. Details of the Committee’s consideration and requests for additional information are below:
In noting the decision, the Committee agreed I should write to ask for more information about the Scottish and UK Government’s longer-term plans for import checks on plant and animal products as a consequence of EU exit.
These retrospective SIs are related to the SSI (detailed on next page) regarding a ‘transitional staging period’ for import checks following the UK’s exit from the EU. The Committee is aware that the UK and Scottish Government’s approach has been to phase in certain import checks on plant and animal products over a period of several months since the end of the Implementation Period on 31 December 2020, and make derogations during this period.
However, each time the end of the initial transition periods has approached, they have subsequently been extended. Therefore, the Committee would like you to clarify the following:
As previously mentioned, the Committee agreed that no points arose for the Official Controls (Transitional Staging Period) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, which is related to the above SIs.
The Committee agreed to ask, however, why the policy note states the Scottish Government considers the provision (checks at place of destination) is “no longer appropriate and insufficiently flexible” as a transitional arrangement given the extension of the transitional staging period.
The Committee would be grateful for an explanation as to why the Scottish Government came to this view.
As the Committee will be considering another ‘Transitional Staging Period’ SSI (SSI 2021/342) on 10 November, I would be grateful for a response before this date.
Yours sincerely
Finlay Carson, Convener of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee