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Agenda item 5 is consideration of a negative instrument, the Discontinuance of Cornton Vale Prison (Scotland) Order 2023 (SSI 2023/132). I refer members to paper 3.

Before we discuss the instrument, I thank Teresa Medhurst and her team at the Scottish Prison Service for a really interesting and informative visit to the new national women’s prison at HMP YOI Stirling earlier this week. It was good to visit the prison before it opens and learn a bit more about how it will differ from the previous facility at Cornton Vale, particularly around the more trauma-informed and person-centred environment that the women will be in when the prison opens.

The purpose of the instrument before us today is to formally discontinue the prison of Cornton Vale on 6 June 2023, which is the day that the order comes into force. The discontinuance order is the formal legal act that is required to reflect the fact that a prison has ceased to operate. Do members have any recommendations that they wish to make in relation to the instrument, which will otherwise come into force?

Thank you very much, minister. A lot has been covered there. We will now move straight to the questioning, which I will open.

The extent and reach of the bill’s provisions are welcome. It is good to see these much-needed changes to our legislative provision on preventing economic crime and protecting our corporate infrastructure, with particular reference to Scotland.

I want to pick up on a couple of the provisions. I think that I have got my head round the first of them, having spent a bit of time reading through the papers ahead of this meeting. It relates to the provision that will create new exemptions from the principal money-laundering offences, to reduce unnecessary reporting by businesses carrying out transactions on behalf of their customers. I assume that that is possibly where the level of compliance is a little disproportionate.

I can bring you in first to respond, minister, and then I will come to my second question, if I may.

A very good morning, and welcome to the Criminal Justice Committee’s 16th meeting in 2023. There are no apologies.

Our first agenda item is a decision on taking business in private. Do we agree to take in private item 8, which is consideration of our draft annual report?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next item of business is consideration of the legislative consent memorandum on the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. I am pleased to welcome the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, Tom Arthur, and three of his Scottish Government officials: Mr George Burgess, director, agriculture and rural economy; Mr George Dickson, team leader, defence, security and detect and disrupt; and Ms Kirsty Anderson, solicitor, directorate for legal services. I refer members to paper 1.

Before we start our questioning, I want to make members aware of one point. Late yesterday afternoon, the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on the LCM—its 32nd report of 2023. The report, which was circulated to this committee’s members as soon as it was published, makes a series of points that are mostly about the powers in the bill for a United Kingdom secretary of state to make regulations in devolved areas, with Scottish ministers’ consent. The DPLR Committee wants the Scottish Parliament to have the opportunity to scrutinise Scottish ministers’ consent decisions when such situations arise.

On that note, I invite the minister to make some opening remarks, after which we will move to questions.

I am really just looking for a bit more of an explanation of what the provision means.

Thank you—that was helpful.

Do any other members wish to come in with any questions? No. On that note, I thank the minister and we will have a short pause to let the minister and his officials leave.

Our next item of business is consideration of any issues for the committee’s final report on the LCM. I will open it up to members to come in with any issues that you wish to see included.

Given that this is not the most straightforward LCM, I suggest that we move on with our agenda today, and circulate some more helpful wording so that we can be clear about where members are when it comes to our recommendation and next steps.

Okay, we can pick that up.