The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2546 contributions
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 2 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
Dr Melo Araujo, do you have any comments on that?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 2 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
In many of the answers, our witnesses have touched on some of the questions that I was going to ask about interparliamentary scrutiny. Is there anything that you would like to add on that? We have a written submission from the Institute for Government that suggests having policy-specific chairs forums to mirror interministerial groups. Could that work for the circular economy or other areas where there are frameworks? I do not know whether the panellists have any more thoughts on what that architecture of scrutiny might look like.
As it seems that Professor Hunt and Professor McEwen have nothing to add, I will move on.
Your written submissions make a strong point about the potential chilling effect on innovation in regulation and on new policies. Is there any evidence of that happening already? Some policies are in train. This week in the Scottish Parliament, we have dealt with single-use plastic regulations, which have come to a committee for the first time. Is there any sense of where policy development is being stifled?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 2 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
My final question is about our move away from EU policy development processes. I was struck by how involved various stakeholders—including industry bodies, unions and non-governmental organisations—were in the development of the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals regulation. There has now been a shift; we are out of Europe, and there is perhaps a different policy development process. Which voices will be heard in that process? Where do those voices come in? How should Parliaments engage with those stakeholders?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 2 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
Do you see political will to remove trade barriers?
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 1 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public inquiry examining the events surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh. (S6O-00461)
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 1 December 2021
Mark Ruskell
I thank the cabinet secretary for that update.
Police officers, lawyers, the Crown Office and many others will not have to worry about the financial implications of attending the inquiry. Despite having asked many times, Sheku Bayoh’s family has received no response on whether its costs for attending the inquiry will also be covered. The family remains under serious financial strain as it continues its fight for the truth.
The former justice secretary stated that the Bayoh family would be front and centre of the inquiry. Can the current justice secretary confirm that its concerns will be immediately addressed?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 November 2021
Mark Ruskell
I remember those eight sessions fondly, and I do not remember this issue coming up. It is interesting that it was identified through the extensive IT build as an issue of due diligence. It seems to be a logical loophole to close.
What is the timescale for the roll-out of the register, and where are we with building in seamlessness of use for the public and users of the multiple registers, such that they can come to a portal and find out—in a way that makes sense to ordinary people, who do not have the benefit of experience of conveyancing and trust law—who owns a piece of land and who is influencing the ownership and management of that land?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 November 2021
Mark Ruskell
I think that it was Rhodri Morgan who said that devolution is a great laboratory, and there is definitely an opportunity to innovate. Will you comment on the fishing gear issue?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 November 2021
Mark Ruskell
I want to go a bit deeper into the issue of rural communities. At the moment, there is a big cost differential between installing a low-carbon system and sticking with an oil-based system, but how can that differential be reduced over time?
Another issue that people have raised with me is the wider servicing infrastructure. If people are being asked to make the jump to a low-carbon system and the supply chain is not there, there will be no cost reduction in that respect, but what if there is no maintenance and servicing infrastructure either? That will be a concern for people and a barrier to making that jump. I am interested to hear about the thinking about that in the heat in buildings strategy and how it will merge with the targets that have been set.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 November 2021
Mark Ruskell
In terms of work on that supply chain, how do you see the energy agency co-ordinating action? What will it do in practice? Will it rely more on local government delivery partners or voluntary sector agencies? I am looking for some clarity around what practical actions the agency will take on the ground to tackle some of these issues and to roll out programmes.