Seòmar agus comataidhean

Also under this agenda item, no points have been raised on the following instrument.

Welcome to the 27th meeting in 2023 of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. We have received apologies from our convener, Stuart McMillan MSP. In his place, I welcome Rona Mackay MSP.

Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone present to switch mobile phones to silent.

The first item of business is to decide whether to take items 4, 5 and 6 in private. Is the committee content to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

The instrument relates to a new medium secure mental health hospital, which is due to open in January 2024—the national secure adolescent in-patient service in Foxgrove. It will be a hospital for children and young people aged 12 to 17 inclusive.

In correspondence with the Scottish Government, which has been published alongside the agenda for this meeting, the committee asked for more information on whether consideration had been given to the appropriateness of applying to under-18s, without modification, a set of conditions for the right of appeal against being held in excessive security, when those conditions appeared to have been designed with adults in mind. Having considered the Scottish Government’s response, the committee is satisfied that due consideration has been given to the matter.

The committee also highlighted that the title of the instrument appears unusual, particularly the use of a colon, and asked the Scottish Government whether that is in line with current standard drafting practice. In its response, the Scottish Government stated that the use of the colon is a suitable choice, because it links the two sections of connected text. Nevertheless, the committee considers that consistency in the naming conventions for instruments is desirable. The committee considers that it is unusual to use a colon in the title of the instrument and that this should be discouraged. The committee considers that it would have been more usual to have brackets around the term “Miscellaneous Amendments”.

Does the committee wish to draw the instrument to the attention of the Parliament on the general reporting ground, in that the title is not in line with standard drafting practice?

Members indicated agreement.

Does the committee also wish to draw its correspondence with the Scottish Government to the attention of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, for its information, in relation to the additional material that the Scottish Government provided in its response to the committee’s first question?

Members indicated agreement.

Is the committee content with the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

That makes sense. Thank you very much.

I had to draw attention to myself somehow.

Thank you for that. Therefore, on the basis of what was asked earlier, with regard to ensuring that colleges do not go down the road of compulsory redundancies and suchlike, will those flexibilities help to avoid that situation?

I apologise to everyone for being so excited earlier that I burst into a sneeze. I might do so again, because this question has actually already been asked, and so I will try to introduce a wee bit extra to it. What assessment has the Scottish Government made of the impact on the college sector of financial flexibilities for 2023-24? Are there any specific elements to that?

It is helpful for us to know that. Thank you.