Seòmar agus comataidhean

No points have been raised on the following instruments.

Is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

Welcome to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee’s eighth meeting in session 6.

We have received apologies from Craig Hoy and Paul Sweeney. I welcome Maurice Golden as a substitute member for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone present to switch mobile phones to silent.

The first item on our agenda is a declaration of interests. In accordance with section 3 of the code of conduct, I invite Maurice Golden to declare any interests that are relevant to the committee’s remit.

The second item of business is to decide whether to take item 8 in private. Is the committee content to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you, and welcome to the committee, Maurice.

I agree that it is right to contact the lead committee about that, so I am happy with that suggestion. Is the committee content with that?

Members indicated agreement.

The committee will note that there has previously been a long-standing disagreement with the Scottish Government on whether regulations in respect of the council tax reduction scheme give rise to a devolution issue in so far as they relate to matters that are reserved in section F1, entitled “Social security schemes”, of part 2 of schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998. The issue is engaged by the instrument in so far as it amends the unconsolidated Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (SSI 2012/303) and the Council Tax Reduction (State Pension Credit) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (SSI 2012/319).

In 2018, the session 5 committee agreed that, instead of continuing to highlight the disagreement with every new set of council tax reduction regulations, it would instead note its position on the devolution issue and on undertaking consolidation, as stated in its previous reports to the Parliament. The session 5 committee therefore agreed that it did not consider it necessary to repeat that view again. However, it continued to encourage the Scottish Government to undertake a consolidation of the principal regulations within a reasonable timescale, in the interests of clarity and accessibility.

Does the committee wish to note its predecessor’s position on the devolution issue and on undertaking consolidation—to the extent that that is still outstanding in respect of the pension age regulations—and restate that position for this session?

Members indicated agreement.

Nevertheless, is the committee satisfied with the reasons given for the breach of the 28-day rule?

Members indicated agreement.

Members will note that the Budget (Scotland) Act 2021 Amendment Regulations 2021 were withdrawn and relaid following initial questions from the committee.

Do members have any comments on any of the instruments?

Otherwise, is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.