Seòmar agus comataidhean

The next item on our agenda is consideration of a negative instrument, and I refer members to paper 2. Do members have any comments on the SSI?

Okay; we will ask to clerks to do so, and we will get a response back.

I encourage members to ask such questions in advance if possible, then clerks can try and get the information if it is not in the annexes that we receive from the Government. Of course, it may be in there somewhere and we are just not seeing it.

We have agreed to write to the Government, and we will make no further comments on the instrument. That being the case, that concludes consideration of the SSI. We move into private session for our final agenda items.

Good afternoon and welcome to the 23rd meeting in session 6 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have received no apologies for this afternoon’s meeting.

Item 1 is consideration of an affirmative instrument. I welcome Clare Haughey, the Minister for Children and Young People. She is accompanied by Lynsey McKean, who is police powers team leader in the Scottish Government—you are both very welcome.

I refer members to paper 1 and invite the minister to speak to the draft regulations.

We do not have a minister here, but the annex of the note probably has that information. There is no time for us to come back to ask questions, but there will be opportunities for members to seek that information. It is probably best that members who have such questions on a negative instrument give them to the clerks beforehand, and we can make an effort to get those answers. The Parliament has decided that the instrument is taken under the negative procedure.

Thank you, minister. I give the floor to members who have questions.

Do members have any further points or questions?

As there are no further indications, we move on to agenda item 2, which is consideration of the motion to approve the affirmative instrument. I invite the minister to move motion S6M-04890.

Motion moved,

That the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee recommends that The Age of Criminal Responsibility (Reports on Use of Places of Safety) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 [draft] be approved.—[Clare Haughey]

Motion agreed to.

That concludes consideration of the affirmative instrument. I thank the minister and her officials for attending; you are good to go.

I invite the committee to agree to delegate to me the publication of a short, factual report on our deliberations on the affirmative SSI that we have considered today. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

As I said, there is no time in the process for us to bring the instrument back to a future meeting.

If a number of members would be keen to get an answer to those questions, we could write to the Scottish Government, but if any member has an issue with the instrument, they can lodge a motion to annul, which would be taken in the chamber. That would be the process. There is not a process that involves things coming back to the committee but, if members feel that that is something that they want to do, they can.

This is a negative instrument, so we have the opportunity to make comments and put them on the record. If there had been more time, we could have asked the minister to come back, but there is no time for that in relation to this particular instrument. Do members wish to write to the Government?

Members indicated agreement.