Minutes: 09 December 2025

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 6, 7, 8 and 9 in private.

2. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee took evidence on the Companies Act 2006 (Scottish public sector companies to be audited by the Auditor General for Scotland) Order 2026 from—

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, supported by Ninian Christie, Lawyer, Scottish Government and Lee Shedden, Head of Rail Sponsorship & Regulation, Transport Scotland.

3. Subordinate legislation:

Fiona Hyslop (Cabinet Secretary for Transport) moved—S6M-20027—That the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee recommends that the Companies Act 2006 (Scottish public sector companies to be audited by the Auditor General for Scotland) Order 2026 [draft] be approved.

The motion was agreed to.

4. Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill (UK Parliament legislation):

The Committee took evidence on legislative consent memorandum LCM-S6-64 from—

Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, supported by Eilidh Macdonald, Head of Marine Climate & Biodiversity and Dr Joanna Dingwall, Branch Head Lawyer, Scottish Government.

5. Ecocide (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee took evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Monica Lennon, Member in Charge of the Bill, supported by Roz Thomson, Principal Clerk, Non-Government Bills Unit and Ailidh Callander, Senior Solicitor, Legal Services Office, Scottish Parliament.

Kevin Stewart indicated that he is a member of UNISON.

6. Ecocide (Scotland) Bill (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard earlier in the meeting. The Committee agreed to invite Monica Lennon to provide further information on the compatibility of defence provisions in the Bill with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Committee also agreed to write to the Scottish Government for more information about how provisions adding alternative conviction provisions to the Bill could operate. 

7. Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill (UK Parliament legislation) (In Private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of evidence heard to a future meeting.

8. Work programme (In Private):

The Committee considered its work programme.

The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to share the submissions it had received on the proposed Public Services Reform (Scottish Water) Order 2026.

The Committee agreed to write to the Chair of Environmental Standards Scotland to seek clarification on a matter he had raised in recent correspondence.

The Committee agreed to defer the remainder of its work programme consideration to a future meeting.

9. Adviser on climate change and net zero targets (In Private):

The Committee considered the adviser contract and agreed to extend the contract until the end of the session.