Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Official Report 585KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Zootechnical Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2019 (SSI 2019/5)

Agenda item 4 is consideration of one item of subordinate legislation, which is a negative instrument that ensures that the system of zootechnical standards functions effectively in Scotland. No motions to annul have been received in relation to the instrument.

Before members raise any points, I declare that I have a farming interest and that I am part of a farming partnership that breeds pedigree cattle. I do not propose to make any comment on the regulations.

I apologise for not giving prior notification that I wanted to comment, but I have just noticed something.

I am content to support the regulations, but I would like the committee to write to the Government to ask what it means by the term “other public holiday” in regulation 5(4)(c). Bluntly, that piece of Scottish legislation looks awfully like it has been lifted out of an English piece of legislation, and the term “other public holiday” means something different in Scotland, because public holidays vary by locality. I just want to be clear what the Government intends.

As there are no other comments, is the committee agreed that it does not want to make any recommendation in relation to the regulations, except to ask the Government to clarify the definition of “other public holiday”?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of the meeting, and we now move into private.

12:16 Meeting continued in private until 12:30.