Climate Change Plan: third report on proposals and policies - written statement

Overview of Statutory Requirements

1. The Scottish Government laid its draft Third Report on Proposals and Policies, the Climate Change Plan, for the period 2017-2032 before the Scottish Parliament on 19 January 2017. In accordance with the requirements of section 35 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, this draft was subject to a 60-day period for Parliamentary scrutiny, beginning on 17 January 2017 and concluding on 17 March 2017.

2. Section 35(5) of the 2009 Act requires that Scottish Ministers must, before laying the final version of the Report on Proposals and Policies before the Scottish Parliament, have regard to:

(a) any representations on the draft report made to them;

(b) any resolution relating to the draft report passed by the Parliament; and

(c) any report relating to the draft report published by any committee of the Parliament for the time being appointed by virtue of standing orders.

3. This Written Statement accompanies the final version of the Climate Change Plan and has been produced in accordance with section 35(6) of the 2009 Act, which requires that the Scottish Ministers must, when laying the final Climate Change Plan before the Scottish Parliament, also lay a statement setting out:

(a) details of any representations, resolutions or reports mentioned in subsection (5);

(b) the changes (if any) they have made to the report in response to such representations, resolutions or reports and the reasons for those changes.