Regulatory Review Group minutes: June 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chairman 
• Susan Love, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants 
• Fiona Richardson, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities 
• David MacKenzie, Trading Standards 
• Douglas White, Consumer Scotland
• Pieter VandeGraaf, Scottish Government
•  Ian Golightly, Scottish Government
• Robert Mcgregor, Scottish Government
•  Ross Stephen, Scottish Government (Secretariat) 
• Alex Kidd, Scottish Government (Secretariat) 
• Rachel Dolan, Scottish Government (Secretariat) 

Apologies:

• Brian Lawrie, Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland
• Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Scottish Retail Consortium 
• James Fowlie, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Judith Young, Scottish Government
• Wendy McCutcheon, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome, Introductions, Approval of Minutes & Correspondence

Professor Russel Griggs OBE welcomed and thanked attendees both in person and virtually for participating in this Regulatory Review Group (RRG) stocktake meeting. Minutes from the previous meeting (30 May 2024) were agreed and the attendee list updated. 

Correspondence 

The response letter from Ms Martin on the Circular Economy advice was considered by the RRG and it was noted that the Circular Economy Bill recently passed in Parliament. The RRG indicated its intention to continue to scrutinise and examine regulatory proposals that emerge in this area moving forward.

Update on New Deal for Business 

The RRG were informed about the New Deal for Business Group (NDBG) meeting that was held on 12 June 2024, co-chaired by the Deputy First Minister and Dr Poonam Malik. The meeting considered the issues of the Programme for Government (PfG) content asks from business, process of engagement and form that the publication will take. The RRG welcomed the inclusive, new approach to PfG engagement that took place, and the ongoing need for cumulative assessment on the policy agenda. 

There will be further engagement with the NDBG prior to publication and RRG members will be updated at the next meeting (27 August 2024).

Stocktake, governance and monitoring update

The RRG considered progress on recommendations offered to the Scottish Government in the period from January to June 2024. The RRG discussed the work plan for Autumn onwards and there was reflection that the forthcoming scrutiny topics will be informed by the PfG priorities once known. 

The RRG agreed on the need for a specific project on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill as a positive case study to help inform future approaches and process improvements to the way policy and regulation is developed by the Scottish Government.

The secretariat will continue to update the RRG on engagement by the Scottish Government with its recommendations.

Presentation on International Regulations and Trade Considerations

Policy officials from DG Economy were introduced and presented on International Trade considerations from a regulatory perspective. The RRG and policy officials explored the opportunity for Scotland to lead the way through regulation and standard development by encouraging early, effective international cooperation. A discussion took place on product standards and safety post-Brexit and the role that standards can play within the regulatory landscape.

The RRG noted that standardised questions will be used in future scrutiny spotlight meetings to ensure that the Scottish Government is engaging with international regulation and trade considerations in its policy and regulation development as appropriate.

Secretariat will share its future workplan with International Trade policy officials for awareness.

Any other business

It was agreed that there would not be a meeting in July due to summer recess and the next meeting will take place virtually on 27 August 2024.