Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill (Detailed)

Closed 25 Feb 2022

Opened 3 Feb 2022

Contact

Sigrid Robinson

(Clerk)

COVID-19 Recovery

Covid19.Committee@Parliament.Scot

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

The Scottish Government was given temporary, emergency powers to respond to COVID-19. These powers will expire unless new primary legislation is passed. The Scottish Government has introduced this Bill to make some of the temporary powers permanent and to extend others.  

The provisions in the Bill cover a wide range of policy areas. Scottish Parliament committees are therefore working together to scrutinise the Bill.  

The COVID-19 Recovery Committee is the lead policy committee scrutinising the Bill. Two other committees will scrutinise provisions in the Bill as secondary committees. The Criminal Justice Committee will consider the justice policy measures. The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will consider the eviction policy measures. The Education, Children and Young People Committee will also consider the measures relating to educational settings. 

Your response to this call for views will inform the scrutiny of all four policy committees. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee will consider the delegated powers memorandum. The Finance and Constitution Committee will also consider costs created by the Bill. 

Share your views

We are seeking your views on the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill. 

This Bill covers a range of policy areas: 

  • alcohol licensing  
  • bankruptcy  
  • civic licensing 
  • courts, tribunals and parole boards 
  • criminal justice and proceeds of crime 
  • education (powers to close educational establishments and ensure continuity of education) 
  • freedom of information 
  • legal aid 
  • named persons nomination  
  • public health  
  • registration of deaths, still-births and live births 
  • tenancies and evictions 
  • vaccinations and immunisations 

You can share your views in one of the following ways: 

  • complete a short survey on the general principles of the Bill 
  • share your views on specific provisions in the Bill

Please note that we can only accept submissions via the online platform. If you require assistance to share your views via the platform for accessibility reasons, please contact the clerks.  

If you wish to provide a short response with your views on the Bill overall, please complete the survey.

If you would like to comment on specific provisions in the Bill, we would encourage you to think about the following questions: 
  • Do the provisions in this Bill help deliver a recovery from the impacts of COVID for your region or sector?  
  • Will these provisions help address backlogs in the delivery of public services?  
  • Do the provisions enabling the digital delivery of public services ensure that any potential negative impacts are overcome? 
  • Will these provisions improve the resilience of public services to future public health threats? 
  • Will these provisions support the delivery of a wellbeing economy?
    • The Scottish Government defines the “wellbeing economy” as “…building an economy that is inclusive and that promotes sustainability, prosperity and resilience, where businesses can thrive and innovate, and that supports all of our communities across Scotland to access opportunities that deliver local growth and wellbeing.”
  • Could the Bill’s intended policy outcomes be delivered through other means, such as using existing legislation or in another way?  
  • Do these provisions disproportionately impact any individuals based on their protected characteristics, income, employment status, geographical region or in another way? If so, are these impacts mitigated by other provisions in the Bill? 
  • Do you have any suggestions for how this Bill could be amended? If so, please provide details.  
  • Any other comments. 

Please complete the parts of the consultation that are of interest to you. You don’t need to answer all parts of the consultation, or all the questions.

How to submit your views

Please submit your views using the online submission form.

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language.

The call for views closes on 25 February 2022.

Interests

  • HSCS