MSP ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE DAMAGING "GROWTH DUTY" FROM BILL
Green MSP Alison Johnstone today attempted to amend the Scottish Government's Regulatory Reform Bill to remove a new duty on Scottish regulators to 'promote economic growth'. The move was supported by Labour MSPs but did not succeed.
In their evidence on the Bill to the Economy Committee, organisations including the STUC, Oxfam, Scottish Environment Link, the Law Society of Scotland and Consumer Futures expressed many concerns about the new duty and how it will interact with the primary purpose of regulator's work.
Green amendments were lodged at Stage 2 to either remove the sections that create the new duty or to replace the unclear principle of 'sustainable economic growth' with the well-established principle of 'sustainable development'.
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP said:
"Ministers have failed to make the case for a new duty in this Bill. We have heard evidence from a wide range of organisations that creating a new duty on growth might sound good but makes clear and balanced decision-making more difficult.
"Sustainable development is well understood in law and if we must enshrine a principle in this Bill then it should be one that balances economic, social and environmental factors. I had hoped that the SNP would step back from this unjustified imposition on regulators."