Scotland’s Environment Minister Mairi McAllan and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater have written to the UK Government urging them to drop the proposals announced in its mini-budget, which they call “an attack on nature…and on the devolution settlement.”
The letter states that these proposals “demonstrate a reckless attitude to legislation that has been developed over many decades and that enshrines vital protections for both nature and people.”
The letter reads:
To:
- Ranil Jayawardena MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
From:
- Minister for Environment and Land Reform Màiri McAllan MSP
- Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater MSP
We write with urgency regarding proposals announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday, about which the Scottish Government had very little prior notification.
These measures, alongside the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, represent an attack on nature (when we should be demonstrating global leadership in the lead up to the important CoP15 global summit), and on the devolved settlement itself.
We therefore ask that you and your Government drop these damaging proposals, and instead work with us and the other devolved governments, to deliver high environmental standards that rise to the nature emergency and respect devolution.
Your government has given little clarity over how the measures included in the mini-budget will be taken forward, and what the implications of them will be for Scotland. Nor have you engaged with us in advance on these issues.
However, from the information that has been made available, we share the strong concerns highlighted by nature groups such as the RSPB and the Woodland Trust. The proposals demonstrate a reckless attitude to legislation that has been developed over many decades and that enshrines vital protections for both nature and people.
Your proposed measures also threaten to undermine our programme of planning reform that is underway in Scotland. National Planning Framework 4 will signal a turning point for planning in Scotland, and we have been clear that responding to both the global climate emergency and the nature crisis will be central to that.
In addition to the measures set out in the mini-budget, the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill threatens to further undermine standards, as well as the Scottish Government’s powers to protect Scotland’s environment.
As set out in the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture’s recent letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Bill puts at risk the high standards people in Scotland have rightly come to expect from EU membership.
Your government appears to want to row back more than 40 years of protections in a rush to impose a deregulated, race to the bottom on our society and economy. It is particularly alarming that our environmentally-principled approach of controls on polluting substances, ensuring standards for water and air quality, and providing protection for our natural habitats and wildlife are at risk from this deregulatory programme.
Retained EU Law provides Scotland with a high standard of regulation. As we have repeatedly said, Scottish Ministers will continue to seek alignment with EU standards where possible and in a manner that contributes to maintaining and improving environmental protections.
As part of this effort, we remain committed to an ambitious programme of enhancing nature protections and delivering nature restoration. This includes delivering on the vision set out in the recent consultation on our new biodiversity strategy, setting ambitious statutory nature recovery targets, delivering on our vision to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, investing in our natural capital such as through our Nature Restoration Fund, and expanding and improving our national park network.
Finally, as mentioned above, we are particularly concerned that this attack on nature has come at a critical moment as we approach the UN CoP15 biodiversity summit at the end of this year. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting an ambitious global framework to halt and reverse biodiversity decline, but this sudden and fundamental change in position means our views are no longer represented, and has undermined the UK’s ability to have a positive influence on the outcome of the talks.
We strongly urge you to reconsider both the anti-nature measures set out in the mini-budget and the proposed Retained EU Law Bill. Should you proceed regardless of our concerns and those of the public and civil society across the UK, then as a minimum we seek a guarantee that none of these measures will apply in Scotland without specific consent from the Scottish Government. We expect this matter to be considered at the next IMG-EFRA on 24 October.
What are the chances of Truss and Kwarteng thinking again? Absolutely NONE …
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has recruited three eminent economists …
Emergency Budget Review
Leading economists to give expert advice
Members of an expert panel providing advice to the Scottish Government as part of its Emergency Budget Review (EBR) have been confirmed.
Sir Anton Muscatelli, Professor Frances Ruane and Professor Mike Brewer will assess the impact on Scotland of the UK Chancellor’s fiscal approach and held their first meeting with Deputy First Minister John Swinney today.
Their advice will enable timely consideration of the implications of the UK Government’s fiscal event as work continues to prioritise the Scottish Government’s budget towards tackling the cost of living crisis. The Deputy First Minister has announced he will report the results of the EBR in the week beginning 24 October.
Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Government wants to make sure it gets the very best advice and fresh perspectives as Ministers consider the complex and difficult decisions we face while tackling the challenges ahead.
“The radical shift in UK economic policy announced by the Chancellor has already caused significant economic shock.
“For the benefit of the people and businesses of Scotland, many of whom will find themselves paying higher prices as a result, it is vital that we consider the current situation and potential solutions with care.
“The members of the panel all bring robust economic insight and I am grateful to them for giving their time and expertise as we navigate these uncharted economic waters.”
The expert panel members, whose positions are non-remunerated, are:
Sir Anton Muscatelli
Principal of the University of Glasgow. He was knighted in June 2017 for services to higher education.
Formerly principal of Heriot-Watt University, he has been an adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on monetary policy since 2007.
He chairs the Scottish Government’s Standing Council on Europe, a non-political group which provides expert advice to Scottish Ministers on protecting Scotland’s relationship with the EU, and he was a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers between 2015 and 2021 and a member of the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation.
Professor Frances Ruane
A Research Affiliate at the Economic and Social Research Institute since 2015. She is currently Chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council and in that role represents Ireland on the European Network of National Productivity Boards.
Prof Ruane has previously served as the European Statistical Advisory Committee and the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board .
In addition, she previously served three terms on the Council of Economic Advisers in Scotland. She will provide an external perspective to the panel on issues such as the competitiveness of Scotland’s tax regime.
Professor Mike Brewer –
Chief Economist and the Deputy Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, where he oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s research agenda.
He is a visiting Professor at the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and between 2011 and 2020 was a Professor of Economics at the University of Essex.
He has also worked at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and HM Treasury.
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