425.Subsection (1) of this section abolishes the Fisheries Committee as regards Scotland, originally appointed under section 5(2) of the Electricity (Scotland) Act 1979 and now governed by paragraph 5 of Schedule 9 to the Electricity Act 1989 (“the Committee”). There is no equivalent for England or Wales. Abolition is in response to the current functions of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 and the obligation on SEPA to consider the impact on the water environment, including the effect on fisheries and fish stocks, of proposals for, and the ongoing operation of, hydro-electric generation in Scotland, which activity is subject to an authorisation under those Regulations. SEPA’s function in relation to hydro-electric generation is also a responsibility of the Committee, which has led to duplication in regulation.
426.Subsections (2) to (5) make consequential amendments to remove references to the Committee from the Race Relations Act 1976, the Electricity Act 1989, the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.