UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021

7 Procedure for publication of policy statement

(1) Before publishing a policy statement under section 6, the Scottish Ministers must lay a copy of the statement before the Scottish Parliament for approval.

(2) The Scottish Ministers must not publish the policy statement before the end of the 28-day period mentioned in subsection (5).

(3) Before laying a copy of the policy statement before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must—

(a) lay a draft of the statement before the Parliament, and

(b) in preparing the copy of the policy statement that is to be laid before the Parliament under subsection (1), have regard to any representations about the draft statement that are made to them before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which the draft statement is laid before the Parliament under paragraph (a).

(4) When laying a copy of the policy statement before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must at the same time lay before the Parliament a document describing how they have had regard to any representations made about the draft statement in accordance with subsection (3)(b) in preparing the copy of the statement.

(5) If, within 28 days of a copy of the policy statement having been laid before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (1), the Parliament resolves that the statement should not be approved, the Scottish Ministers must not publish the statement but instead—

(a) review and revise the policy statement, having regard to any views expressed by the Parliament in relation to the statement, and

(b) lay a copy of the policy statement as revised before the Parliament.

(6) Subsection (5) applies in relation to any policy statement as revised under that subsection as it applies in relation to the first copy of the policy statement laid before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (1).

(7) In calculating the period of 28 days mentioned in subsections (3)(b) and (5), no account is to be taken of any period during which the Parliament is dissolved or in recess for more than 4 days.

(8) The Scottish Ministers must lay a draft of the first policy statement under subsection (3)(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after section 1(1) comes into force.