Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, today gave his backing to a Scottish Government bill which aims to streamline regulation, including environmental regulation overseen by SEPA. Jamie was speaking in today’s Stage 1 debate on the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill at Holyrood.
Speaking in the debate, Jamie said:
“There is a general degree of agreement that the Scottish Government’s five principles of better regulation, namely that it should be transparent, accountable, proportionate, consistent, and targeted where needed, are sensible and appropriate. There has also been recognition of the need to ensure that while regulation protects Scotland’s built and natural environment - and these are key assets for our country and vital for our economy and wellbeing - it does so without placing undue burdens on business and helps support economic growth. We all recognise this is a balancing act and a challenging one.
“The volume, type, and cost of regulation is a big issue for businesses across Scotland, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, including many in my region of the Highlands & Islands who often raise the matter with me. The Federation of Small Business said last year that around 30% of their members cited regulation as the biggest barrier to growth, with 62% of their members reporting the costs of complying with regulation have increased over the past four years. CBI Scotland has said “red tape is a significant and avoidable constraint on business investment and growth”. Policymakers need to address this.
“In terms of Part 2 of the Bill, I welcome the proposals to update the role of SEPA as our environmental regulator and the fact that SEPA’s objectives will include helping to achieve sustainable economic growth. I was pleased to note that SEPA, in its submission to the Rural Affairs Committee, states it is committed to continuing to engage more with business and ensuring that environmental regulation is not unnecessarily burdensome on businesses. CBI Scotland has been positive about the progress SEPA has made in these regards, and I hope this can continue”.