An LCM relating to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill was considered by the Finance and Public Administration Committee in spring 2025, but that LCM only considered limited provisions in the bill. The Parliament then voted to give consent on 25 June 2025 in relation to clauses 72, 75, 78, 81, 83, 87 and 98. The LCM did not give a consent steer on the other clauses—namely clauses 89, 90, 92, 94 and 95—so the committee did not scrutinise them properly. The Scottish Government finally lodged a supplementary memorandum of consent on 3 October for the remaining bits of the bill, but the committee did not get the chance to scrutinise them at all.

We accept that, in this instance, there have been issues about the timescales for deliberation at Westminster and in Holyrood, and the October recess has an impact on that. However, we wish to put on record our belief that there should be the fullest scrutiny of all aspects of all legislation. For those reasons, we shall not support the LCM this evening.