Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022

Good food nation plans of public bodies

10 Requirements to produce plans

(1) Each relevant authority must publish a good food nation plan.

(2) In this Act, a “relevant authority” is—

(a) a health board,

(b) a local authority,

(c) a specified public authority.

(3) Subsection (1) must be complied with—

(a) in the case of a health board or local authority, before the end of the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which this section comes into force,

(b) otherwise, before the end of the period specified in relation to the authority concerned.

(4) A relevant authority’s good food nation plan must set out—

(a) the main outcomes in relation to food-related issues which the relevant authority wants to be achieved within the relevant authority’s areas of responsibility,

(b) indicators or other measures by which progress in achieving the outcomes may be assessed, and

(c) the policies which the relevant authority intends to pursue in order to secure the achievement of the outcomes.

(5) A relevant authority’s good food nation plan may include such other material in relation to food-related issues as the relevant authority considers appropriate.

(6) In determining the content of its good food nation plan, a relevant authority must have regard to the scope for food-related issues to affect outcomes in relation to, among other things—

(a) social and economic wellbeing,

(b) the environment, including in particular in relation to—

(i) climate change, and

(ii) wildlife and the natural environment,

(c) health and physical and mental wellbeing (including in particular through the provision of health and social care services),

(d) economic development,

(e) animal welfare,

(f) education,

(g) child poverty, and

(h) any other matter specified by the Scottish Ministers.

11 Preparation of plans: principles

In preparing a good food nation plan under section 10, a relevant authority must have regard to—

(a) the fact that each part of the food system and supply chain plays an important role in the provision of food,

(b) the role of a sustainable food system and supply chain in contributing to mitigation of climate change, halting and reversing of loss of biodiversity and improvement in animal welfare,

(c) the ability of high quality, nutritious and culturally appropriate food to improve the health and physical and mental wellbeing of people,

(d) the fact that adequate food is a human right (as part of the right to an adequate standard of living set out in Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) and essential to the realisation of other human rights,

(e) the importance of the food business sector—

(i) continuing to be a thriving part of the Scottish economy,

(ii) having resilient supply chains,

(iii) operating with fair work standards, and

(iv) contributing to resilient local economies across Scotland.

12 Preparation of plans: consultation

(1) In preparing a good food nation plan under section 10, a relevant authority must—

(a) publish, and consult on, a draft of the plan, and

(b) have regard to any responses to the consultation.

(2) Those consulted under subsection (1)(a) are to be those who the relevant authority considers appropriate.

(3) In consulting under subsection (1)(a), a relevant authority must have regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way.

(4) In consulting under subsection (1)(a), a relevant authority must have regard to the importance of communicating in a way that is effective in engaging children and young people.

13 Preparation of plans: consideration of national plan

In preparing a good food nation plan under section 10, a relevant authority must have regard to the national good food nation plan.

14 Statement accompanying plan

A relevant authority must, when publishing its good food nation plan, publish a statement setting out how in preparing the plan it complied with sections 11 and 13.

15 Effect of plans

A relevant authority must, when exercising a specified function or a function falling within a specified description, have regard to the relevant authority’s good food nation plan.

16 Reporting

(1) As soon as practicable after the end of each reporting period, a relevant authority must publish a report setting out progress made in the reporting period towards achieving the outcomes set out in its good food nation plan, by reference to the indicators or other measures contained in its plan by virtue of section 10(4)(b).

(2) The report may include such other material in relation to food-related issues as the relevant authority considers appropriate.

(3) In this section, “reporting period” means—

(a) the period of 2 years beginning with the day on which section 10(1) is complied with by the relevant authority, and

(b) each subsequent period of 2 years.

17 Review and revision of plans

(1) Before the end of—

(a) the period of 5 years beginning with the day on which section 10(1) is complied with by it, and

(b) each subsequent period of 5 years,

a relevant authority must review its good food nation plan.

(2) In reviewing its plan, a relevant authority must have regard to any recommendation made by virtue of section 20(3)(b) which was published—

(a) if this is the first review, since the plan was published,

(b) if this is a subsequent review, since the last review.

(3) Following a review, the relevant authority may revise the plan as the relevant authority considers appropriate.

(4) Sections 10(4) to (6), 11, 12 and 13 apply in relation to revising the plan as they apply in relation to the preparation of the plan in the first place.

(5) A relevant authority must, when publishing a revised good food nation plan, publish a statement setting out how in revising the plan it complied with sections 11 and 13.

(6) As soon as practicable after revising the plan, a relevant authority must publish the plan as so revised.

18 Publication of documents: inclusive communications

In publishing a document under any of sections 10 to 17, a relevant authority must have regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way.