Mrs Guilia Jones MLA

Chair

Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety

ACT Legislative Assembly

London Circuit

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Mrs Jones

I am writing in response to comments made by the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety in Scrutiny Report 11 regarding the Regulatory Impact Statement for the Disallowable Instrument DI2017-249: the Smoke-Free Public Places (Public Transport Stations) Declaration (No 1) (the RIS).

I thank the Committee for its consideration of this matter and note the Committee’s comment that the RIS does not contain an assessment of the consistency of the proposed law with the Committee’s scrutiny principles.

I would like to assure the Committee that the RIS has been prepared with regard to all necessary elements of the Legislation Act 2001, however on this occasion it did not include the brief assessment of the proposed law’s consistency with the Committee’s scrutiny principles, as required by the Legislation Act 2001.

I have asked that ACT Health ensure that future regulatory impact statements prepared to accompany proposed legislation include a brief assessment of the proposed law’s consistency with the Committee’s scrutiny principles. I recognise that the inclusion of such information contributes to the development of robust and consistent legislation.

I thank the Committee for its comments and consideration of this matter.

Yours sincerely

Meegan Fitzharris MLA

Minister for Health and Wellbeing