Scotland's Good Food Nation duty starts 16 Dec 2025
Scotland has set 16 December 2025 as the start date for the legal duty that ties government decisions to the national Good Food Nation plan. A short set of commencement regulations switches on section 6 of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 on that date. The instrument was made on 23 October and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 27 October, with the in‑force date confirmed on legislation.gov.uk.
If you’re teaching or studying law or public policy, here’s the quick explainer we wish we’d had: a commencement regulation is the “on” switch for an Act. Most Acts don’t start all at once. They’re brought into effect in stages, and each stage is announced by a short legal notice that says three simple things-when it was made, when it was laid before Parliament, and when it comes into force. You can spot this format on many Scottish Statutory Instruments, like earlier Good Food Nation commencements in February and March 2025.
So what exactly is switching on? Section 6-called “effect of plan”-creates a duty on Scottish Ministers to have regard to the national Good Food Nation plan when using particular powers. In plain English: when Ministers act in areas covered by future regulations, they must take the plan into account and, if they choose a different course, be able to explain why. That “have regard” wording is important and has a specific meaning in public law guidance published by the Scottish Government.
Why it matters for public services is straightforward. Food policy isn’t just about farms and restaurants; it touches school meals, hospital food, public procurement, planning for community growing, and support for low‑income families. The Act’s explanatory notes use schools as a worked example: if “provision of food in schools” is specified, decisions taken under education laws would need to reflect the national plan. That frames everyday choices-menus, contracts, budgets-against health, climate and fairness goals.
Where are we in the bigger roll‑out? Earlier regulations in 2024 and 2025 stood up the new Scottish Food Commission and related powers, and set dates for more of the Act to come into effect. Those steps matter because the Commission’s job is to review progress and advise across government and public bodies. They also mean scrutiny and research capacity are in place as the plan duty starts.
What changes on 16 December won’t be instant headlines, and that’s by design. The “have regard” duty applies each time a specified function is exercised, so you’ll see its effect as policies are developed or decisions taken over time. The Government’s own overview stresses this point and explains that specified functions for Ministers will be set out in separate regulations, with a similar set later for councils and health boards under section 15.
For classrooms and study groups, here’s a practical reading tip. When you open an instrument on legislation.gov.uk, scan the opening lines for three timestamps-made, laid, in force-and then look for the section or schedule it activates. Today’s update is the fourth commencement for this Act and it names section 6; earlier examples show the same structure, which makes it easier to track what has changed and when.
And where does the national plan itself stand? Ministers consulted on a draft through spring 2024, published an analysis in September 2024, and laid a revised plan for Parliament’s consideration in June 2025. Final publication follows parliamentary feedback. If you work in a school, college, council or health board, this is the moment to check how your team records decisions that touch food-because from 16 December, Ministers will need to show how the plan was weighed in.
What it means, in one sentence: food moves up the list of things decision‑makers must actively consider, with a legal duty to show their working. If you’re teaching public law or civic education, this is a live, real‑world case study of how commencement notices, statutory duties and policy plans join up to influence what gets served on plates in public services.