Scottish Statutory Instruments 2026 No. 50 - The Hydrolysis (Scotland) (No. 1) Regulations 2026 - has been accompanied by a correction slip issued in April 2026. The slip makes four textual fixes: regulation 10(2) now reads “requirements”; regulation 11(6) correctly cites “section 77(4)”; and, in Schedule 2, paragraph 1(23) and 1(30), the references are corrected from “subsection 85(1)(a)” and “subsection 100(2)(d)” to “section 85(1)(a)” and “section 100(2)(d)”. (legislation.gov.uk)
The Hydrolysis regulations are part of the package that enables alkaline hydrolysis (“water cremation”) as a lawful method for the disposal of human remains in Scotland by applying and modifying Part 2 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee described the No. 1 instrument as extending the 2016 Act to hydrolysis, with the companion No. 2 instrument setting procedures and statutory forms. (parliament.scot)
Following parliamentary approval, Scottish Government materials confirmed the framework took effect on 2 March 2026, with implementation guidance for services preparing to offer hydrolysis. (blogs.gov.scot)
Correction slips are an administrative device published alongside an instrument on legislation.gov.uk to rectify textual mistakes in the printed/electronic copy; where changes might affect meaning, amendment should be made by a further instrument. The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments has cautioned that correction slips are not a vehicle for substantive policy changes. This context indicates the April fixes are about textual clarity, not a shift in duties or powers. (publications.parliament.uk)
For operators and funeral directors, the immediate task is document control. Internal compliance manuals, training materials and any local guidance that reproduce regulation numbers or cross‑references to the 2016 Act should be updated to mirror the corrected citations - particularly where processes point staff to regulations 10 and 11 or to Schedule 2 references to sections 85 and 100 of the 2016 Act.
Local authorities and regulators should ensure oversight materials and website content reflect the corrected text. The Scottish Government’s supporting materials confirm that hydrolysis registers will record all hydrolyses carried out in Scotland and that statutory forms sit in the No. 2 Regulations; those arrangements are unaffected by this slip but should be cross‑checked for accurate citations. (legislation.gov.uk)
For the public, this is a technical tidy‑up of references within a system that is now live. Hydrolysis has been available in law since 2 March 2026, though the first providers will only open once planning permission and wastewater consents are secured; industry estimates suggest initial facilities may take several months to become operational. (theguardian.com)
Professionals should download the corrected PDF now showing the April 2026 slip and ensure any contractual documents, procurement specifications or public‑facing webpages no longer cite superseded references. The correction appears under “Disposal of Human Remains” and is printed under the authority of the King’s Printer for Scotland. (legislation.gov.uk)