A correction slip has been issued for Scottish Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 50, The Hydrolysis (Scotland) (No. 1) Regulations 2026 (ISBN 978‑0‑11‑106568‑6). Published in April 2026 on legislation.gov.uk, it records minor textual corrections to the printed instrument. (legislation.gov.uk)
Four items are corrected: regulation 10(2) now reads “requirements” rather than “requirement”; regulation 11(6) refers to “section 77(4)” rather than “section 77(2)”; and in Schedule 2, paragraph 1(23) now cites “section 85(1)(a)” (not “subsection 85(1)(a)”), while paragraph 1(30) cites “section 100(2)(d)” (not “subsection 100(2)(d)”). (legislation.gov.uk)
Correction slips are used to rectify typographical or similar errors and are not a vehicle for substantive change. The National Archives’ Statutory Instrument Practice notes that correction slips are appropriate for non‑substantive errors such as incorrect cross‑references; material changes must be made by amending legislation. Practitioners should therefore read this slip as clarificatory. (publishing.legislation.gov.uk)
For context, the No. 1 Regulations extend Part 2 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 to hydrolysis, make textual amendments to the 2016 Act so hydrolysis sits alongside burial and cremation, and provide for consequential changes across related legislation. The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee described these effects when recommending approval. (parliament.scot)
Hydrolysis became available in Scotland from 2 March 2026, following the instruments’ laying on 3 December 2025 and parliamentary approval in January. The Scottish Government’s Funeral Industry blog flagged 2 March as the commencement date; the Official Report confirms parliamentary approval on 21 January 2026. (blogs.gov.scot)
The Scottish Government’s Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment further explains the policy intent: hydrolysis (also called alkaline hydrolysis or “water cremation”) is defined in law as a process using hot water and alkaline chemicals, with the end product termed “powder”, equivalent to ashes after cremation. (legislation.gov.uk)
Operationally, today’s slip does not alter duties or timelines for operators. It does, however, remove any ambiguity in internal references within the No. 1 Regulations. Legal, compliance and records teams should ensure any guidance, templates or training materials that cite regulation 10(2), regulation 11(6), or Schedule 2 paragraphs 1(23) and 1(30) mirror the corrected wording to avoid mis‑citing the 2016 Act. (legislation.gov.uk)
Those preparing to operate hydrolysis facilities should continue to follow the regime already in force. The Government has confirmed expectations that prospective hydrolysis authorities notify the Inspector at least three months before accepting applications, maintain a management plan, and secure relevant consents (planning, trade effluent or discharge as applicable). None of these requirements are affected by the slip. (blogs.gov.scot)
In short, SSI 2026/50’s correction slip tidies the text-pluralising a term and aligning three statutory cross‑references-while leaving the underlying framework and commencement untouched. Practitioners can proceed on the basis that policy intent and compliance obligations remain as set out when the Regulations took effect on 2 March 2026. (legislation.gov.uk)