Scottish ministers have paused a key switch‑on in the Good Food Nation law just days before it was due. A new revocation instrument made on 11 December and laid on 12 December stops Section 6 from taking effect next Tuesday, 16 December, and comes into force on Monday, 15 December. The earlier order had set 16 December as the start date for Section 6.

Section 6 is short but important: it would require Scottish Ministers, when carrying out specified functions, to have regard to the national Good Food Nation Plan. In plain terms, every qualifying ministerial decision would need to be checked against the plan’s aims. That provision remains “prospective” on legislation.gov.uk.

The now-revoked Commencement No. 4 order, signed in October, was the mechanism to bring Section 6 into force on 16 December 2025. With that order pulled, there is currently no confirmed date for Section 6 to begin. Businesses should treat the duty as paused, not abandoned, until a fresh commencement is made.

Why this matters on our side of the border is simple: a lot of Scottish public sector food spend flows to producers and wholesalers based in the North. From Berwick and North Northumberland growers to dairy and bakery firms in Cumbria and Yorkshire, contracts for school meals and hospital catering are built on predictable rules. A late pause means buyers may hold fire on tweaks to specifications that were being drafted to track the national plan.

If Section 6 had gone live next week, officials drawing up guidance or frameworks would have needed to show how those decisions reflected the Good Food Nation Plan. That kind of filter can nudge product choices - from provenance and seasonality to sugar and salt targets - which in turn shapes orders placed with northern suppliers. With the duty delayed, any imminent guidance changes linked to Section 6 are likely to slip, easing immediate pressure on procurement teams.

None of this means the wider Good Food Nation programme is off. The Act already places duties around creating and maintaining Good Food Nation plans and reporting progress, and those parts have been coming into force in stages since 2023, according to the official commencement notes. Ministers and public bodies remain on the hook for planning and reporting, even if Section 6’s specific “have regard” test is on hold.

For northern SMEs selling into Scotland, the practical play for December is steady: keep current contracts moving, keep an eye on buyer briefings rather than reprinting packaging or resetting sourcing statements, and be ready to revisit offer sheets once a new commencement date lands. If you were preparing tenders citing alignment with the national plan, leave that language in - it won’t hurt when Section 6 eventually starts.

What to watch next: a replacement commencement order (which could set a new date or wider scope), any interim guidance from Scottish Government food policy teams, and whether local buyers in councils and health boards continue with soft‑launch changes anyway. We’ll track the parliamentary paperwork and flag when a fresh timetable is set so northern producers can plan shipments with confidence. The official record shows Section 6 remains prospective as of today.