Report to the People
8th August 2005
Care
in the Committee
"A camel is a horse designed by
committee," said Alec Issigonis (famed designer of the Morris Minor and
Mini) of the joys of committee working.
If
you've ever had to sit through an interminable, self-important committee meeting
at your club, society or association, you'll know what he meant.
Mere mention of "The Committee" can have grown men feigning
illness or recalling prior engagements.
Little
wonder, then, that people are sceptical when MSPs enthuse about the benefits of
the Scottish Parliament's committee system.
In their defence, though, Holyrood's committees do more than hold tedious
meetings which, I freely admit, largely consist of those you'd expect to give
evidence giving the evidence you'd expect them to give.
At
the start of next month, for example, the Health Committee will hold a
consultation event to help shape its forthcoming investigation into the recent
reforms of the social care system. Rather
than the committee just deciding what to look at, we felt it was important to
ask those directly affected by the new legislation what they see as the key
issues. Indeed, some detailed and
informed contributions from Inverclyde are among the written submissions already
received.
My
own view, unsurprisingly, is that what's important in Inverclyde - helping
people live in their own homes for longer through proper care packages and home
adaptations, etc. - should be high on the agenda. And this innovative approach should ensure that we are
focussing on the right issues from the very start.
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