Scottish Parliament Committee News
Communities Committee
The Committee approved the draft Debt Arrangement Scheme regulations and
considered correspondence on the Fire Sprinklers
in Residential Premises (Scotland) Bill from Michael Matheson (SNP), who
introduced a similar Members’ Bill.
The Committee agreed to Mr Matheson’s request to postpone further
Stage 1 consideration of the Bill and also to seek the approval of the
Parliamentary Bureau to extend the deadline for the completion of Stage 1 until
Education Committee
Last week’s meeting took
evidence on the Child Protection Inquiry
and considered its approach to the proposed School
Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Bill.
Enterprise & Culture Committee
Members took evidence on
their two inquiries – Broadband
and Renewable Energy.
On the issue of Broadband, Scottish and Southern Energy
Telecom agreed to provide the Committee with information on how many
communities might benefit from small local triggers for broadband and what the
timescales for such benefit might be. BT Scotland agreed to provide the
Committee with detailed information on the uptake of broadband in those
exchanges where it had been enabled.
On Renewable Energy, the MoD agreed to provide the Committee with
various pieces of information including statistics on MoD objections lodged
against proposals both prior to and during the application process for proposed
wind farms in Scotland, together with a map of all the areas in Scotland where
renewable energy developments are likely to draw objections from the MoD.
Environment and Rural Development Committee
The Committee took evidence
on its inquiry into CAP Reform and
considered various pieces of subordinate
legislation.
Equal Opportunities Committee
The meeting agreed to
consider a further approach paper on mainstreaming
equality in the work of the Parliament’s Committees. It received a briefing from Professor Arthur
Midwinter, budget adviser to the Finance Committee, on the Budget process 2005-06.
Lastly, the Committee agreed its annual
report for 2003-2004, subject to minor amendments to be authorised by the
Convener.
European
and External Relations Committee
The Convener
The Committee also took
evidence on the Repatriation of European
Regional Development Funds and the UK Government’s Proposals.
Finance Committee
Members continued their
consideration of the draft report of the Committee
The Committee also took
evidence on the Tenements
(Scotland) Bill from Philip Shearer, Solicitor, Legal Aid Board and
John Blackwood, Director, Scottish Association of Landlords.
Health
Committee
Stage 2 of the NHS Reform
(Scotland) Bill was begun and completed.
Justice 1 Committee
Members considered
and completed the Criminal
Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2.
Local Government and
Transport Committee
Evidence on the Prostitution
Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill came from Scot-Pep. Brain Monteith (CON) attempted to block a negative instrument on Non-Domestic Rates.
Subordinate Legislation Committee
The Committee had another
full agenda last week and discussed Executive responses to points raised in
regulations covering Lifelong Learning,
Transport, Non-Domestic Rates, Education,
Housing, the NHS and rural issues. The Committee also considered Instruments
subject to Annulment relating to the Environment,
Waste management, the NHS, Food Regulations and the Police
Service. They also considered Instruments not subject to Parliamentary
procedure in the areas of Food
Protection.
It was agreed to
establish a Cross Party Group on
Disability, considered a complaint against David Davidson (CON) and agreed general principles for dealing with
correspondence relating to complaints.
Other Committee
Homepages:
Audit Committee
Justice 2 Committee
Public
Petitions Committee
Procedures Committee
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Report to the People ] [ Interact ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]