Scottish Parliament Committee News
Audit Committee
The Committee met in
private.
Communities Committee
Members began discussion of
the Antisocial
Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill at stage 2. There were some potential difficulties over
an amendment to stop Antisocial Behaviour Orders being given to the under-16s,
but this was defeated when pressed to a vote.
Enterprise & Culture Committee
In the main, the Committee
discussed the budget process, taking
evidence from the New Opportunities Fund; The Scottish Arts Council; CoSLA; and
Aberdeenshire and Glasgow City Councils.
Environment and Rural Development Committee
Deputy Environment
and Rural Development Minister, Allan Wilson, was questioned by the Committee
on the budget and CAP reform. A petition on the control of odour from waste water treatment plants came back
to the Committee. There appears to be
some contention as to whose responsibility this matter is, with the Executive
maintaining that it has given adequate powers to local authorities to deal with
the problem and local authorities claiming it has not. The Committee agreed to seek oral evidence
from the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Minister for
Communities on the matter.
Equal Opportunities Committee
The Committee heard
from Professor Arthur Midwinter on the budget
process. It also considered a paper
from its Sexual Orientation Reporter
and agreed to take evidence on the INCLUSION Project report “Towards a
Healthier LGBT Scotland.” It also noted a paper from its Disability
Reporter and considered a background paper on its disability inquiry in private.
Finance Committee
The Committee
discussed the most recent Holyrood
project report which showed no change to the current overall cost of the
project. It also noted that Bovis continues to report that it is confident that
construction will be complete on schedule in July - although the programme is
tight and some acceleration measures may be required from the existing
contingencies. The Committee also finalised its report on the financial
memorandum of the Tenements
(Scotland) Bill, received evidence on the School
Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Bill
and considered a paper from the budget adviser about the Annual Evaluation Report.
Health
Committee
Progress is
finally being made on the Workforce
Planning Inquiry, with the agreement of the Committee to send small
cross-party groups of members to different areas of
Coverage of the meeting,
however, was dominated by Mike Rumbles' (LIB DEM) decision to walk out of the
section of the meeting taken in private.
Justice 1 Committee & Justice 2 Committee
The Committees
met jointly to discuss the budget. The main issues arising
related to the ability of the Crown Office Management Team to implement the
ongoing reforms of the justice system on a flatline
budget and also the savings being made by reforms such as Bonomy
and improved IT. The Committees
are awaiting a response. They also heard
from the Fiscal Society who gave evidence that its members welcome the shift of
business from the High Court to the Sheriff court under the Macinnes
reforms. However, it stressed that this
shift will result in its members being under more pressure and that more
resources would be required by the
Justice 2 Committee
Also met on
its own to take evidence from the Chartered Institute of Housing on the Tenements
(Scotland) Bill. It also
considered its forthcoming annual report. Lastly, it noted the meeting that had taken
place between the Convener and Lords Devaird and Coulson regarding the need to update legislation on arbitration and agreed that the
Committee should write to the Executive on the matter.
Local Government and
Transport Committee
The main piece of business was on the budget process. The Committee took evidence from Deputy
Finance and Public Services Minister, Tavish Scott
and a number of Scottish Executive Officials.
As well as looking at a number of pieces of subordinate legislation, the
Committee also sat in private to discuss the production of its annual report and looked at a paper on
a potential inquiry into the Transport
(Scotland) Act 2001.
Subordinate Legislation Committee
Under delegated powers
scrutiny, the Committee looked at a number of issues relating to the Criminal
Procedure (Amendment) Scotland Bill at Stage 2. It is thought that the Committee will have
little difficulty in approving the changes, some of which were occasioned by
the Committee's criticism of the drafting provisions in the Bill as introduced. Delegated powers of scrutiny issues relating
to the Nature
Conservation (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 were also discussed.
The Committee considered
papers on non-financial interests and
declaration of interests and agreed:
·
To
undertake further consultation on whether non-financial interests should be
registered on a mandatory basis;
·
That
if registration of such interests was mandatory, a contravention of the rules
would not be a criminal offence; and
·
To
adopt the recommendations of the previous Standards Committee in relation to
declaration of interests.
The Committee also agreed
its annual report and discussed draft
directions to the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Other Committee
Homepages:
Education Committee
European
and External Relations Committee
Public
Petitions Committee
Procedures Committee
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