Scottish Parliament Committee News
Audit Committee
The Committee heard
from the Auditor General for
Scottish Parliament Chief
Executive, Paul Grice, also gave evidence during the marathon session. Mr Grice’s evidence reflected the
context in which we now find ourselves in relation to the building.
Education Committee
Last week’s
short meeting agreed the visits and meetings in connection with the proposed Gaelic Language (
Environment and Rural Development Committee
The Committee had a
very short meeting where it dealt with various pieces of subordinate legislation and agreed its forward work programme.
Equal Opportunities Committee
The Committee heard from the Commission for Racial Equality on the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights and
considered its approach to the White Paper.
Health
Committee
Members considered
the Draft Stage 1 report on the Breastfeeding
etc. (Scotland) Bill. They also considered two petitions from James
Mackie and Steve Law on Autism Spectrum
Disorder and six other petitions on a variety of Health related issues.
The main item of business
was the taking of evidence on the Prohibition of
Smoking in Regulated Areas (Scotland) Bill. Evidence came from Dr Nancy
Miller, Assistant Commissioner New York Department of Health who told the
Committee that the smoking in public places ban had been a great success in
Justice 1 Committee
Deputy Minister
for Environment and Rural Affairs, Allan Wilson, moved that the Justice 1
Committee recommend that the Proposed Scottish
Outdoor Access Code be approved. After a short debate, the motion was
agreed. The Committee then went on to consider and note a negative instrument -
The Victim Statements (Prescribe
Offences) Amendment Order 2004.
Further to its meeting on
Justice 2 Committee
The Committee
dealt with subordinate legislation,
correspondence on Cornton Vale prison and went into private
session to consider its approach to the Fire (Scotland) Bill.
On the Cornton Vale issue, the Committee agreed to
advise the correspondent to write to her constituency or list MSP about her
concerns.
Local Government and
Transport Committee
Private consideration of a draft report on the rail industry in
Public
Petitions Committee
The Committee
considered six new petitions including one that called for the standardisation of school holidays across
It was decided that Tricia Marwick (SNP)
and Kenny MacAskill (SNP) did not breach parliamentary rules in relation to a complaint relating to information they held
on constituents. The Committee
published its report on the complaint last week which records its unanimous
decision that the complaint should not be upheld.
Subordinate Legislation Committee
Convener, Sylvia
Jackson (LAB) reported back on her appearance on behalf of the Subordinate
Legislation Committee before the Environment and Rural Development Committee
regarding Subordinate Legislation’s findings in relation to the Environmental Protection (Restriction on
Use of Lead Shot) Scotland regulations 2004. The Committee had raised many
points on the Regulations, including serious questions of vires. The Committee considered
the Executive's response in detail, but agreed that it fails properly to
address any of the Committee's points. The Committee was particularly concerned
that the issues arising were not only technical detail, but important matters
of civil liberties. Indeed, there were so many issues of concern to the
Committee that it felt the Regulations failed to comply with proper legislative
practice and it could not agree to them in their current form. It was suggested
that the Environment Committee should look at the Regulations again.
Other Committee
Homepages:
Communities Committee
Enterprise & Culture Committee
European and External
Relations Committee
Finance Committee
Procedures Committee
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