Scottish Parliament Committee News
Communities Committee
The Committee took evidence
from the Bill Team on the Housing
(Scotland) Bill. The team
outlined the key thrust and objectives of the Bill, which centres on support
and encouragement for owners of rental property in the private rented sector to
take responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of their properties. The
Bill will contain sections on tolerable standards changes and will pave the way
for single seller surveys. The Bill will also contain additional rights for the
disabled in the form of maintenance repair and aids and adaptations
installations – landlords will be encouraged to address this aspect of
their properties when putting them up for rental.
The Committee also looked
at three petitions of TETRA masts. It
took the view that it was not the responsibility of the Communities Committee
to conduct a health inquiry into the siting of these
masts. However, it agreed to look at the need for engagement in the planning
process.
Enterprise & Culture Committee
Evidence on the National Lottery Bill came from the
proposed Big Lottery Fund and the Scottish arm of the National Heritage
Lottery. The main issue for discussion
was the potential impact of a successful Olympic bid on lottery funding in
Environment and Rural Development Committee
The Committee considered
various pieces of subordinate
legislation before moving into private session to consider a draft report
on its climate change inquiry.
Equal Opportunities Committee
Sandra White (SNP) was
appointed as its reporter on age issues. It also considered correspondence from the
Minister for Health & Community Care in relation to petition PE522 from Ms
Carol Main on the provision of care
homes for young physically disabled people and agreed to consider the
Executive’s final report of its scoping study when it was published.
European
and External Relations Committee
The Committee took
evidence from the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on the Executive's International Development Policy, which had been published that morning.
Members then moved on to take evidence from Drew Scott of the Europa Institute and John Edwards of the European
Parliament Office in
Finance
Committee
It was agreed to apply level 2 scrutiny for the
inquiries into the Management
of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Bill and the Housing
(Scotland) Bill. This intermediate level of scrutiny will involve the Committee
seeking written evidence from organisations, bodies and individuals on whom costs arising from the Bill are likely to fall and oral
evidence from Scottish Executive officials. A written report is then made to
the lead Committee on the Bill.
The Committee also considered
its draft report on the financial memorandum on the Smoking,
Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill.
After minor amendments, the report was agreed to.
In addition, the Committee
also considered the draft report of its cross-cutting
review on economic development. The report, as amended, was agreed to. The Committee
commissioned research on patterns and levels of spending linked to the
promotion of economic growth which concluded that, while spending across the
board has increased significantly since devolution, spending on economic
development has risen less quickly than expenditure elsewhere in the budget.
This has raised questions about whether the resources of the Scottish Executive
are being allocated in a way which reflects the Executive's top priority of
growing the economy.
Finally, the Committee
considered a briefing paper on the Executive's Infrastructure Investment Plan. The Committee agreed to invite the
Minister for Finance to give evidence at a future meeting.
Health
Committee
Evidence
gathering on the Smoking,
Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill continued, centring on the issue
of smoking in public places. The
Scottish Licensed Trade Association and the Tobacco Manufacturers Association restated
their opposition to this aspect of the Bill.
They highlighted the possible effect on their members, while also
questioning public support for the ban.
Academic studies from the
Justice 1 Committee
The Committee
took evidence at Stage 1 of the Family
Law (Scotland) Bill from members of the Bill Team and other officials. The Committee also discussed a petition from
the Miscarriage of Justice Organisation in
which they welcomed the recent announcement from the Executive and agreed to
consider the petition at a future meeting.
Justice 2 Committee
A private session
consider the Committee’s approach to the Management
of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Bill and its draft report on the Youth Justice Inquiry.
Local
Government and Transport Committee
Two major items on the agenda last week saw Transport Minister, Nicol Stephen, questioned on the trunk road maintenance contracts and the tendering of ferry services.
Following on from the
evidence last week on ferry services from
the unions, the Minister indicated that he had looked at the academic evidence
and is re-evaluating his previous advice on this issue. Executive officials are currently
investigating this matter further, with a view to approaching the European
Commission with questions on the need to go forward with a tender.
On the maintenance contracts, the Committee is
now set to draft its report, which will centre on winter maintenance and the
tendering process.
Procedures Committee
The Committee
heard further evidence for its inquiry
into the Sewel Convention. This week Pauline McNeil (LAB), Alasdair
Morgan (SNP) and Orkney & Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, contributed. There was some agreement that the system did
need to be improved, both in terms of the motions going before Parliament and a
better indication of what is being enacted by
The Committee also
considered a report by Parliament and Executive officials on private legislation and agreed in
principle to a range of measures amending the private bill process.
Public
Petitions Committee
A number of
interesting petitions last week, including: a call to maximise the tourist
potential of Robert Burns; the need
for funding to ensure that all people
with learning disabilities receive the support to live independently; and a
further petition on NHS 24. There was also another major success for the
Committee, as Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson indicated that the Executive
would consult on a suggestion from a recent petition on police protection. This
would require all those who have exposed police officers to the risk of
infection to submit to a blood test, which would be held on the Police National
Computer.
Subordinate Legislation Committee
SEPA and the Food Protection Agency gave evidence for the inquiry into the Regulatory Framework. The aim of the
framework is to lead to better law making and SEPA and the FPA gave interesting
evidence, stating that they have a number of concerns which centre on issues
surrounding the UK Government’s interpretation of EU Legislation. Their
concern was that, once passed, EU Legislation left little room for manoeuvre. The
issue of what constitutes “waste” is of particular concern at the
present. Evidence taking on this issue
will continue.
The Committee also looked
at delegated legislation in the Family
Law (Scotland) Bill. Some concerns had been raised over the issue of parental
responsibilities and the parental rights of unmarried fathers. The main areas
of concern were that the Bill's powers could be extended to fathers who were not registered. While
the Parliament would be able to veto the regulations, the Committee believes
that this power has a number of drawbacks.
Other Committee
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