Scottish Parliament Committee News
Issue
157,
26th
April
Audit
Committee
Most of
the Committee’s meeting was held in private.
Communities
Committee
The Committee considered the Charities
and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Bill at
Stage 2. The Committee also considered written evidence on the Housing
(Scotland) Bill from
the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors; the Council of Mortgage Lenders; the
National Association of Estate Agents; the Law Society of Scotland; and
Professor Lorne Crerar.
Education
Committee
A busy meeting saw the Committee receive an
update on the Scottish Executive’s child protection reform programme,
as well as considering its draft annual report. The Committee also
considered responses from local authorities regarding school transport policy.
Environment
and Rural Development Committee
A range of witnesses gave evidence on the Environmental
Assessment (Scotland) Bill.
Finance
Committee
The Committee took evidence on the
Executive's Infrastructure Investment Plan from Minister for Finance and
Public Service Reform, Tom McCabe and Executive officials. Key issues
discussed included making the planning system sufficiently flexible so as to
eliminate delays in bringing new infrastructure project to fruition.
Generally, the Committee was of the view that the Infrastructure Investment Plan
represents a positive innovation, which will enhance scrutiny in relation to the
budget and that it reflects the Executive's commitment to increasing capital
expenditure and to moving towards more strategic targeting of that expenditure.
The Minister
agreed to provide additional information to the Committee on what proportion by
value of infrastructure investment in recent years has been delivered on time,
to specification and for the agreed price. The Minister also agreed to consider
bringing forward a report to the Committee on steps taken to improve Executive
procurement processes.
Members also took evidence on the Financial Memorandum for the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Bill from Scottish Executive officials. Discussion concerned the proportions of expenditure to be undertaken by SNH and SEPA; and whether the early implementation of the Bill, in advance of the introduction of the proposed planning legislation later in the year, will be coordinated properly.
The Cross-cutting Inquiry into Deprivation also commenced. The Committee considered a paper by budget adviser, Arthur Midwinter and agreed to issue a call for evidence with the end of August 2005 set as the deadline for receipt of submissions. Towards the end of June, the Committee will review the submissions, and will take oral evidence in September. The Committee also agreed to seek further information from the Executive on its spend on deprivation and to consider next steps in the inquiry in due course.
Health
Committee
The
Committee questioned Bill Butler (LAB) on his proposed Direct Elections to
National Health Service Boards Bill, as well as agreeing its annual
report.
Justice
1 Committee
The Committee took evidence on
correspondence received from the Deputy Minister for Justice in relation to the Protection
of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill
at Stage 2.
Local
Government and Transport Committee
Stage 2 consideration of the Transport
(Scotland) Bill began and a range
of local authority witnesses and the Scottish Beer & Pub Association were
questioned on the Licensing
(Scotland) Bill.
Public
Petitions Committee
A full agenda included looking at new
petitions on the local government boundaries; mobile phone masts; wind
farm developments; and emissions of radiofrequency radiation. The
Committee then returned to the current petitions on the implications of
Agenda for Change on Speech and Language Therapy services; the
suitability of HMP Peterhead for the long-term imprisonment of convicted sex
offenders; and a call for an Elgin by-pass. The Committee also agreed
to nominate the Parliament’s e-petitions system for an e-Europe Award
for eGovernment Good Practice 2005.
Other Committee Homepages:
Enterprise
& Culture Committee
Equal
Opportunities Committee
European
and External Relations Committee
Standards
Committee
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