Scottish Parliament Committee News
Issue
161, 7th June
Audit
Committee
The Committee considered a response from the
Scottish Executive to its report on the 2003/04 accounts of NHS Argyll and
Clyde. The Committee noted
the response and agreed to invite Dr Kevin Woods, the accountable officer for
the Health Department, to give evidence at a future meeting. It also noted
that Dr Woods could be invited to give evidence on the Department’s response
to the Committee’s forthcoming report entitled "Overview of the
Financial Performance of the NHS in Scotland 2003-04" and that the two
sessions could be combined.
The Committee considered a response from the Scottish Executive to its report on Community Care. It agreed to write to Dr Kevin Woods seeking clarification on a number of issues raised during discussion.
Finally, the Committee took evidence on the overview of the local authority audits 2004.
Education
Committee
After dealing with various pieces of subordinate
legislation, the Committee continued taking evidence for the pupil motivation
inquiry.
Enterprise
& Culture Committee
The Committee took some criticism from the SFA,
who were giving evidence to the inquiry into Scottish football. It
also continued with its business growth inquiry.
Environment
and Rural Development Committee
The Convener delivered an update on European
issues and the Committee agreed to take oral evidence before the summer
recess from the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on priorities for
the forthcoming UK Presidency of the EU.
The rest of the meeting was held in private as the Committee considered its approach to scrutiny of the Executive’s proposal to seek a Sewel motion on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill.
The Committee also agreed its report on the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Bill.
Health
Committee
Stage 2 of the Smoking,
Health & Social Care (Scotland) Bill continued with the focus on Hep
C compensation. Deputy Health Minister, Rhona Brankin, agreed to provide
additional information to the Committee in advance of Stage 3 with regard to the
number of individuals infected with Hep C through NHS treatment who died before
August 2003 and the financial cost of extending the payment scheme to
dependants.
Justice
1 Committee
Last week's meeting considered the Confirmation
to Small Estates (Scotland) Order 2005, SSI 2005/251. This order
increases from £25,000 to £30,000 the limit in value of a deceased person’s
estate at or below which confirmation of executors may be obtained by means of
simplified procedures. The simplified procedures prescribed by the Intestate
Widows and Children (Scotland) Act 1975 and by the Small Testate Estates
(Scotland) Act 1876 require a sheriff clerk to prepare the inventory and
declaration, and do all that is necessary for confirmation. Hence, there is
normally no need for the applicant to obtain the services of a solicitor.
The limit was last increased in 1999 by the Confirmation to Small Estates
(Scotland) Order 1999, which raised the limit from £17,000 to £25,000 and
which is revoked by the new 2005 Order.
The Committee also took evidence at Stage 1 on the Family Law (Scotland) Bill from Deputy Minister for Justice, Hugh Henry MSP.
Justice
2 Committee
The Committee met
in private to consider its draft Stage 1 Reports on the Management
of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Bill and the Youth Justice Inquiry.
Local
Government and Transport Committee
Evidence on the tendering of ferry
services in the Clyde and Hebrides continued, last week hearing from
Jeanette Findlay from the University of Glasgow who provided further insight
into the range of possible options with regards to the tendering process.
The Committee also considered a draft Stage 1 report on the Licensing (Scotland) Bill.
Standards
Committee
The Committee agreed to the establishment of two
further Cross Party Groups (on Glasgow Crossrail and Scottish Writing
& Publishing) and endorsed its Annual Report for 2004-05. The
Committee also agreed a policy on unacceptable actions by complainers and
agreed to issue this policy to the Scottish Parliamentary Standards
Commissioner.
Subordinate
Legislation Committee
The meeting discussed
the Executive's response to questions which had been raised about the defective
drafting of the Mental Health (Safeguards for Certain Informal Patients)
Scotland) Regulations 2005. The Committee had asked the Executive why
the definition of the 2003 Act was included in Regulation 1(2), given that the
term "Act" was used in the body of the Regulations. The Executive has
confirmed that this resulted from an oversight stemming from an earlier draft of
the Regulations and has undertaken to remedy the defect. The Committee legal
advisors felt the Committee should draw this to the attention of the lead
Committee and the Parliament on the basis of defective drafting, as acknowledged
by the Executive.
The Committee then went on to consider whether it was satisfied with the Executive's explanation of the breach of the 21 day rule in regard to the Common Agricultural Policy Single Farm Payment and Support Schemes (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005. The Committee had asked the Executive to provide further information on the reasons for the delay in laying these Regulations and the Executive provided further information about the oversight which had led to the breach. It also provided some information about how farmers were kept up to date with the proposed changes. The Committee was satisfied with the Executive's response.
Other Committee Homepages:
Communities Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee
European and External Relations Committee
Finance Committee
Procedures Committee
Public Petitions Committee
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