Scottish Parliament Committee News
Issue
164, 20
Communities
Committee
Last week, members looked at the Housing
(Scotland) Bill, receiving a
briefing on the issue of the provision of information on the sale of a house.
The Committee also considered a briefing paper on the Scottish Executive’s
White Paper on modernising the planning system from Communities Minister,
Malcolm Chisholm.
Education
Committee
The Committee looked at the policy on school closures and considered a
letter from the Minister for Education and Young People. The Committee
agreed to write to again the Minister. The future work programme was also
agreed, along with a commitment to hold an inquiry into looked after children.
Environment
and Rural Development Committee
The completion of Stage 2 of the Environmental
Assessment (Scotland) Bill
was followed by consideration of the Committee's work programme.
Enterprise
& Culture Committee
Dennis Canavan (IND) gave evidence on his St
Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill. The Committee then turned
its attention to the inquiry into Scottish football, on which it
took evidence from Frank McAveety (LAB). The Committee also reviewed the
progress of its inquiry following the Business in the Parliament 2005
conference.
Finance
Committee
Last week's meeting considered a
paper on the Budget Process 2006-07 from the budget adviser, Prof Arthur
Midwinter. The paper identifies "fundamental choices on public spending,
between continuing to rely on more modest levels of incremental growth to
advance the budgetary strategy or to undertake a rigorous and systematic review
exercise with a view to releasing resources to fund priorities". The
analysis shows that the £731 million in savings in the Efficient Government
Programme amounted to less then 1% of the total budget over the spending review
period; and that only one item within the Executive's basic spending blocks
(level three programmes) had been cut since 1999, thanks to the early redemption
of debt from Scottish Homes. Only three programmes - water services, Scottish
Enterprise and legal aid - have been reduced. There have been increases in most
other programmes. The Committee agreed to forward the paper to the
Executive.
For its Cross-cutting inquiry into deprivation, the Committee considered research by Professor Glen Bramley and took evidence from witnesses from Heriot-Watt University; Blake Stevenson Ltd; the University of Glasgow; the University of Aberdeen; and Middlesex University.
The Committee also agreed to consider its draft report on the Financial Memorandum of the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill at its next meeting.
Health
Committee
Members considered the main
themes arising from evidence sessions to inform the drafting of its Stage 1
report on the Human
Tissue (Scotland) Bill in private.
Justice
1 Committee
In considering the proposed Human
Rights Commission (Scotland) Bill, the Committee agreed to request that
an adviser be appointed and that it would consider possible candidates for
appointment in private at a future meeting. The Committee also took
evidence on the Family
Law (Scotland) Bill.
Justice
2 Committee
The Committee turned to its Regulatory
Powers Inquiry, where it considered correspondence from the Convener of
the Subordinate Legislation Committee and agreed to consider a paper by the
Clerk at a future meeting. The Committee also agreed its approach to the
forthcoming Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill,
including from whom to seek evidence.
Local
Government and Transport Committee
Minister for Transport and
Telecommunications, Tavish Scott, gave evidence on the tendering of ferry
services in the Clyde and Hebrides. The Committee also took Stage 1
evidence on the Council
Tax Abolition and Service Tax Introduction (Scotland) Bill.
Other Committee Homepages:
Audit Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee
European and External Relations Committee
Procedures Committee
Public Petitions Committee
Standards Committee
Subordinate Legislation Committee
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