Audit Committee
The main business of last week's meeting was the Auditor General for Scotland's report on the McCrone education agreement.  The Committee has agreed to hold an inquiry into the effectiveness of the McCrone agreement, which will coincide with the report being compiled by HMIE on the issue.

The Committee also heard from the Accounts Commission on local government finances.  The Commission expressed its concern that, due to STV for local government, there may be problems caused by many inexperienced councillors coming into post at the 2007 elections.

Education Committee
The Committee heard from the Family Law Association, the Faculty of Advocates, the Children and Families Department of Edinburgh City Council and the Head of Fostering and Adoption at Glasgow City Council on the general principles of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill.  The representatives from Glasgow and Edinburgh City Councils raised their concerns about the accuracy of the Financial Memorandum of the Bill, questioning whether the provisions are adequately resourced.  The law organisations concentrated on the permanence orders, which they welcomed, discussing their relationship with the current system and whether their introduction would lead to less legal action for parents seeking to enforce custody arrangements.  The representative from Edinburgh City Council also discussed the orders, mainly how they interact with the Children's Hearing System.

Enterprise & Culture Committee
Tourism Minister, Patricia Ferguson, gave evidence on the Tourist Boards (Scotland) Bill.  The Committee is content with the Bill, which is mainly technical in nature.

The Committee also completed its Stage 1 report on the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill, ahead of this week's debate.  The two main issues to emerge seem to be the Committee's recommendations that main dwellings be exempted from enforcement action in bankruptcy cases and that better advice should be given to those in debt.  The first of these recommendations has been made to address an anomaly which exists whereby debtors can lose their home over a very low level of debt.  It also aims to complement legislation in other areas designed at preventing, rather than increasing, homelessness.

The final item dealt with last week was a further evidence session with the chiefs of Scottish Enterprise.  Labour members raised their concerns about training and skills, the amount of unallocated funds which will be available and the rebuilding of business confidence in the organisation. There was a feeling that perhaps the evidence session took place too soon after Scottish Enterprise's Board meeting, since very little in the way of new information was revealed.  However, the Committee is due to consider an issues paper on Scottish Enterprise at its next meeting.  After that, it will decide whether to have Jack Perry et al back to the Committee.

Environment and Rural Development Committee
The Committee had two meetings last week.  The first, in Inverness, was the Committee's final oral evidence session on the Crofting Reform etc Bill.  The Committee heard from Highland Council; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; the Crofters' Commission; Trades Unions; and the Deputy Environment Minister, Rhona Brankin.  Similar evidence was heard as in previous sessions: namely that the provisions for new crofts were welcomed, but that the role of the Crofters' Commission and the ownership of new crofts were causes for concern.  The Executive has promised to bring forward an amendment which will specify a "proper occupier" of a croft to ensure that crofts are used for the purpose for which they are intended and not for holiday homes or other uses.  The Committee will now take further evidence on this and on the concerns which have been raised consistently with the Committee.

The second meeting concerned the annual update on the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003.  Ms Brankin gave evidence and questions were asked on sustainable flood management and the costs of private water services to rural homes and businesses.

Equal Opportunities Committee
More evidence on the disability inquiry, which heard from various building organisations including the Scottish Building Standards Agency.  Another panel of witnesses included various groups, such as the Scottish Disability Equality Forum, who were concerned with access to public and private facilities for people with mobility problems.  The groups highlighted issues where disabled people still face discrimination accessing disabled bathroom facilities (even in new buildings). The inquiry continues. This week’s witnesses include CoSLA and the Association of Directors of Social Work in Scotland.

Finance Committee
For its accountability and governance inquiry, the Committee took evidence from Auditor General for Scotland, Robert Black.  During questioning it became clear that since 1999 Audit Scotland has increased its staff from 195 to 279, while its budget has risen from £15.5 million to £25.2 million this year.  Mr Black admitted that Audit Scotland had no plans to save money through the kind of measures it has been advocating for other public bodies, such as sharing offices.

Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill Committee
Last week, the Committee heard from Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire Councils as well as transport organisations such as Network Rail, Light Rail (UK) and Fairline Coaches.  It also took evidence from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Services, Strathclyde Police and the British Transport Police.

Health Committee
As part of the care inquiry, members took evidence on direct payments from those who carried out research on the subject, some direct payments users and groups connected with it.  This was followed by a session with the Deputy Minister for Health, Lewis Macdonald.  Points considered by the Committee included why the level of take up of direct payments was so different across the country and the bureaucracy often attached to applying for and administering them.  The Committee will consider this week how its views will be reflected in the inquiry report.

Justice 1 Committee
The Committee took Stage 1 evidence on the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill from James Chalmers of the University of Aberdeen; senior Scottish Prison Service officials; Safeguarding Communities, Reducing Offending (SACRO); and Victim Support Scotland.  The Committee went on to consider the main themes arising from the evidence sessions to date, in order to inform the drafting of its Stage 1 report.

Justice 2 Committee
Evidence on the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill continued, from a previous Legal Ombudsman, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman, Alice Brown.  There was nothing controversial in the evidence given, much of it is about the language and legal terminology.

Public Petitions Committee
The Committee heard a number of new petitions, the most topical being the Borderline Theatre Company's petition to continue its touring programme.  The company's producer, Eddie Jackson, made a number of points surrounding the funding of its lifelong learning programme.  The Committee agreed to write to the Arts Council and Culture Minister, Patricia Ferguson, asking for an explanation.

The second topical petition was from the parents of children who have been diagnosed with cranial abnormalities.  Parents raised concerns that the information available to parents about this condition is limited.  Medical opinion states that this condition often corrects itself without intervention, however parents say that some Health Boards are recognising the diagnosis and are treating it with head braces immediately and others are not.  The Committee has written to the Scottish Executive on the issue and will update the petitioners when it receives a response.

Subordinate Legislation Committee
The Committee returned to the delegated powers in the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill.  They had asked the Executive for clarification on a number of points. The Executive had responded with some helpful explanations and agreed that matters of concern could be looked at further during Stage 2.  On the issue of "Care Plans", the Committee had asked why the Bill does not provide for directions thereon to be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.  The Executive explained that the Care Plan is a local authority administrative practice which is not currently in legislation and therefore considers that directions are appropriate.

Other Committee Homepages:

Communities Committee
Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Bill Committee
European and External Relations Committee
Local Government and Transport Committee
Procedures Committee
Standards Committee