Committee News
Issue 30, 24th April 2001
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
The Committee begins taking evidence from the Executive and Falkirk Council on its Schools Infrastructure Inquiry this week. The standard of school buildings etc. (and the associated debates around how improvements should be paid for) is obviously politically sensitive and could lead to this being a fairly lively inquiry.
Also on the agenda is an initial report on from Mike Russell (SNP) on the inquiry into Gaelic broadcasting which raises the issue of a dedicated channel and considers scheduling and education.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee
Last week the ELLL Committee gave further consideration to its report on its inquiry into the New Economy – but still in private. Consideration continues this week.
This week, on a more topical note, members are also considering the electronics industry. I wrote to the Convenor of the Committee requesting that, in light of recent job losses at Compaq, the Committee delays publishing its New Economy Inquiry Report to take further evidence on the issues of skills and global competitiveness.
The Committee will also consider the remit of its inquiry into Lifelong Learning.
Continuing their inquiry into Travelling People and Public Sector Policies, the Committee takes evidence from Falkirk Council, Highland Health Board, Save the Children Fund, the Scottish Travellers Consortium and the Scottish Gypsy/Traveller Association.
Also, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Equality Network and the Disability Rights Commission give evidence on the Budget Process 2002/03.
Amidst the usual huge volume of EU initiatives, priority scrutiny is being recommended for, amongst others, a proposal on public consultation regarding environmental initiatives; and a derogation from certain rules relating to structural funds for fishing.
A busy agenda for this week’s Committee. The items of particular interest include the preliminary stages of the Committees inquiry into PFI and PPPs. Clearly this inquiry will be of great political interest and will no doubt raise a number of important issues.
Donald Gorrie (LIB DEM) is acting as Reporter to the Committee on the issue of Voluntary Sector Funding. It is well known that funding mechanisms for the voluntary sector can create problems. There has always been a distinction between core and project funding with public sector funds being directed towards identifiable results. This can be counter productive and some good voluntary sector projects can fold because of a lack of core funding. Mr Gorrie will report to the Committee this week.
The Committee also considers an issues paper with their inquiry into Resource Accounting and Budgeting – the way in which the public sector in the UK now publishes its accounts.
Justice 1 will begin stage 2 of the Convention Rights Compliance Bill. As part 1 of the Bill (life prisoners) is proving very technical in the drafting of amendments, consideration is likely to begin this week with more straightforward sections.
The legal aid inquiry continues with evidence from the Law Society of Scotland. The Society in their written submission complain, as one might expect them to, that solicitors are not paid enough for legal aid work and that the burden of associated bureaucracy is too great. But the key issue they identify is that too many people who qualify for partial legal aid cannot, in their view, afford their own assessed contribution, with the result that a large number of people – not the poorest but those just above – cannot obtain access to justice.
Stage 1 evidence begins on the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Bill which will allow the Scottish judicial system to participate in the ICC when it is set up.
A public petition on freemasonry in the judiciary is already generating press interest. A member of the public is asking for Scotland to follow the lead set by England & Wales and require judges to declare their Masonic membership.
The Committee returns to the topic of drug driving, with advice from the clerks that both road traffic and drugs legislation are reserved so that the Committee can only examine enforcement and promotion issues.
The Committee begins Stage 1 of the Scottish Local Authorities (Tendering) Bill, which will which will reduce the circumstances in which local authorities have to tender, and extend the CCT moratorium. This allows the Executive further time to finalise proposals for the repeal of CCT and its replacement with a statutory duty of best value for local authorities.
Allotments are on the agenda again with the consideration of a petition which the Committee is expected to note, as the issues will be considered as part of their Allotments Inquiry.
The Committee also considers the Executive’s draft for a Local Government (Timing of Elections) Bill to introduce a four-year term for local government, with their elections to be held on the same day as Scottish Parliament elections.
Although it is now three weeks since the Committee's last meeting, no Official Report has yet been made available. A huge agenda was largely to do with technical issues, but two matters are worth mentioning:
Use of Scots. Following SNP complaints, the position has been clarified. Whilst longer passages in the scots leid must still be translated, individual words in common parlance (the example used was dreich) can stand in their monolingual glory.
Parliamentary questions. Concern from all sides to speed up the process of answering questions, and agreement that inspired Executive questions will be marked as such in the Business Bulletin.
The last meeting of the Committee took evidence from the Executive on Foot and Mouth Disease and was briefed on many of the scientific aspects of the disease. The Official Report gives an excellent briefing on the detail of the disease and the Executive’s approach to tackling it. It can be accessed by clicking here.
This week the Committee considers the latest on Foot and Mouth and also hears from its reporters on its inquiry into Fuel Prices in Remoter Rural Areas.
Continuing stage 2 of the Housing Bill, Social Justice attempts to conclude Part 1 on homelessness and allocation of housing. The issue of common housing registers is expected to be discussed with opposing amendments from Kenny Gibson (SNP) and Social Justice Minister, Jackie Baillie.
The Committee is concerned at the length of time it is taking to get through stage 2, and will also be considering timetabling of future meetings.
After an extensive inquiry into lobbying, the Committee is now at the stage of considering action. What has emerged strongly is that there are great difficulties with defining lobbying. The common perception of a private company directly attempting to influence politicians is a very minor part of the field, with unions and voluntary organisations also involved, and most activity being the provision of information and advice. Voluntary codes and international comparisons are now in line for consideration.
A new issue on the agenda is the confidentiality of Committee reports, in the light of a number of leaks. It is noted that no-one is likely to "own up" to leaking a report, but that a culture is developing where briefing journalists in general terms about a report without physically leaking the text is also developing. One suggestion made from Westminster is to give advance embargoed copies to journalists, thus removing the temptation to leak.
Transport & the Environment Committee
At its last meeting a number of issues were discussed including the Trunk Roads Inquiry and the Water Inquiry. Unfortunately both these items were taken in private.
The Committee considered in public the changes to ministerial portfolios, and in particular the movement of environment and water to Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie's brief. The Committee expressed concern at the potential for a conflict of interest and agreed to write to the First Minister on the issue.
This week the Committee considers an SSI that allows for a reduction in water and sewerage charges for people in receipt of council tax benefit. The Committee also considers names of people to act as an advisor to their Trunk Roads Maintenance Inquiry, although once again, this will probably be held in private.
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