Committee News
Issue 35, 29th May 2001
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
This week the Committee takes evidence from Deputy Education Minister, Nicol Stephen, on the 2002/3 budget.
The Committee will also be updated on the Children's Commissioner Inquiry.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee
The ELL inquiry into the New Economy is ongoing with a question and answer session having been held with SOJA (American consultants who have been looking at the ICT needs of Scotland on behalf of Scottish Enterprise). This discussion is interesting as it raises how best to ensure all of Scotland has access to broadband technology.
The Committee is also continuing with its consideration of the Inquiry into the SHEFC Review of Teaching and Research funding.
Once again, both inquiries, although nearing completion, have committee discussion outstanding.
Last week the Committee considered a paper on the Inquiry into the application of the Consultative Steering Group Principles in the Scottish Parliament. The Committee approved the paper for submission to the Procedures Committee. The Committee agreed to appoint Reporters to the inquiry.
The Committee also considered a draft report at Stage 1, on the Budget Process 2002/03. The Committee approved the draft report and has sent the report to the Finance Committee.
Last week saw a first for the Parliament, with multilingual translation as a large delegation from the Committee of the Regions gave evidence for the inquiry into EU Governance.
The Finance Committee is considering two issues between now and the summer recess. Members will complete their report on Resource Accounting and Budgeting next week and it is due to be published the week after the UK General Election.
The Committee also takes its final evidence on Stage 1 of the 2002/3 Budget. There have already been comments on the budget by Mike Watson (LAB), the Committee Convenor, that information supplied from the Executive should be more consistent across departments and a number of basic errors mean that more care should be taken with the figures before publication. But apart from these presentational comments, most of the discussion on the budget has been fairly straightforward.
After the recess, the Committee will undertake a hefty inquiry into PPPs and PFI. The deadline for written evidence has already passed with oral evidence being taken after the summer. This inquiry will clearly be very interesting and will no doubt raise a number of highly contentious points.
Health & Community Care Committee
Last week the Committee heard from Health Minister, Susan Deacon on the sensitive issue of those who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood products in the 1980s. Committee members have expressed concern that discussion so far has majored only on people with haemophilia: this is important, but there are other people involved.
This week a heavy agenda includes several ongoing items: the legal aid inquiry, the draft Freedom of Information Bill, and the petition from the UK Men’s Movement regarding the anonymity of the accused in rape and abuse trials.
There has been a further joint meeting of the Justice Committees on the budget, with another this week.
Last week saw an evidence session on the particularities of women’s offending. Also, Justice Minister, Jim Wallace will be invited to comment on the petition demanding that judges declare Masonic membership.
This week there is a petition from the Humanist Society, seeking parity with religious groups to nominate wedding celebrants, rather than having to rely on a civil registrar.
The Local Government Committee continues this week taking evidence on its local government finance inquiry. This week Committee members hear from three academics from across the UK on the role of central government grants in funding local government. The submissions from the academics make very interesting reading and relate to some of the big questions regarding local government finance, namely the balance between locally raised taxes and central government support. The written submissions are available from the Committee web site (link above).
Procedures are back to their forest-destroying ways again this week, with 242 pages of papers. Amongst the huge pile of agenda items are the following:
The remit of the European Committee is to be expanded in the area of External Affairs.
The Committee took evidence last week from local health officials concerned with the changes to service provision at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow, which have generated intense local interest. In line with previous discussions at this Committee, the information will be passed back down to local level rather than the Parliament intervening in local issues.
The Committee considered a number of fishery issues last week, not least on the issue of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, where the Committee has decided to make further inquiries following a paper from the Executive. The timescale for this will be considered in the context of the work programme.
The Committee remains in private discussion on its report on the Protection of Wild Mammals Bill.
The only item on this week’s agenda is the Committee’s report on Stage 1 of the 2002/3 Budget. This item will be taken in private.
Transport & the Environment Committee
T&E is continuing to consider its draft report on the inquiry into the Water Industry. A number of important and current issues were raised at the evidence gathering stage of the inquiry and the emphasis of discussion between the political parties is likely to be on the proposed model for the water industry as proposed by the Executive. The debate will doubtless include the role of private money in the industry and the effects of competition law, and the changes to water rate relief for charities and the voluntary sector.
The Committee has also been considering the 2003/3 budget and the levels of funding for road maintenance. Members are considering their draft report of the process, although, as discussions are continuing, publication of both reports will probably take some time yet.
Other Committee Home Pages:
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Articles ] [ Calendar ] [ Contacts ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]