Committee News

Issue 36, 5^th June 2001

As a number of Committees are not meeting this week, this week's Committee News is slightly truncated.

Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee

Last week the Committee continued its SHEFC teaching and research inquiry. The minute of the meeting lists a number of pieces of information to be requested from both SHEFC and the Executive.

Equal Opportunities Committee

This week the Committee hears from Social Justice Minister, Jackie Baillie, at the end of its inquiry into travelling people. A review of the Executive’s written evidence throws up a number of interesting issues:

• Despite tardiness in some areas, across Scotland 83% of the pitches for caravans required by the old pitch targets had been fulfilled by March this year.
• Further pitch sites may be required, as the new Housing Bill will ensure that the needs of travelling people are incorporated in local housing strategies.
• A review of planning guidance begun by Sam Galbraith last year may help travellers to buy and run their own sites.
• Although Traveller members of the old Advisory Committee were divided on the question of their ethnicity, the Executive treats Gypsies and Irish Travellers as distinct ethnic groups in terms of the Race Relations Act. This means that strategies to make services appropriate to ethnic minorities (in health, for example, and policing) should take travellers into account.
• The Executive has changed policy on unauthorised encampments, so that there is now a presumption against prosecution. The Lord Advocate has advised accordingly.

Finance Committee

This week the Committee considers the reports on the budget for the next financial year from the various subject committees.

A number of Committees are happy with the allocation of resources, and target their comments on the presentation of financial information. The linking of allocation to policy objectives and outcomes comes up a number of times, and the budgets of QUANGOs are a constant feature.

It would be fair to say that certain committees could be clearer in their reports as well. Some are models of clarity, in other cases it is difficult to work out what (if anything) is being proposed.

Amongst the specifics from committees are:

• Health expresses satisfaction with the move to three-year budgeting, and the health benefits flowing from it;
• Equal opps is concerned over lack of explicit funding for equality objectives, particularly gender;
• Justice 1 & 2 raise the freeze in civil legal aid, the costs of training in the court system on ECHR, and the costs of non-attendance at district courts by people summoned;
• Transport raises a number of points regarding Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd.;
• Local Government mentions the mismatch in authorities which inherited budgets at reorganisation that are above their current GAE, and the implementation of McCrone.

Justice Committee 1

Last week the Committee concluded evidence-taking on its legal aid inquiry, and heard from Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, on the draft Freedom of Information Bill.

The petition from the UK Men's Movement regarding the anonymity of the accused in rape and abuse trials reached a conclusion, with the Committee deciding against a change.

This week the agenda includes the inquiry into the regulation of the legal profession, and the proposal for a Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Justice Committee 2

The Committee agreed last week to seek information in connection with a petition from the Humanist Society asking for the right to appoint humanist marriage registrars in the same way that religious groups can.

Local Government Committee

Last week the Committee continued with its inquiry into local government finance. 

Social Justice Committee

Last week’s budget discussion took place in private.

Subordinate Legislation

Last week saw the Committee satisfied with all changes made by the Executive to the Regulation of Care Bill. Members had raised concerns around the extent of Parliamentary scrutiny of regulations etc. to be made under the Act.

Transport & the Environment Committee

Last week the Committee spent time looking at ferry services in the Highlands & Islands. A new item was introduced to the work programme, that of the Executive’s review of strategic planning.

Other Committee Home Pages:

• Audit Committee
• Education, Culture & Sport Committee
• European Committee
• Health & Community Care Committee 
• Procedures Committee
• Public Petitions
• Rural Development Committee
• Standards Committee

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