Committee News
Issue 45, 23rd October 2001
Education, Culture &
Sport Committee
This week the
Committee begins stage 1 of the School Education
(Amendment) Bill by taking evidence from Education
Minister, Jack McConnell, and CoSLA. The bill enables parents of
children under 5 starting school to make placing requests, and
abolishes the position of Assistant Head Teacher in line with the
new career structure for the profession.
The Committee also takes evidence on the Budget Process 2002-03 from Jack McConnell and Culture and Sport Minister, Allan Wilson.
Enterprise & Lifelong
Learning Committee
This week, the Committee publishes its report into SHEFC’s
review of teaching and research funding. This review caused
great consternation within the Higher Education sector and as a
result the Committee decided to look at the issues involved. The
evidence gathering sessions of the inquiry were not kind to SHEFC
and it is likely that the Report will reflect the HE sectors
general unease with the way SHEFC has conducted itself on this
matter.
At this week's meeting the Committee take evidence from NUS Scotland and the STUC on its inquiry into lifelong learning.
European Committee
An unusual
occurrence at this week's meeting, as two Westminster MPs give
evidence. Angus Robertson (Moray, SNP) and Richard Spring (West
Suffolk, CON) will speak on the inquiry into EU governance.
(This is because, notwithstanding the importance of the regional
agenda to the Scottish Parliament, European policy per se is
actually a reserved matter.) A full report will be in next week's
Committee News.
Finance Committee
This week the Committee is bogged down by dry, technical
issues relating to the budget. Members consider a paper
from their advisor on outcome budgeting. (Basically ways
of managing public sector resources, focussing on the outcome of
spending money rather than that the fact that inputs are being
made.)
Health & Community Care
Committee
The Committee this week
starts taking evidence in earnest for the Community Care
and Health (Scotland) Bill. Amongst other pieces of
evidence, Age Concern wish the principal of free personal care to
be set in primary legislation – and not in the regulations
as is being proposed.
The Committee also considers a report from Richard Simpson (LAB) on organ donation.
Justice 1 Committee
The petition from
indefatigable picketers of the Scottish Parliament, Scotland
Against Crooked Lawyers, returns; however, consideration will
either end or be absorbed into the ongoing inquiry into
self-regulation of the legal profession, which covers similar
issues.
Three pieces of subordinate legislation are on the agenda. Two are consequent on the creation of drug courts. The third implements the new ECHR-compliant rules for life prisoners, but was extensively criticised by the Subordinate Legislation Committee for imprecision and defective drafting.
Evidence on prisons is likely to be lively, with the Prisons Officers Association and the Scottish Prison Service Chief Executive on the same bill. Their written submissions, as might be expected, show little common ground. The only point of agreement is that staff morale is low because of the Estates Review. On issues such as Kilmarnock Prison the papers could be describing parallel universes.
Finally, the Committee will decide whether it wishes to comment on the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill.
Another joint meeting of the Justice Committees will consider the draft budget report in private.
Justice 2 Committee
Evidence
continues on the Sexual Offences (Procedures &
Evidence) Bill, with Deputy Justice Minister, Iain Gray,
amongst the witnesses. The Executive’s written response to
evidence so far indicates acceptance of a number of constructive
points. It does not, however, accept a number of the technical
and jurisprudential points made by the legal profession.
The petition on civil justice for asbestos victims returns again, with a decision required as to whether to appoint a reporter or let the matter rest.
Local Government Committee
This week the
Committee takes evidence on the Community Care and Health
(Scotland) Bill from Perth and Kinross and South
Ayrshire Councils, with the discussion expected to raise issues
over the cost implications for local authorities.
Returning to a contentious issue for the Committee, members take evidence on the Scottish Local Government Election Bill from Deputy Minister for Finance and Local Government, Peter Peacock, as well as Aberdeenshire and Clackmannanshire Councils. Aberdeenshire largely supports proposals to hold the local government elections on the same day as those for the Scottish Parliament, arguing that it would increase turnout and thus the democratic mandate of local authorities. It also believes that the electorate is sophisticated enough for their voting to reflect their concerns at national and local level. In contrast Clackmannanshire argues that local concerns will be subordinated to national issues if the elections are synchronised, and that synchronicity is not an effective way of addressing voter apathy.
Procedures Committee
A number of changes to Standing Orders are due for
approval. Most are technical – for example, giving Committee
Convenors the same powers as the Presiding Officer to suspend
meetings for refreshment breaks and the like. A procedure is also
being proposed to allow the removal of a Committee convenor; and
a process for selection panels of MSPs to make public
appointments is laid out. The suggestion on the latter is that
the Presiding Officer will appoint seven members to recommend a
name to the Parliament. The example that has been given is the
new Scottish Information Commissioner.
There will be a discussion on points of order, inspired by the Presiding Officer. The proposal is to reduce the amount of time allowed for an MSP to make a point of order from three minutes to one minute, to reduce the likelihood of spurious or political points being made. Almost half the points of order examined by the clerks in a five month period were deemed to be spurious.
MORI will report on their research into CSG principles, but their report will not be on the table; Executive proposals to change bill procedure, and a review of Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) elections, are to be returned to.
Public Petitions
Public Petitions surveys a number of issues this week, but most
likely to attract attention is a new petition from Ms Augusta
Greenlees, who has been outspoken on Special Educational Needs
in the Borders. The petition calls for an investigation by
the Parliament to identify the causes of the overspend by Borders
Education Authority and to assess the impact on provision,
particularly SEN.
Rural Development Committee
There are two petitions on Less Favoured Areas, the
agricultural designation for much of Scotland’s land. Both
contend that the current subsidy scheme is not operating in the
best interests of farmers. The Committee has previously expressed
its intention to examine precisely this matter.
Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, will give evidence on the Budget. Also, Rhoda Grant (LAB) has tabled a report on the ongoing saga of amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallop; the live issue at the moment is the level of toxin that would trigger EU procedures on testing and restriction of sale.
Social Justice Committee
No meeting this week, but Committee members carry out a
number of visits throughout Scotland as part of their Inquiry
into the Voluntary Sector.
Standards Committee
Standards discusses possible new categories of
registerable interests this week, including the registering
of non-pecuniary or non-financial interests (such as membership
of voluntary and charitable organisations, professional bodies,
societies, sporting or cultural organisations and unremunerated
directorships) and extending the obligation to register interests
to spouses / cohabitees and close family members (such as
children).
Members are also discussing the Constitutional Steering Group (CSG) Working Group’s recommendation that the provision of MSP services should require a written agreement with the Register of Interests.
Transport & the
Environment Committee
The Committee's agenda has been dominated by the Water
Industry for almost a year – and with the publication of the
Water Industry Bill, it is likely to remain there
for some time. This week, the Committee considers the Scottish
Executive’s response on its Report on the Water Industry.
The Executive welcomed the Committee's conclusion that
mutualisation would not be a good model for water and that PFIs
have been particularly effective in the water industry.
The Committee also starts taking Stage 1 evidence on the Water Industry Bill.
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