Committee News
Issue 50, 27th November 2001
Audit Committee
The Committee continues its consideration of the Auditor
General for Scotland's report entitled Overview of Further
Education Colleges in Scotland 1999/2000. Members take
evidence from Scottish Executive officials and the Scottish
Further Education Funding Council.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
Last week, the Committee
took evidence for its Children’s Commissioner inquiry.
A key issue emerging is the overlap of responsibility with
children’s organisations, although the Scottish Child Law
Centre said this would not necessarily be a bad thing. In
private, the Committee considered draft reports on Gaelic
Broadcasting and Scottish Ballet.
This week, the Committee meets to begin stage 2 of the Education (Amendment) Bill. Mike Russell (SNP) has submitted CoSLA’s amendment which is designed to meet their concerns over a possible legal challenge from parents of children below 4 and a half years old. The Executive disagrees with CoSLA's legal interpretation, and at stage 1 said it would reassure local authorities with a statement of clarification. However, CoSLA have pressed on with the amendment.
In private, the Committee returns to its draft report on Scottish Ballet and considers questions for a further evidence session for its Education Overspend in the Scottish Borders Inquiry.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
This week the Committee considers a Statutory Instrument which
will formally close Northern College – although it is
effectively being merged with Aberdeen and Dundee Universities.
The Committee is also continuing with its substantial Inquiry into Lifelong Learning. Amongst some evidence gathering from the Open University, Scottish Enterprise and HIE, the Committee also takes reports back from Committee members following their case studies.
Equal Opportunities Committee
This week, the Committee begins with a petition from the
Deaf Equality and Accessibility Forum which calls for the
Parliament to ensure that local authorities throughout Scotland
provide adequate provision of social work services to deaf and
hard of hearing people in their catchment area - particularly in
view of the soon to be published "Best Practice
Standards" paper. The petition arose out of a local issue
with South Lanarkshire Council over the re-instatement of a
specialist worker for hearing impaired people.
In private, the Committee considers draft reports on the Freedom of Information Bill and a report of its consultation on the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000. Members also consider a draft gender report, an area on which the Committee is hoping to focus some attention.
Finance Committee
The Committee continues its work taking detailed and technical
evidence for the PPP / PFI Inquiry. Amongst others, the
Association of Chartered Accountants believe it is still too
early to say whether PFI contracts generally offer the public
sector long-term value for money.
This week the Committee takes evidence from an academic economist and from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Their evidence should be interesting as they have the greatest experience within the UK of the detail of PPP / PFI projects.
Health & Community Care Committee
Last week the Committee finalised and published its Stage 1
Report on the Community Care and Health Bill. It
supports the general principles of the Bill, but members are
concerned about the validity of the estimates of the costs
associated with free personal care. It was also noted that
Scottish Care – the organisation that represent private care
home owners - did not take up the offer from the Committee to
submit evidence.
This week the Committee considers in private John McAllion’s (LAB) report on the petition from the World Development Movement on the effects of globalisation and public services.
Justice 1 Committee
Last week’s meeting made the news for the evidence given
by the National Union of Journalists on the Freedom of
Information Bill. Inevitably the inclusion of former MI5
officer, David Shayler, in their delegation meant that his case
was discussed, insofar as possible given sub judice. Christine
Grahame (SNP) in the chair appealled to them to talk about the
subject on the agenda.
This week’s Freedom of Information Bill evidence includes CoSLA (led by Stirling Council’s Corrie McChord) and Friends of the Earth, who are conducting a vigorous campaign on the issue.
Alex Salmond has accused Scottish Prison Service chief Tony Cameron of misleading the Committee. It was agreed to write to Mr Cameron to clarify matters.
There is a petition calling for the unborn child to be recognised in law. This is not about the abortion issue, but about making it possible, where an unborn child dies (in the case of the petitioner’s family, in a road accident) for apologies to be sought or damages claimed.
There is subordinate legislation to change the amount that can be deducted from wages under an earnings arrestment for debt. Those opposed to attachment of earnings may take the opportunity to air the issue.
Justice 2 Committee
Last week the Committee returned to the subordinate
legislation increasing the financial limits at which small claims
go to the Court of Session. The campaign led by the GMB has
been successful, in that the Committee felt unable at this stage
to recommend that Parliament approve the orders. Deputy Justice
Minister, Iain Gray, withdrew them pending further consultation.
Evidence for the Crown Office / Procurator Fiscal Service inquiry came from a support group for relatives of murder victims. They spoke of relatives feeling disempowered and uninformed by the legal process, although they suggested that things are improving.
The inquiry continues this week. The Crown Office has submitted its own written evidence, which acknowledges the additional resources put in, but says that they are not having the desired effect and that more are required. In an interesting move, they provide an appendix full of quotes from satisfied customers of their service.
Local Government Committee
Last week, the Committee took further evidence for its Inquiry
into Local Government Finance, with PPP, not-for-profit
trusts and ring-fencing being key issues for the trade unions and
CoSLA. In private, members agreed witnesses for the proposed Scottish
Public Sector Ombudsman Bill.
This week, evidence will be taken on the Marriage (Scotland) Bill, which will allow local authorities to approve specific sites as venues for civil marriages, as long as they preserve the dignity of the marriage ceremony.
Procedures Committee
Last week’s evidence for the
inquiry into the CSG principles made news by virtue of the
comments of Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel. His ‘central
thesis’, as he put it, was that it is inappropriate that
changes to the statutory basis of the Parliament can only be made
by Westminster amending the Scotland Act. He also attacked
the politicisation of Question Time, describing it as ‘a
caricature of Prime Ministers Questions’, and called for the
terms ‘Executive’ and ‘Presiding Officer’ to
be replaced with ‘Government’ and ‘Speaker’.
This week the inquiry continues with no less than twelve witnesses. Interest is likely to be generated as they include Kenyon Wright and others who were closely involved with devolution, such as Alice Brown, Campbell Christie and Esther Robertson. Amongst the written suggestions are a permanent constitutional commission; ending the Executive majority on Committees; and strengthening the Convenors’ Liaison Group.
New items on the Committee’s agenda are the arrangements for choosing members’ business (changing the selection process or making it random) and a review of the election procedure for the Presiding Officers.
Rural Development Committee
Last week was a better one for anti-hunt supporters of the Protection
of Wild Mammals Bill. All but one amendment was defeated
– the exception allows a dog to be used to make a kill where
a person believes it would be unsafe to use a gun.
Amendments continue this week, along with stage 1 evidence for the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill. There are no fur farms in Scotland, but now that fur farming has been banned in England & Wales, this bill will prevent relocation. The British Fur Trade Association will dispute the premise that there is a moral objection to keeping animals purely for fur. They argue that fur farming is the norm in 13 of the EU’s 15 members states, and that sales of fur in the UK (which will not be banned) are rising.
Social Justice Committee
Continuing with its Inquiry into the Voluntary Sector,
the Committee takes evidence from CoSLA and Glasgow City Council.
Glasgow City Council raise two main issues:
The Committee also considers its draft report on Licensing of Homes in Multiple Occupation, with the Committee having heard strong evidence from the voluntary sector, particularly Women’s Aid, on the difficulty they face in meeting the Order.
Standards Committee
Standards met last week to return to the issue of a statutory
registration scheme for commercial lobbyists. There has been
criticism from lobbying organisations of the Committee’s
proposals but the Committee has pressed ahead and agreed to
consider a draft report setting out its recommendations.
They also considered proposals to replace the member’s interests order: declaration of interests with an Act of the Scottish Parliament as required by the Scotland Act. This requirement is being seen as an opportunity to reconsider the current arrangements. Members also approved the establishment of cross party groups on Visual Impairment and Palestine.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
The Committee this week
starts taking evidence in earnest for its Aquaculture Inquiry.
This is the culmination of Petition 96, which asked for a
consideration of the environmental impacts of fishfarming on
marine life. The Committee has agreed to do a short and intensive
investigation into some of the issues which surround the
fishfarming industry.
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