Committee News

Issue 53, 18th December 2001

 

Audit Committee
At last week's meeting, the Committee considered options for handling the report by the Auditor General for Scotland entitled 'The New Trunk Road Contracts - An Examination of the Competition for the Maintenance and Management of the Trunk Road Network' and agreed to take no further action in connection with the report at this time. The Committee also agreed to write to the Executive in relation to concerns raised by eleven local authorities about the performance of one of the successful bidders.

 

Education, Culture & Sport Committee
Last week the Committee dealt with two high profile issues.

Taking evidence from David Suckling, former chair of Scottish Borders Council’s Education Committee as part of the Committee’s Inquiry into the education overspend, the Committee attempted to form an opinion through conflicting and contradictory evidence. Members also agreed to send written questions to witnesses unable to attend on health grounds, as they are determined to gather all relevant evidence.

The Committee also considered an invitation from the Scottish Affairs Committee to contribute to its Inquiry into the effects of devolution on the structure of news and current affairs broadcasting in Scotland. The Committee agreed to return to this in the New Year.

This week, the Committee meets in private to discuss emerging issues in the Children’s Commissioner Inquiry, such as how to define the commissioner’s role and responsibilities. It also considers a draft interim report for its Scottish Borders Council Inquiry which is proving complex and controversial.

 

Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee
The Committee continued with its Inquiry into lifelong learning last week and agreed that SHEFC would provide further information on:

For the Inquiry this week, members take evidence from the SQA and the Institute of Career Guidance.

 

Equal Opportunities Committee
Last week the Committee took evidence from Alex Neil (SNP) on his Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Bill. Although local government is the lead Committee for this Bill, the Committee wishes to consider the implications for equal opportunities, in particular gender and race balance. The proposals apply only to members appointed to public bodies, not advisory bodies and would see appointments being made by a Committee of Scottish Parliament politicians. Michael McMahon (LAB) quoted both the Commission for Racial Equality and The Equality Network who fear that such selection by Parliamentary Committee would "undermine anti-discrimination protection in relation to the selection procedure" (CRE) and are concerned "that the Parliamentary hearing system proposed in the Bill may discourage some people from applying for public posts." (Equality Network).

 

European Committee
This week the Committee will discuss Ben Wallace’s (CON) report on EU enlargement. In addition, the Executive has responded to the Committee report on the EU directive on employee consultation. As the matter is reserved, the Executive put forward the position of the UK Department of Trade & Industry, which largely disagrees with the Committee.

 

Finance Committee
Last week, the Committee heard from the trade unions – MSF, TGWU, GMB and UNISON – as part of the PPP/PFI Inquiry.

At times the discussion strayed into reserved areas over Treasury rules, with Unison stating that the UK Government could easily fund all PFI projects from the budget, saying: "PFI is therefore entirely unnecessary, even if a project needs to be off balance sheet."

The Committee continues the Inquiry this week with a full day of evidence, before considering the recent letter from the Presiding Officer detailing the Holyrood risk register increase.

 

Health & Community Care Committee
Last week’s meeting began stage 2 of the Community Care & Health Bill with amendments on carers. An explicit inclusion of carers under 16 was welcomed. Committee members are still looking for strengthened rights and duties to support carers, and this may return at stage 3.

Stage 2 continues this week; and there is private discussion of the Executive’s latest statement on Hepatitis C compensation.

 

Justice 1 Committee
The Inquiry into regulation of the legal profession continues. Last week was uneventful. This week there is important written evidence from the Legal Services Ombudsman: she asserts a need for change, particularly citing the average 91 weeks taken by the Law Society review process.

There will be private consideration of the Committee’s report on the Freedom of Information Bill. The papers contain a number of major submissions.

 

Justice 2 Committee
Last week saw stage 2 of the Sexual Offences (Procedures & Evidence) Bill begin. A series of amendments from Bill Aitken (CON), mainly on legal technicalities, not the substance of the bill, were defeated with his the sole vote in favour. The Executive has brought forward new material regarding the disclosure of previous convictions, which will be considered this week.

This week’s papers also note that the UK is likely to opt in to a European regulation allowing the enforcement of parental jurisdiction orders across member states.

 

Local Government Committee
Last week the Committee continued its local government finance Inquiry taking evidence from Prof. Midwinter, Land Reform Scotland and a Professor of Property Taxation. Prof. Midwinter said he was pleased with progress made by the Executive on scrapping guidelines, ending capping and introducing three year budgets. With regard to local income tax, he did not think it appropriate in the current circumstances and he argued against return of business rates to local authorities. Midwinter also questioned the future role of education authorities. Land Reform Scotland’s evidence was concerned with land value taxation, which would be collected nationally but returned to local communities.

In private, the Committee considered an external research project on Council Tax rebanding.

The Committee also recommended approval of the councillors code of conduct, on which Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services, Peter Peacock, gave evidence and confirmed that CoSLA drafted the code.

This week, the Committee takes stage 1 evidence for the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman Bill from, among others, Minister for Finance and Public Services, Andy Kerr, making his first ministerial appearance at Committee.

 

Procedures Committee
Last week’s meeting took lengthy evidence on the public petitions system in the context of the CSG Inquiry. Those who had submitted petitions praised the Petitions Committee, but were much less complementary about the handling of their concerns at subject Committees. John McAllion (LAB) is suggesting that in future the Petitions Committee takes on more detailed scrutiny itself.

The changes to stage 3 amendments outlined in last week’s Committee News were also agreed.

This week sees CSG evidence from organisations in the Equal Opportunities field. Also, a report shows that the Executive’s performance in answering written Parliamentary Questions timeously continues to improve. Recommendations will at last be agreed regarding substitutes on Committees.

A new item in the Committee’s forward work programme is Sewel motions.

 

Public Petitions
This week the Committee considers new petitions on Beta Interferon and Glatiramer, a call for a Parliamentary debate on Afghanistan from CND, telecommunications masts and Scottish Ballet. Petitions returned to this week include Social work service provision for the deaf and hard of hearing, and the funding of Citizen Advice Bureaux.

 

Rural Development Committee
Last week’s meeting, freed from fox-hunting, ranged far and wide - discussing the Transport Committee's Aquaculture Inquiry; long consideration of who should be witnesses for the Land Reform Bill; and an assortment of petitions.

This week’s meeting considers subordinate legislation on the prohibition of cockle fishing and an update from Rhoda Grant (LAB) on Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, noting concerns about the EU’s scientific rulings on the subject. Also on the agenda is the additional written evidence for the Fur Farming Bill requested by Fergus Ewing (SNP). This focuses on animal welfare issues, particularly whether mink are tame or domesticated, and humane slaughter methods, given that the pelt needs to be undamaged for use in the fur trade.

 

Social Justice Committee
Last week the Committee took evidence from Deputy Social Justice Minister, Margaret Curran on two matters: the Voluntary Sector Inquiry and the Executive’s Social Justice Annual Report – the report of meeting is not yet available.

 

Standards Committee
This week Standards considers whether there has been a breach of the code of conduct by Lloyd Quinan (SNP) and returns to a consideration of cross-party groups, in particular issues of attendance and frequency of meetings.

 

Subordinate Legislation
Last week’s meeting saw the usual concerns about matters being left to Ministers rather than enshrined in primary legislation – this time in the Marriage Bill.

 

Transport & the Environment Committee
Last week, the Committee took evidence 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, including the environmental carrying capacity of coastal waters.

The Committee also considered several petitions including a petition from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association calling for limited licensed culling of raptors. This is a controversial area, with the Scottish Homing Union making common cause with the Gamekeepers Association, while the RSPB remain opposed to the moves. The Committee agreed to conclude the petition by writing to the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), the Scottish Executive, and Scottish Natural Heritage to recommend that the SGA becomes a member of the Moorland Working Group, and that the views of the SGA are, where possible, taken into account in the work of the Group.

This week, the Committee begins stage 2 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill.

 

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