Committee News
Issue 64, 26th March 2002
Audit Committee
Consensus was the order of the day last Tuesday, with members
welcoming the acceptance by the Scottish Executive of their
recommendations on the Governance and Financial
Management at Moray College as well their report on the Overview
of Further Education Colleges in Scotland for 1999/2000.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
The private School Meals (Scotland) Bill, which would
require education authorities to provide free nutritious school
meals to all pupils, reaches the Committee this week as it
considers how to proceed with stage 1. The Committee is expected
to agree to appoint an advisor to consider nutritional issues and
an advisor to consider the cost implications. Key issues will be:
The Committee also considers a petition on free school transport.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
Top of the agenda last week were reports on the progress and
achievements to date from the Local Economic Forums for
Glasgow, Dunbartonshire and the Borders.
It was agreed that Convener, Alex Neil (SNP) would write to the Local Government Committee to note the importance of including local authorities which are not members of CoSLA in the consultations on the local government and Scottish Parliament covenant.
Equal Opportunities Committee
Last week the Committee took evidence from Positive Action in
Housing, and Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland
on the Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland)
Order 2002 (which imposes a duty on specific listed bodies to
publish race equality schemes and statements of race equality
policies and put in place the necessary arrangements to monitor
the impact of such schemes and policies). Members return to the
order this week with evidence from the Commission for Racial
Equality and the Scottish Executive Equality Unit before going on
to consider the order under the negative procedure.
European Committee
This week’s heavy agenda includes a return to the Water
Framework Directive. This will be implemented through the
Water Services Bill later in the Spring and has far-reaching
impacts. It also represents a greater level of co-operation
between the European Commission and member states than has taken
place hitherto.
The Committee is receiving a paper on the scope for flexibility in Scotland / the UK’s implementation of the Directive. The whisky industry has lobbied hard on the provisions relating to maintaining controls on water abstraction, arguing that what is appropriate for the Mediterranean or even Kent is not relevant to Scotland’s high rainfall environment. There are also many other aspects, not least possible implications for flood prevention.
Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace, will also present the Executive’s priorities in the field of external relations.
Finance Committee
No meeting last week. Agenda for this week includes the on-going
review of financial scrutiny arrangements and the
2003/04 budget process.
Health & Community Care Committee
The main item of note arising from last week’s meeting
is the suspension of the Committee’s consideration of Nicola
Sturgeon’s (SNP) Tobacco Advertising and Promotion
(Scotland) Bill in light of the likelihood of an
imminent UK-wide Bill at Westminster. Apart for statutory
instruments, the only other business was a private discussion on
Hospital Acquired Infections.
This week's business includes consideration of the Convenant between local government and the Scottish Parliament as well as the 2003/04 Budget process.
Justice 1 Committee
This week’s meeting will have a report on Peterhead
prison, and will discuss how to approach the Prisons Estate
Review. The Committee also takes stock of progress in the
Inquiry into regulation of the legal profession.
Justice 2 Committee
No papers yet for this week’s meeting, but the long
Inquiry into the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service continues
with evidence from the Faculty of Advocates.
The Petitioner on court delays facing victims of asbestos taking legal action against their former employers also attends in person.
Local Government Committee
Meeting largely in private, the Committee considers how to
proceed with its scrutiny of Budget 2003/04 and stage 1 of
the Proposed Local Government Bill.
This week the Committee is hosting a conference in Stirling to consult on the forthcoming Local Government Bill.
Procedures Committee
This week the marathon Inquiry into the principles of the CSG hears
from local government. The written submissions from local
authorities, mainly written last summer, are fairly positive. As
elsewhere in the Inquiry, Committee procedures are singled out
for praise (particularly Public Petitions), but there are the
familiar calls for more meetings outside Edinburgh. Another
familiar complaint was consultation overload.
The submissions also include some original and useful suggestions for improved working.
Public Petitions
This week, Public Petitions receives a petition calling for the
Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to review the
current situation at the Scottish Agricultural College
Auchincruive as a matter of urgency. Also on the agenda is
the recurring issue of community involvement in planning
decisions, and responses from the Executive on the consultation
by Scottish Water Boards and cuts in Borders Council.
Finally the Committee considers responses from Scottish Natural
Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union on the impact of
predatory birds on other species.
Rural Development Committee
Last week, evidence began for the Inquiry into integrated
rural development, with the Committee meeting in rural
Galloway. Various local people talked about the balance between
employment, service provision and land use.
This week’s meeting has a number of minor items, including a cluster on the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park and the funding for it.
Social Justice Committee
Last week the Committee took evidence on Budget 2003-04
from panel sessions, including representatives from the Housing,
Social Inclusion and Voluntary Sectors, during which the Scottish
Federation of Housing Associations called for the retention of
housing revenue account capital consents to invest in housing,
post any stock transfers.
The Committee also agreed witnesses to help form its response to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement.
Standards Committee
This week, Standards considers whether to make a written
submission in response to the Issues and Questions Paper on
Standards of Conduct in the House of Commons, an Inquiry
undertaken by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. If
members agree to a submission, they are likely to set out the
Standards Committee’s work on lobbying, investigative
arrangements (including the Scottish Parliamentary Standards
Commissioner Bill) and Members’ interests.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
This Wednesday’s meeting considers a referred petition on
behalf of the Munlochy Vigil on Genetically Modified
Crops. The 2003-04 Budget Process and
the remit of an Inquiry into the rail industry are
also up for discussion.
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