Committee News
Issue 65, 16th April 2002
Audit Committee
This week members consider a paper reporting on the recent
meeting between the Convener and the Chairpersons of the Public
Accounts / Audit Committees of Westminster and the devolved
institutions.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
This week, the Committee begins stage 2 of the SQA Bill,
which is expected to be brief and uncontroversial. The Committee
is also provided with an indicative draft of the proposed
regulations for the creation of an Advisory Council to the SQA, a
request from stage 1.
Also on the agenda is a report on the Budget Process 2003-04 from Deputy Convenor Frank McAveety (LAB) and a response from the Scottish Arts Council which clarifies its selection process for a new Artistic Director.
The Committee also considers a Public Petition calling for the withdrawal of the Scottish Executive’s list of resources for health education from Rev. Iain Murdoch and Mgr. Michael Conway. The petitioners are concerned that inappropriate material is contained on the resource list. When discussed at the Public Petitions Committee, Phil Gallie's (CON) proposal to write to the Executive requesting that the working group on sex education be reconvened was defeated.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
This Wednesday’s meeting sees Enterprise Minister, Wendy
Alexander, giving evidence for the Lifelong Learning
Inquiry and on Individual Learning Accounts.
Equal Opportunities Committee
At its last meeting before the recess, the Committee continued
with evidence from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and
the Executive’s equality unit on the Race Relations Act
1976 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2002 (SSI 2002/62).
The CRE identified responding to the order, which was laid a
month ago by Scottish Ministers to establish a specific duty for
public authorities in Scotland, as a challenge to engage in a
process of learning, delivery and development around racial
equality issues. They identified monitoring this process as
crucial to any success.
European Committee
The meeting before Easter returned to the Water Framework
Directive. This will be implemented through the Water
Services Bill later in the Spring, and has far-reaching impacts.
The Committee discussed the scope for flexibility in Scotland /
the UK’s implementation of the Directive. The whisky
industry has lobbied hard on the provisions relating to controls
on water abstraction, arguing that what is appropriate for the
Mediterranean or even Kent is not relevant to Scotland’s
high rainfall environment. But there are many other aspects, not
least implications for flood prevention.
Also, Jim Wallace presented the Executive’s priorities for external relations – the first of a regular series of meetings as part of the Committee’s attempts to improve its scrutiny of EU business.
Finance Committee
The main item for this week's meeting is a briefing on the 2002
Spending Review from Richard Dennis of the Scottish Executive
Finance and Central Services Department.
Health & Community Care Committee
The 2003-04 Budget Process also occupies members of
the Health Committee, who will take evidence from the Director of
Finance, the Head of Performance Management and the Head of
Analytical Services all at the Scottish Executive.
Justice 1 Committee
No papers yet for this week’s meeting, but the Committee
begins consideration of the Prisons Estates Review with
evidence from the governors of Barlinnie and Peterhead.
There will be another joint meeting of the two Justice Committees to consider the budget process.
Justice 2 Committee
Members will return to consideration of the petition
concerning court delays facing victims of asbestos seeking
civil justice.
At the time of writing, few of the remaining papers have been made available.
Local Government Committee
This week the Committee takes evidence from Finance Minister,
Andy Kerr, on the Budget Process 2003-04 which may be
interesting in light of the Committee’s recent review of
local government finance.
In private, members consider their approach to the white paper Renewing Local Democracy – The Next Steps. Also in private, they consider proposals for the consideration of the School Meals (Scotland) Bill at stage 1 – although Education is the lead Committee, Local Government, Health and Social Justice are secondary Committees and Equal Opportunities is expected to consider relevant aspects.
Scottish Parliamentary Standards
Commissioner Bill Committee
This is a new Committee being convened to consider, as might be
expected, the Scottish Parliamentary Standards
Commissioner Bill at Stage 2.
Procedures Committee
Before Easter the marathon Inquiry into the Principles of
the CSG heard from local government. Amongst the points of
the discussion were the following.
Public Petitions
Petitions of note at the last meeting included a call for the
Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to review the
current situation at Scottish Agricultural College,
Auchincruive as a matter of urgency. The Committee agreed to
refer the petition to the Rural Development Committee and seek
the views of both the Scottish Agricultural College and Minister
for Environment and Rural Development on the issues raised.
Members also returned to a Petition on the Scottish Borders Council Cuts from the Borders Action Group, considering responses from the Executive and Borders Council. The Executive response restated that it is for the council to establish its own expenditure priorities within its available budget, and noted that the council has now set a balanced budget for 2002-03. Addressing the points in the petition, Borders Council's response confirmed that it was setting up a working group to consider the options for operating the swimming pools; that there is no proposal to close any community centre within the approved budget; and that they are considering alternative methods of funding contributions to voluntary organisations which will involve consultation with swimming pool user groups, community education staff and users and voluntary organisations. It was agreed to forward both responses to the petitioners for their comments.
Rural Development Committee
The main topic at this week’s meeting will be the budget
process, with evidence from the main agricultural
stakeholders: the NFU; the Crofting Foundation; the Scottish
Fishermen’s Federation; and Rural Development Minister, Ross
Finnie.
Written papers from the Executive point out how little room for manoeuvre there is in the payment of EU subsidies. The written submission from the fishermen picks this up, with all its recommendations for expenditure being linked to possible changes to the Common Fisheries Policy.
Social Justice Committee
A busy agenda this week for the Committee as it takes evidence
from Reid Howie Associates on Community Engagement in the
Social Inclusion Process and from both Social Justice
Ministers, Iain Gray and Margaret Curran, on the Budget
2003-04.
The Committee also considers its approach to the Housing Improvement Task Force’s first report on issues in improving quality in private housing, which is the subject of a Chamber debate on Wednesday.
Also, members will discuss a Petition calling for the Parliament to ensure that free and independent advice services are available to all, with the petition claiming that there has been a 40% cut in the budget of Edinburgh’s five Citizens’ Advice Bureaux over the last four years.
Standards Committee
At it's last meeting, the committee agreed to permit the broadcasting
and webcasting of Cross Party Group meetings in exceptional
circumstances, initially for a trial period to be reviewed in six
months. In private session, the committee also agreed to lodge an
amendment to the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner
Bill which would specify on the face of the Bill that the
standard of proof to be applied by the Commissioner is that of
'balance of probabilities'.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
Most pertinent business this Wednesday is the Committee’s
consideration of the 2003-04 Budget Process. Witnesses
from the Department of Urban Studies at Glasgow University;
Heriot Watt University School of Management; the Chief Executive
of Loganair; the Director General of Strathclyde Passenger
Transport; and officials from Glasgow and Argyll and Bute
Councils will provide evidence.
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