Committee News
Issue 82, 29th October 2002
Audit Committee
This week the Committee will receive a briefing from the
Auditor General for Scotland on the Audit Scotland work
programme for 2003/04. The work programme includes Best Value
in local government, and studies on youth justice, special
educational needs, modernising government and ward nursing.
The Committee will also receive briefings from the Auditor General on his reports Local Economic Forums: A Baseline Performance Statement and Measuring Up: A Follow Up Report on Performance Measures in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
The Committee will meet this week to take evidence on the Budget
Process from Tourism Minister, Mike Watson, and Education
Minister, Cathy Jamieson; they will also be discussing
correspondence with the DTI regarding the Scottish Media
and a briefing paper prepared by Jackie Baillie (LAB) and Michael
Russell (SNP) on Museums.
Of most interest may be the item regarding the possible take over of the Herald stable by that of the Scotsman. The Committee had written to the DTI about the prospect of the sale of the Scottish Media Group to the owners of the Scotsman, suggesting that if this possibility arose it should be referred to the Competition Commission. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition, Consumers and Markets at Westminster, Melanie Johnson, has replied (on behalf of the DTI) and states that newspaper sales may fall under one of two regulatory regimes (depending on the nature of the sale). In one case it would be up to the Secretary of State to decide whether to refer the sale to the competition commission; in the other to the Director of the Office for Fair Trading. However at present there has been no notification of the sale under either regime.
The report on Museums follows the National Audit of Museums and Galleries launched in July and the subsequent consultation. The main concern identified is the lack of, and lack of stability of, funding for the sector, and the reporters recommend that a national policy be developed.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
This week the Committee will consider in private a draft
Stage 2 report on the budget for 2003-04.
The Committee will consider written evidence received on the Tourism Inquiry. The main points in the evidence include: VisitScotland should communicate with the tourism industry post re-organisation; clearer roles should be defined for VisitScotland, the Enterprise agencies and the BTA; the budget for tourism should be larger; ATBs should work together more closely, offering a consistent service; and there should be more provision of effective training in the industry and product development.
This week the Committee will take evidence on its Tourism Inquiry from Tourism Minister, Mike Watson. In a memorandum to the Committee, the Minister highlights the Tourism Framework for Action and the two key strategic priorities for tourism which the Executive has set for VisitScotland – product quality and improving tourism employee skills and training.
Equal Opportunities Committee
The Equal Opportunities
Committee will be discussing papers on Equal Pay and on
the European Year of People with Disabilities – which
is 2003.
The Parliament's research department, SPICE, has prepared a briefing paper on Equal Pay for the Committee which discusses Equal Pay Audits (or reviews) which were recommended by the Equal Pay Task Force as a means of closing the gender pay gap. The task force also stressed that they expected Government and Local Authorities to take a lead on this issue and the National Assembly of Wales carried out an Equal Pay Audit of its own staff; as yet however it seems that no local authorities in Scotland have done so.
The Paper on the 2003 European Year of People with Disabilities makes a number of suggestions for Committee action to mark this, including holding two additional meetings, sending a Committee representative to the official launch of the event in Athens and indicating its support for the holding of a civic participation event in December 2003.
Finance Committee
This week the Committee will take evidence on the Mental
Health Bill’s Financial Memorandum. Those giving
evidence will include the Director of the Mental Welfare
Commission for Scotland, the Chair of the NHS Scotland Board
Chief Executives’ Group and Scottish Executive officials.
The papers for the meeting include a submission from the Mental
Welfare Commission, which says it is content with the financial
provision indicated – an allowance of around £1.8 million
over the next two years for the Commission. However, the NHS
Board Chief Executives, the RCN and Clackmannanshire Council put
in submissions expressing concern at the funding indicated in the
Financial Memorandum.
Health & Community Care Committee
At this week’s meeting, the Committee will continue to
take evidence on the Mental Health Bill from a wide
range of organisations. These include the Law Society of
Scotland, The Highland Users’ Group (HUG), the Edinburgh
Users’ Forum, the Advocacy Safeguards Agency and Helen
Garner of Glasgow University, who will report on her research on Advance
Directives in Mental Health Care. The papers for the meeting
include a submission from HUG. HUG welcomes the general
principles of the Bill, but expresses concern over the idea of
compulsory treatment in the community. The advocacy groups raise
issues including the definition and independence of advocacy and
the resourcing of advocacy groups.
Justice 1 Committee
This week’s meeting majors on the Mental Health
Bill, with evidence from legal academics. The Bill has
major justice implications, including: the creation of a Mental
Health Tribunal; dealing with people in the criminal justice
system who have a mental disorder; offences to protect those with
mental disorder from sexual abuse; and consolidating the public
safety test introduced after the Ruddle case.
Also this week:
Justice 2 Committee
Two meetings this week, at both of which the marathon Stage 2
of the Land Reform Bill continues. We have finally
reached Part 2 of the Bill, which deals with community
right-to-buy: it is fairly reasonable to expect amendments to
divide along party political lines, with those from Conservative
members seeking to tilt the balance in favour of existing
landowners and those from Labour members seeking to tilt it in
favour of communities.
The second meeting looks at some petitions. These include the petition on Compensation for victims of asbestos and one on freemasonry in the judiciary. Petitions from the UK Men's Movement and Scottish Women Against Pornography will also be considered.
Local Government Committee
The Committee will meet to take evidence on the Budget
Process from Finance Minister, Andy Kerr (and officials), and
on the general principles of the Mental Health Bill
from Fife and Aberdeen Councils, Fife Advocacy, and Deputy Health
Minister, Mary Mulligan.
Andy Kerr has submitted a memorandum on the Budget Process to the Committee which discusses its previous concerns over the impact of NI contributions and health improvement, and also outlines the approach to capital funding and to partnership in local government.
Issues raised in the written submissions on the Mental Health Bill include the level of resources that will be required to implement its provisions. Fife Council state that while they welcome the principles of the Bill they have real concerns about their ability to deliver the support needed, and Aberdeen Council are also worried about the Bill’s resource implications. Fife Advocacy similarly welcome the principles of the Bill but argue for a clearer definition of advocacy within it, and that independent Advocacy should not be limited only to those under compulsion.
Procedures Committee
This week the Committee will consider a number of papers.
There is a paper on public petitions in languages other than
English, and another paper on the Language Policy of the
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The SPCB has agreed
that public information on petitions should be available in
languages other than English and Gaelic, and David Steel has
asked the Committee to consider recommending an appropriate
change to standing orders. He has suggested the information
should also be available in Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Punjabi
and Urdu. The Committee has also been invited to note the SPCB
Language Policy and action plan, which outlines how it will
expand the use of other languages in the parliament’s work.
There is a paper on Parliamentary Questions proposing standing order changes relating to the deadlines for answering written questions.
The Committee will also consider a draft report on Constituting the Convenors’ Groups in Standing Orders. The Group’s proposed functions include making recommendations in connection with the operation of Committees, and to be consulted by the Parliamentary Bureau on some of its decisions relating to Committees.
The papers for the meeting include a letter from Annabel Goldie (CON) on consideration of negative SSIs. She argues that it is not reasonable that members have the ability to lodge motions to annul up to the 40th day of consideration as this is not practical, and asks that the Committee consider this.
Rural Development Committee
Rural Development is meeting this week to discuss a range of
issues, including taking evidence on the Agricultural
Holdings (Scotland) Bill and returning to Amnesiac
Shellfish Poisoning.
Evidence is being taken on Agricultural Holdings from the Scottish Landowners Federation (SLF), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Scottish Estates Business Group (SEBG), the National Farmers Union (NFU), and the Scottish Tenant Farmers Action Group (STFAG), all of whom have submitted written evidence. The main issue of contention is the creation of a tenants right to buy i.e. provisions to ensure that secure tenants on an agricultural lease have first refusal when the holding is put on the market for sale. The organisations are split fairly predictably between those representing landlords and tenants; the provision is opposed by the SLF, RICS and the SEBG, but supported by the NFU, and by the STFAG who believe that the right should be extended to allow tenants to initiate the purchase of their holdings.
Social Justice Committee
Social Justice is meeting to agree subordinate legislation,
to take evidence on the general principles of the Homelessness
(Scotland) Bill from Scottish Executive officials, and to
consider further the Debt Arrangement and Attachment Bill.
During the recess, the Committee published its report on the Social Inclusion Inquiry which involved both civic participation events and externally commissioned research into the extent of community involvement in Social Inclusion Partnerships. The research found that SIPs had made considerable efforts to promote community involvement, but that more work needed to be done to include equalities organisations. It also highlighted the large amount of bureaucracy that SIPs have to deal with as a possible barrier to community participation.
Subordinate Legislation Committee
This week the Committee looks
at the Protection of Children Bill and the Mental
Health Bill.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
This week’s meeting considers the Building Bill
introduced by social justice ministers to improve building
standards. The written submissions throw up the following:
The National Housebuilders Council strongly welcome the fact that the private sector will in future be allowed a role in inspection and verification, acting as an agent for the public sector.
However, the Institute of Civil Engineers, while also in favour of this, doubt that Ministers in Scotland plan to use the power and recommend the system south of the border. This organisation also want greater local authority powers to enforce owners to check for disrepair.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors accept the extension of verification reluctantly (currently only local authorities can do it) and suggest that the Bill contains too many ministerial powers.
The Royal Incorporation of Architects give total support to the Bill.
Other Committee Homepages:
European Committee
Public Petitions Committee
Standards Committee
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