Committee News
Issue 90, 7th January 2003
Audit Committee
This week the Committee will consider a response from the
Executive to its report on the Overview of Further
Education Colleges. In response to the Committee’s
concerns about colleges’ financial problems, the Executive
reports that the Scottish Further Education Funding Council is
shortly to embark on a campaign to ensure the vast majority of
colleges achieve financial security by 2006.
The Committee will also consider a report from the Auditor General on the 2001/02 Water Authority Audits and will receive a briefing from him on the report on Planning Ward Nursing. The report highlights a need for improved planning of the nursing workforce, better information to support this and measures for quality of care to ensure value for money. The Committee will also consider draft reports on its Inquiries into Performance Measurement in SEPA and How Government Works in Scotland. The Committee will then consider its forthcoming Inquiry on Dealing with Offending by Young People.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
At its final meeting of 2002, the Committee took further evidence
on Mike Russell’s (SNP) Gaelic Language Bill,
firstly from Donald Martin of Commun na Gàidhlig. The
organisation supports the Bill, but not the distinction it makes
between the Highlands and Lowlands. The Committee then heard from
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar who raised similar concerns about Mr
Russell’s bill only giving Gaelic secure status in some
areas of Scotland.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
This week the Committee will consider a draft report on its
Inquiry into tourism in private.
European Committee
No Official Report for the meeting before Christmas, but it began
with evidence for the Committee’s Inquiry into employment
strategy and corporate social responsibility. Written
evidence from Help the Aged and Scottish Enterprise threw up no
surprises, while the other witnesses were SCVO and structural
funds officials.
The Committee were displeased that the Executive had not supplied them with a report from the topical November meeting of the Agriculture & Fisheries Council. They also expressed formal support for a session of the Convention on the Future of Europe devoted to regional issues.
Equal Opportunities Committee
The Committee held a one off meeting on the report into the Chhokar
case by Dr Raj Jandoo before the break, with evidence from
the Chhokar family themselves and from the Crown Office. The
family and their representatives are highly critical of the
report which they believe fails to show how racism can be
eliminated from the justice system and attacks the Chhokar family
rather than dealing with the case itself. They called for a
Public Inquiry into the case.
The representatives of the Crown Office – the Lord Advocate, the Solicitor General and the Minister for Justice, outlined the steps the police and other justice institutions are taking to improve their race relations practices; they do not however accept the criticisms of the Jandoo report and do not believe there is a need for a Public Inquiry.
Finance Committee
In the week before recess, the Committee took evidence from the
SPCB and the Project Team on the Holyrood
Project - Financial Position Report and from Karen Gillon
(LAB) on the Financial Memorandum on the Children &
Young People’s Commissioner Bill. The Official
Report is not yet available.
This week the Committee will consider a draft report on the Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill in private.
Health & Community Care Committee
In the week before recess the Committee met in private to
consider a draft report on its Inquiry into GM Crops. This
week the Committee will consider the draft report further.
Consideration of the Mental Health Bill at Stage 2
begins this week.
Justice 1 Committee
No Official Report as yet, but the meeting before Christmas
saw stage 2 of the Title Conditions Bill and
private discussion of the Council of the Law Society Bill
– both uncontroversial.
Also:
Sympathy for the organisation Grandparents Apart Self Help, who are concerned with maintaining grandparental access to children in situations of family disruption, but no support for their specific suggestion to name grandparents in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Justice to suggest that arrangements for grandparents and the wider family circle should be included in family mediation, and increased resources for such mediation should be considered in the proposed Family Law Bill or any other similar future legislation.
Legal Aid: Women’s Aid amongst others have written expressing concern at proposed changes to the fee structure. There was also a return to an old petition regarding slow disbursement of compensation by SLAB.
The Committee agreed that it would not be possible to progress further with its complaint to the Standards Committee regarding the unauthorised disclosure of its report on the regulation of the legal profession.
Justice 2 Committee
No Official Report yet, but the meeting before Christmas
continued stage 2 of the Criminal Justice Bill
– this time there was not a single vote. A report on the
long-running petition on asbestos compensation was finally
agreed, and the equally long-running Inquiry into the Crown
Office and Procurators Fiscal was discussed – both the
latter in private.
No papers for this week’s meeting, but it will feature private discussion of the Crown Office / Procurator Fiscal Inquiry and the Committee’s work programme.
Local Government Committee
At the final meeting of the year, the Public
Appointments & Public Bodies Bill was discussed at
Stage 2 before evidence taking on the Prostitution
Tolerance Zones Bill. The majority of the amendments to Public
Bodies & Public Appointments Bill were technical and
passed consensually; this ended the consideration of the Bill at
Stage 2.
Evidence on Prostitution Tolerance Zones came from Grampian, Strathclyde and Lothian & Borders police. The representative from Lothian & Borders described the operation of the Leith tolerance zone and emphasised the importance of multi–agency working. The zone eventually failed, he believes due to the regeneration of the area and protests of residents, but while in operation worked well; the representative from Grampian police reported a similar positive experience with Aberdeen’s tolerance zone. Strathclyde police however are not supportive of the zones. The Swedish approach to prostitution was also discussed whereby the kerb crawler is criminalised rather than the prostitute, but it was feared that this might drive prostitution further underground.
This week the Committee will be looking further at tolerance zones with evidence from Aberdeen Council and from organisations providing support to sex industry workers. Aberdeen Council conclude in written evidence that the Bill is welcome but must not be seen as evidence of an acceptance that prostitution is inevitable; Drugs Action Aberdeen are also supportive, as are Scot Pep who cite their experience of the tolerance zone in Leith. Base 75 however, who are located in Glasgow do not believe that the Bill would have any positive impact; the Women’s Support Project share this view, as do Routes out of Prostitution. These organisations feel that tolerance zones may be seen as legitimising the violence experienced by women who are prostitutes.
National Galleries of Scotland Bill
Committee
A five member Committee has been established to consider the National
Galleries of Scotland Bill and will meet for the first
time this week to agree a convenor. The Bill is being promoted by
the Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland and is
intended to allow the removal of a small piece of land from
Princes Street Gardens. This will enable the completion of the
Playfair construction project which will link the Royal Academy
and the National Gallery of Scotland. In order to do this,
existing legislation which prohibits the construction of
buildings on any part of the Gardens needs to be disapplied.
Procedures Committee
At its meeting before recess the Committee agreed amendments
to the first sections of its draft report on the Consultative
Steering Group Inquiry. Recommendations include: devising a
range of effective ways to consult modestly resourced consultees;
a strategy for enhancing participation and access; a Media Group
to be set up to ensure dialogue between the parliament and the
media; a concordat between the Scottish Civic Forum and the
parliament; "mainstreaming" equal opportunities
throughout the parliament; and a revew of the legislative
process.
This week the Committee will continue consideration of its draft report on the CSG Inquiry.
Public Petitions Committee
New petitions considered at the Committee’s most recent
meeting included two transport related matters: one from
the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance regarding the
accessibility of taxis for wheelchair users and one from Stow
Station Supporters regarding train services to the Scottish
Borders. There were also petitions on the FE sector in
Scotland, on homes for MS sufferers, on the assessment
requirements of GPs in relation to adults with incapacities and
on extending the right of privilege for those who complain
about public authorities to young people. The Committee
agreed to write to the Scottish Executive in each case.
Rural Development Committee
The Committee’s last meeting saw the final consideration
of the Organic Targets Bill at Stage 1. Robin
Harper (GRN) stressed that his purpose in setting a target was to
ensure that resources were devoted to the Organic Sector; if the
Committee were to consider the target of 20% too challenging he
would be prepared to consider an alternative recommendation.
There was some concern over the subordinate legislation on seeds and the Committee will be taking evidence on this from Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, at this week’s meeting. It will then be agreeing its approach to the Agricultural Holdings Bill at Stage 2 and discussing its report on Organic Targets in private.
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries
(Consolidation) Bill Committee
This Committee has been established to consider the first
piece of consolidating legislation put before the Parliament
– Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, has introduced the measure to
bring together the various bits of Scots legislation relating to salmon.
Special procedures will apply. At its first meeting before
Christmas, Murdo Fraser (CON) was chosen as convenor. There is a
further meeting this week.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
No Official Report yet, but the meeting before Christmas
agreed a report on Robin Harper’s (GRN) Organic
Farming Targets Bill.
Stage 2 of the Building Bill saw no contested divisions whatever. The Bill continues this week.
Also this week, there is some subordinate legislation devolving extra functions to Scottish ministers. The rest of a long agenda has in common the issue of planning and all the issues are familiar: opencast mining, school playing fields, telecommunications masts, and the environmental impact of water treatment plants. The only new issue is on this last, where a petition regarding the release of noxious odours and possibly bacteria from a sewage works in Edinburgh may raise matters of wider concern.
Other Committee Homepages:
Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm Committee
Social Justice Committee
Standards Committee
Subordinate Legislation Committee
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