Committee News
Issue 91, 14th January 2003
Audit Committee
Last week the Committee considered 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 (SFEFC) is shortly to embark on a
campaign to ensure the vast majority of colleges achieve
financial security by 2006. However, the Committee was not
satisfied by the response from SFEFC, and felt that it had not
taken on board properly the Committee’s recommendations. The
Committee is writing to them again.
The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Executive to seek further information on points raised regarding the 2001/2002 Water Authority Audits.
The Committee received a briefing from the Auditor General on Planning Ward Nursing: Legacy or Design and decided to take no action on the report.
In private, the Committee considered arrangements for its forthcoming Inquiry into the report Dealing with Offending by Young People. As well as inviting a range of witnesses, the Committee agreed to invite written evidence from the east coast and west coast consortiums, relevant trade unions via the STUC and pilot projects providing services to young offenders. The pilot projects to be invited to submit written evidence will be decided in due course following further research.
The Committee agreed a draft report on its Inquiry into the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and will consider a revised draft report on How Government Works in Scotland at its next meeting.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
Last week’s meeting continued evidence taking on the Gaelic
Language Bill. Highland Council was in support of the
Bill, which it feels would underpin current policy. CoSLA however
do not support the Bill; they stated their objections to the
intention expressed in the policy memorandum to roll it out
across the whole of Scotland as Gaelic is not a native language
to some parts, and believe that there has not been an adequate
assessment of the Bill’s costs. They prefer an approach
whereby local councils meet local demand. Finally the Committee
took evidence from Gaelic activists who were supportive of the
Bill but believe it should be implemented Scotland wide, rather
than progressively. Evidence from Clì, the organisation
representing new speakers of Gaelic, was supportive of the
Bill’s general principles and the Scottish Arts Council
stated that they would welcome the Bill.
Evidence on the Gaelic Language Bill this week is from Scottish National Heritage, the National Museum of Scotland and the Welsh Language Board. The Welsh Language Board’s written evidence states that it supports the spirit of Mike Russell’s Bill, but suggests that it is amended in line with the suggestions from Commun na Gàidhlig that Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba be empowered as a statutory body. Scottish National Heritage is also ‘broadly supportive’ of the Bill. A number of other written submissions have been received, the majority in support of the Bill, but one from the Northern Constabulary raises concerns that the Bill is overly prescriptive.
Also this week the Committee will consider whether to review the McCrone agreement (at the request of Brian Monteith (CON)) and will receive updates on the Roman Remains at Cramond and Scottish Screen.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
Last week the Committee considered in private a draft report
on its Inquiry into Tourism in private and agreed a number
of changes. This week it will meet in private again to consider
the report further.
European Committee
This week’s meeting continues the Inquiry into Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR), with evidence from business
organisations and the STUC. In the written submissions:
Equal Opportunities Committee
This week the Committee has a full agenda. The main item is
evidence taking on Mainstreaming Equality in the work of
parliamentary Committees, with evidence from CoSLA, the Equal
Opportunities Commission and SCVO. The Committee will then
consider correspondence with the Executive regarding UK
Holocaust Memorial day and the involvement of the Gypsy
Traveller Community, and then discuss the evidence from its
meeting of December the 16th regarding the Chhokar
case.
Finance Committee
Last week the Committee agreed a draft report, subject to a
number of amendments, on the Commissioner for Children
& Young People Bill Financial Memorandum in
private. This week the Committee will consider draft reports on
its cross-cutting reviews into Regeneration as delivered
through the Voluntary Sector and Children and Poverty.
Health & Community Care Committee
Last week the Committee began consideration of the Mental
Health Bill at Stage 2. There remains a great deal of
consensus on the Bill, but there were specific areas of debate.
Amendments were brought forward by the Executive regarding the
definition of mental disorder, and, following the recommendation
of the Committee, detailing exclusions from the definition. An
amendment from Scott Barrie (LAB) to exclude children under 18
from being treated as having a personality disorder was withdrawn
after assurances from the Deputy Health Minister, Mary Mulligan,
that the code of practice would include guidance on diagnostic
criteria.
The Executive also brought forward amendments to include in the legislation nine of the ten principles set down by the Millan Committee. This includes the key principle of reciprocity, with a new provision introduced to ensure that no compulsory treatment order should be approved without the establishment of an adequate package of care. The only principle not included through the amendment was that of informal care – that care should be provided without compulsion where possible. The Minister argued that this was already dealt with in other parts of the Bill. Mary Scanlon (CON) brought forward amendments to place the principle in Section 1 and to strengthen the duties on medical staff and local authorities in a number of areas. The Minister advised that these amendments were not practical and they were defeated. After assurances from the Minister about progress on the issue, an amendment on single-sex wards was not moved.
A key issue discussed was on the provision of services for children and young people as a result of an amendment from Margaret Jamieson (LAB), dealing with a lack of facilities for the care of young people who require to be detained. In particular, there is concern about the number of young people who are detained in adult facilities. The Minister said that the Executive does not agree that setting out a legal duty will advance the position, and that progress on the issue was already being made. She also pointed out that the forthcoming report of the Scottish needs assessment programme on the review of mental health services for children and young people will provide a further implement for developing provision. Margaret Jamieson withdrew her amendment to await the findings of the report which it is hoped will be available at Stage 3, but the issue may well be revisited at that point.
In private, the Committee considered a draft report on its Inquiry into GM Crops. This week, the Committee will continue consideration of the Mental Health Bill at Stage 2.
Justice 1 Committee
This week’s meeting continues the Inquiry into alternatives
to custody - i.e. not all community sentences, but to those
imposed in lieu of prison where the severity of the offence might
suggest incarceration. Social work academics, who will give
evidence, make the following points in written submissions:
Also this week, subordinate legislation will devolve additional powers to Scottish Ministers (declaration of past convictions, and financial support for water freight.) There will also be stage 2 of the Title Conditions Bill, and consideration of a report on the Prostitution Tolerance Zones Bill.
Justice 2 Committee
Last week’s meeting featured private discussion of the Crown
Office / Procurator Fiscal Service Inquiry and the
Committee’s work programme – the former
continues this week.
Also this week, subordinate legislation will extend the sentences available for violent offences; the Committee receives information from the Executive regarding an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to allow warrants to be issued by email; and there will be discussion of an EU regulation concerning common enforcement of parental and matrimonial matters.
Local Government Committee
The Committee discussed some non-controversial subordinate
legislation before taking further evidence on prostitution
tolerance zones. The Edinburgh based SCOT-PEP and Aberdeen
Drugs Action both with some experience of tolerance zones broadly
support the Bill. Members of the Routes out of Prostitution
Partnership based in Glasgow however oppose the Bill, which they
believe legitimates prostitution and would leave it ‘out of
sight, out of mind’. Aberdeen City Council also gave
evidence supporting the Bill.
The Committee returns to the issue this week with evidence from Glasgow and Edinburgh Councils, Lothian and Greater Glasgow Health Boards and the Greater Glasgow Drugs Action Team. Written evidence from the local authorities follows the emerging East / West divide with Edinburgh broadly in favour and Glasgow against.
National Galleries of Scotland Bill
Committee
At the Committee’s first meeting, Rhona Brankin (LAB)
was elected as convenor and John Young (CON) as Deputy Convenor.
Procedures Committee
Last week the Committee continued consideration of its Consultative
Steering Group Inquiry draft report. Issues included voting
patterns in the bureau and the creation of a backbenchers
Committee. There are a number of issues which require to be
resolved and which generally reflect differences between members
from the Executive parties and those from the opposition parties.
Discussion of these issues will continue at the meeting this
week.
Public Petitions Committee
New petitions at this week’s Committee include those on
premiums for livestock; on funding for residential care places;
on the regulation of nursing homes; on autism; on solvent abuse
– from the Lee O’Brien Solvent Trust; and one from the
UK Men’s Movement on ‘Parental Alienation
Syndrome’. Current petitions being considered include
those on the creation of a Gaelic Language Act; on the colour of
the Saltire; and on the East Coast Mainline.
Rural Development Committee
The Committee’s first meeting of the new year began with
evidence from Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, on subordinate
legislation about seeds. The Committee had been concerned
that the relaxation of labelling and packaging rules for certain
seeds could result in contamination by genetically modified
organisms. Mr Finnie stressed that the requirement in the
regulations for seeds to be transmitted to the final consumer in
a sealed container should mean that they would not be at risk of
contamination. The Committee will formally consider the
instrument once it has been to the Subordinate Legislation
Committee.
The Committee then discussed its approach to the Agricultural Holdings Bill at Stage 2 and agreed, on the recommendation of Ross Finnie, to put back the section on the right to buy to the end of the process to allow time for the lodging of executive amendments. Stage 2 begins next week.
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries
(Consolidation) Bill Committee
This Committee has been established to consider the first
piece of consolidating legislation put before the Parliament
– the measure will bring together the various bits of
existing legislation relating to salmon. Special
procedures will apply.
This week the Committee will question the Scottish Law Commission, and consider views put forward by the Executive.
Social Justice Committee
Social Justice begins its
consideration of the Homelessness Bill at stage 2
this week. Amendments lodged include those from Robert Brown (LIB
DEM) to include refugees in the definition of those in priority
need, and to place additional duties on local authorities with
regard to support services for homeless people.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
Last week’s meeting concluded stage 2 of the Building
Bill, which continues to be consensual. Deputy Social
Justice Minister, Des McNulty, pledged to deal at stage 3 with a
suggestion from Angus Mackay (LAB) to give emergency repair
powers to local authorities.
The Committee also considered a range of petitions - on opencast mining; school playing fields; telecommunications masts; and the environmental impact of water treatment plants. The only new issue was on the 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. All the topics will be continued.
Other Committee Homepages:
Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm Committee
Standards Committee
Subordinate Legislation Committee
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