Committee News
Issue 97, 25th February 2003
Audit Committee
The Committee considered responses from the Scottish
Executive on "Overview of the 2001/02 Water Authority
Audits" and on "Overview of Further Education
Colleges in Scotland 2000/01". The Committee then
considered a report from the Scottish Executive outlining
progress made on implementing the recommendations of the Audit
Committee during the first term of the Parliament, and noted the
positive effect it had had in provoking Executive action on
important issues.
The Committee took evidence on Dealing with Offending by Young People from Renfrewshire Council, children’s charities and SACRO. The evidence focussed on process, with witnesses arguing the longer it takes for an offender to go before a panel, the more likely they are to re-offend. Pre-hearing diversion projects were proposed as one possible way to address this. The need for clearer timescales and standards was also raised. Restorative justice was also discussed - where young people are introduced to the victims of their offences. This was seen as a way of preventing re-offending. Concern was raised over a lack of social workers. It was felt that Executive initiatives were going in the right direction but were taking time to have an impact.
Education, Culture & Sport Committee
The main business of this week’s Committee was the important
matter of the colour of the Saltire. The Committee
recommended, following a petition on the matter, that it should
be colour reference Pantone 300 – Azure Blue. The Convenor
emphasised that this was a voluntary rather than a statutory
matter and should not result in a mass binning of existing flags.
In other business, the Committee agreed to produce a child friendly leaflet on the Children’s Commissioner Bill and, in private, agreed its report on the Gaelic Language Bill and considered that on the Purposes of Scottish Education. The Committee also published this week its report on the Inquiry into the role of educational and cultural policy in supporting and developing Gaelic, Scots and minority languages in Scotland. This concludes that "the many questions and concerns surrounding the languages of Scotland and their place in education and culture can only be properly addressed by creating an inclusive, cohesive Languages Policy" and that consultation and research is needed to develop this.
This week, the Committee will be looking at subordinate legislation on the registration of foreign adoptions.
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Committee
This week the Committee will receive a briefing on Intermediary
Technology Institutes (ITIs) from Scottish Enterprise. It
will take evidence on science and the economy from Glasgow
University and the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, and on teaching
and research funding in higher education from SHEFC.
The papers include details of how ITIs will work and what benefits they will bring. A briefing from SHEFC outlines developments in funding teaching and research. The papers also include a letter from BAA, who are angry that the Committee accused them in its Future of Tourism Report of not being proactive enough in attracting new routes to Scotland.
Finance Committee
This week the Committee will meet to consider approval of the
draft Budget Act 2002 Amendment Order. It will
consider a paper outlining possible topics for future
cross-cutting expenditure reviews to recommend to its
successor Committee. These included sustainable development,
rural expenditure, drugs misuse and youth crime. It will consider
a draft report on its Financial Scrutiny Review and a
paper from Arthur Midwinter on the budget process. There
are many papers for these items, basically saying that the work
of reviewing and improving the budget process needs to continue.
Finally, in private, the Committee will consider a draft report
on its cross-cutting expenditure review on Children in Poverty.
Health & Community Care Committee
Last week saw the completion of stage 2 of the Mental
Health Bill. The process has been marked by broad
consensus which has enabled a fairly smooth passage for the Bill
through stage 2. Amendments brought by the Executive last week,
apart from many technical amendments, included: the process for
revoking compulsion orders; extending orders; issues relating to
processes of the tribunal; transfer of restricted patients; and
sexual offences against patients.
The one moment of debate came at the end of the meeting over an amendment from Adam Ingram (SNP) to change the short title from the Mental Health (Scotland) Act to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act. He argued that the Bill is not as comprehensive as its original title suggests, and that this new title is a more accurate reflection of the areas it covers. The Executive felt that there had not been sufficient consensus to support the change, with some on the mental health legislation reference group saying the new title would not reflect all the aspects of the Bill, for example the roles of the tribunal. John McAllion (LAB) supported this change, arguing that it made the title more positive, and the amendment was passed.
This week the Committee will hear from Deputy Health Minister, Frank McAveety, on the OFT report on pharmacies, and will consider a letter from the Haemophiliacs Society. They argue that the minimum payments to Hepatitis C victims which should be made are those which were recommended by the expert group, and express frustration at the lack of progress due to the need for the Executive to consult with Westminster on the issue.
Justice 1 Committee
Last week’s meeting included stage 2 of the Council
of the Law Society Bill, and a return to the Petition
from Grandparents Apart Self Help, concerned with rights of access
to grandchildren, which will be handed to the successor
Committee.
The main item, though, was evidence for the alternatives to custody Inquiry from the Sheriffs’ Association. Points of interest:
This week Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, gives evidence on alternatives to custody: an extensive written paper sets out the Executive position in detail. Deputy Justice Minister, Hugh Henry, is also in attendance to discuss legal aid, alongside the Scottish Legal Aid Board – there is an update in the papers regarding the Committee’s recommendations on legal aid, which accepts that there are shortages of service in rural areas and in specialist fields such as immigration.
Justice 2 Committee
At last week’s meeting, as predicted, subordinate
legislation on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers was
continued rather than passed. The issue is the rank of police
officer who can authorise surveillance – although this is
not the purpose of the instrument, which, it will be recalled,
relates to NHS fraud.
Procedures Committee
This week the Committee meets to consider once more draft
text for its Consultative Steering Group Inquiry report,
with a view to completing its consideration. The Committee notes
that the report has not been completed in time for it to be
debated in the Chamber before dissolution, but hopes it will be
debated in the next Parliament.
Issues to be raised this week include the membership and procedures of Committees, members’ business, changing the Scotland Act to increase the ability of the parliament to change its own procedures, increased transparency in the SPCB, the roles of MSPs, a backbenchers’ Committee, and the processes for petitions and consultations.
Public Petitions Committee
New petitions this week on funding for Scottish Hospitals and
for residential and nursing services, the Barra airlink, rights
of audience in Scottish courts, planning regulations on abandoned
private properties, the governance of FE colleges and the number
of those entering "pagan" as their religion in the 2001
census.
The Committee will also be returning to a number of current petitions to consider responses: of most interest may be those on the publication of criminal memoirs for profit and the future of the Post Office network.
Rural Development Committee
Lots more evidence on fish last week, with three
panels of witnesses. The first comprised representatives of the
West Coast fishing associations, who are mainly involved with
shellfish. They were concerned that boats diversifying from the
white fish industry would target prawns, thus causing problems
for those already within the nephrops industry.
The Committee then heard evidence from organisations concerned with supporting fishermen including Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the Association of Scottish Community Councils and Fife Fish Producers Association. They stressed the importance of maintaining the skills base of the fishing community, including those involved in onshore industries.
Finally the Committee heard from a panel including the Director of Conservation Policy in the EC Fisheries Directorate General, Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, and Westminster Fisheries Minister, Elliott Morley MP. The Director of Conservation Policy stressed that the most damaging policy for the fishing industry would be to ignore the scientific advice and to allow cod in the North Sea to be extinguished completely. Ross Finnie and Elliott Morley stressed that given the strong scientific advice from the Commission, who had originally proposed a total moratorium on cod, the eventual proposals were less bad then they could have been. Elliott Morley stressed that he was keen to make progress on assessing the impact of industrial fisheries, something that the earlier witnesses had expressed their concerns about.
This week the Committee will hear evidence from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association on petitions asking that they be allowed to cull birds of prey. Scottish Natural Heritage and the Deputy Minister, Allan Wilson, will also give evidence.
Social Justice Committee
The Committee met for the
last time this year to agree subordinate legislation on the housing
support grant, discuss its legacy paper and, in
private, consider its annual report and that on the licensing
of houses of multiple occupation.
Transport & the Environment
Committee
Last week saw the Inquiry into telecom mast planning take
evidence from local authorities and others with a stake in the
planning process. Amongst the points to emerge were the
following:
Other business included the petition on pollution in built-up areas (in other words the Carntyne Incinerator), where reporter Fiona MacLeod (SNP) argued for tougher enforcement action by SEPA; and subordinate legislation approving Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.
Other Committee Homepages:
Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee
European Committee
Local Government Committee
National Galleries of Scotland Bill Committee
Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm Committee
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) Bill Committee
Standards Committee
Subordinate Legislation Committee
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