Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 9, 6^th March 2000

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

Wednesday

• SNP Debate on Water Charges
• SNP Debate on Closure of Post Offices

Thursday

• Executive Debate on Scottish Manufacturing in the 21^st Century
• Debate on Stage 1 of the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

For short briefings on the main debates, see section 3.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

Audit

• Scottish Ambulance Service *
• Financial Reporting Advisory Board (FRAB)

Education, Culture & Sport

• Hampden Park
• Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Bill

Enterprise & Lifelong Learning

• Tourism Strategy European Document *
• Tourism Strategy – Submission

Equal Opportunities

• Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 – evidence
• Review of Evidence

Justice & Home Affairs

• Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Bill
• Freedom of Information
• Scottish Prisons *

Please note that the European Affairs, Health & Community Care, Local Government, Rural Affairs, Social Inclusion and Standards Committees will also meet.

* Session will be held in private.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

ECONOMIC STRATEGY

February saw four substantial debates on the future of the Scottish Economy. This week the Parliament will debate the future of Scotland’s manufacturing industry. The Executive’s ultimate objective is jobs for everyone who can work. The emphasis, accordingly, will be on job creation.

Strategies and reviews were also launched last month on the knowledge economy, tourism, e-commerce and the enterprise network.

A key plank of economic success is an appreciation that the future of Scotland’s economy is dependent on the increased knowledge of our workforce. The Executive will continue, therefore, in its commitment to the knowledge economy.

Scotland will never be able to compete on the world stage on the basis of low wages – and nor should we. We cannot compete on the basis of labour costs against countries paying workers a hundredth of the rate we do.

Low pay and low skills go together and are the hallmark of the old, outdated approach to job creation.

The way forward is to compete on the basis of our high skills and the high quality that our workers produce.

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S DEBATES

CENSUS (AMENDMENT) (SCOTLAND) BILL

The Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Parliament on 29^th February and fulfils the undertaking given to the Parliament by Jim Wallace in the debate on the draft Order on 16 February.

• The main purpose of a question or questions on religion is to provide information which can assist in evaluating social inclusion policies and equality of opportunity.
• Non-completion of a question or questions on religion will not result in a criminal penalty.

First Stage: The Executive has now introduced the Bill which amends the Census Act 1920 to enable the inclusion of a voluntary question or questions on religion. This will be subject of the debate on Thursday. The Parliament will also be asked to agree the Financial Resolution on the Census Bill.

Second Stage: This will be the debate on 15^th March, and will allow for the submission of amendments to the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.

The General Register Office for Scotland has issued a consultation letter seeking views on the form of the religious question or questions. The consultation period is due to end on the 17^th March.

POST OFFICES

The Westminster Government is committed to a national network of Post Offices and has made clear the commitment to safeguarding the future of rural Post Offices. The Scottish Executive welcomes the introduction of the Postal Services Bill to Westminster and recognises the commitment shown to the future of postal services in Scotland and the highest level of public services.

The Main Points of the Postal Services Bill:

• Guaranteed daily Monday to Saturday deliveries at a uniform tariff
• An accelerated modernisation programme.
• A better deal for consumers including those in rural areas.
• Freedom for the Post Office to invest
• Increased customer choice
• The move to automated credit transfer (ACT) assures a safe, convenient, and more efficient way of paying that meets people’s needs.
• ACT reduces the cost of red tape – each ACT transaction costs only 1p compared with 49p every time an order book foil is presented and 79p per giro cashed.
• ACT makes the system more secure from fraud.
• People who wish to continue to collect their cash at Post Offices will continue to do so, before and after the change in 2003.
• The proposed Horizon Project will provide a modern IT system which has the potential to re-introduce banking facilities into rural areas.
• We want to see a modernised Post Office network – but not at the expense of the communities it serves.

THE FUTURE FOR MANUFACTURING

The document to be discussed on Thursday, ‘Created in Scotland: the way forward for Scottish manufacturing in the 21st century’ commits the Executive to:

• accelerate the use of knowledge and technology to help manufacturers keep pace with new developments
• improve links between our research institutions and companies, to enhance commercialisation of new ideas
• enhance skills and training to help the workforce keep pace with developments
• promote a campaign to raise the image of, and attitudes towards the manufacturing sector.

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