Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 107, 25^th March 2002

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE

The main items of business in the Committee Rooms this week are:

• Transport & Environment meets in Oban to consider aquaculture.
• Procedures is still on its marathon Inquiry into the principles of the Consultative Steering Group. This week local government leaders have their say.
• Public Petitions' agenda includes aftercare for those wrongly imprisoned; the impact of birds of prey on other species; and the cuts at Borders Council.
• Equal Opportunities discusses an order updating the Race Relations Act in Scotland.
• Justice 1 has a report on Peterhead prison, and a general discussion on the Prison Estates Review.
• Education prepares for bills on free school meals, and a Children’s Commissioner.
• European will hear the Deputy First Minister outlining the Executive’s European policy.
• Local Government prepares for a Local Government Bill.
• Health considers a petition on fuel poverty.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

CANCER RESEARCH NETWORK FOR SCOTLAND
A new Scottish Cancer Research Network is to be established in a drive to at least double the number of patients currently taking part in cancer research trials.

A £1 million additional investment has been announced by Health Minister, Malcolm Chisholm, at the official launch of Cancer Research UK to support the establishment of the Scottish Cancer Research Network. The network will employ a team of research nurses to co-ordinate the recruitment of more patients to potentially life-saving cancer trials in Scotland.

Speaking at the launch, Malcolm Chisholm said:

"This will aim to double the number of patients currently involved in clinical trials by employing a team of dedicated research nurses to work with both doctors and patients. The three Scottish Regional Cancer Networks will work closely with the Scottish Cancer Group to ensure that the right support structures are in place to encourage and develop cancer trials research in all areas of Scotland.

"I am now asking the Scottish Cancer Group to bring forward an implementation plan detailing what will be done to build on and improve access to cancer trials in Scotland, and how this new investment will be targeted to achieve this."

Full Story

PLAN TO SPEED UP ACCESS TO NHS SERVICES
The need for continued investment to improve access to services for NHS users has been highlighted in the first report of the Primary Care Modernisation Group. The report sets out the priorities for action over the next three years to speed up access to a wider range of services.

They are:

• Improving access to primary care services. The Group highlighted the need for continued investment to improve facilities and services to enable patients to get access to better services. This will also enable different professionals to work in the same buildings.
• Chronic disease management. Providing more services in the community is a key challenge. NHS Boards need to ensure that local redesign programmes improve the patient’s whole journey of care.
• Managing mild to moderate mental health problems. While a lot of work is being done for those with more severe mental health problems, there needs to be more work to provide support and services in the community for those with less severe problems.
• Local health care co-operatives. The report recommends that their role is expanded to take in a greater responsibility for provision and planning of services, with sharing of skills across the disciplines and in partnership with social care providers.

The Scottish Executive is providing £30 million of new investment in primary care over this and the next two years - in addition to around £100 million of existing investment. Deputy Health Minister Hugh Henry said that the views of front-line professionals should be heard and acted upon.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY's business in the Chamber begins with an Executive debate on Tourism.

While at the time of writing the motion has not been published, it is likely that the debate will centre around the publication a fortnight ago of The Tourism Framework for Action.

See the News section of e-Brief 105 for more information or click here for the Scottish Executive press release.

Click here to read the Framework in full

This is followed by a debate on The Size of the Scottish Parliament.

This debate will allow the Parliament to agree a position on its response to the Consultation on the Size of the Scottish Parliament current being carried out by the Scotland Office.

The day concludes with a Private Member's Debate on Hamish Henderson from Cathy Peattie (LAB).

THURSDAY morning's business comprises with two Conservative debates on Transport and Enterprise.

As is common with such opposition debates, neither motion has been published at the time of writing. Combined with the wide nature of the debates' titles, no further information on the precise focus of the debate is available.

They will, however, appear in the Business Bulletin in the next few days and the debate will be reproduced in full in the Official Report which will be available by 08:00 on Friday.

In the afternoon, after Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, the stage 3 debate of the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Records) (Scotland) Bill.

Another bill which fans of the Committee News will be familiar, its objective is to help more pupils with disabilities be able to achieve their full educational potential. Through "accessibility strategies" the Bill also plans to make school life easier for pupils with disabilities through easier access; and create more positive attitudes amongst school and nursery school staff and pupils towards disability and accommodating pupils' needs. In the longer term, the Bill should lead to children with disabilities being able to go on to lead more independent lives and will give them a greater chance to participate in the mainstream of society.

The Bill itself is relatively straightforward and was brought forward to complement the provisions inserted in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which state that it is unlawful to discriminate against school pupils and prospective school pupils on grounds of disability.

• The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Records) (Scotland) Bill will, therefore, require local authorities, independent schools and grant-aided schools to prepare "accessibility strategies" to improve access to education for children with disabilities and requires them to review and implement these strategies.
• The Bill also empowers the Scottish Ministers to make regulations in relation to the keeping, transferring and disclosure of pupils’ educational records, reinstating the right of access to children’s school records for parents. This right was inadvertently removed by the Data Protection Act 1998. The Bill does not address Record of Needs, the document which summarises assessments undertaken and outlining the services to be put in place to meet any special educational needs that have been identified.

Some amendments to be considered at stage 3 have been tabled by the Executive. They include:

• An amendment which makes it clear that the Bill not only aims to improve communication to pupils with a disability, but improve communication with pupils with a disability (responding to an amendment withdrawn at stage 2 by Jackie Baillie (LAB)).
• An amendment which changes the title in the Bill to Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) with the aim of avoiding confusion with a "Record of Needs."

The week's Parliamentary Business closes with a Private Member's Debate on Child Witness Reform from Gil Patterson (SNP).

[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Articles ] [ Calendar ] [ Contacts ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]

[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]

Previous Page