Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 130, 9^th September 2002

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE
The likely highlights in the Committee Rooms this week include:

• Enterprise and Lifelong Learning considers its Lifelong Learning Final Report.
• Equal Opportunities considers a draft report on the Water Environment & Water Services Bill.
• Justice 2 will take evidence on the Title Conditions Bill.
• European will take evidence from Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace, on the Future of Europe debate. The committee is also discussing its report on Structural Funds.
• Standards will consider correspondence from Christine Grahame (Convener of the Justice 1 Committee) on an Alleged Unauthorised Disclosure of a Draft Committee Report.
• Finance is discussing its PPP report.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

SCOTS TOPS FOR LOCAL HEROES NOMINATIONS
With only three weeks left for nominations for the new Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, First Minister Jack McConnell has welcomed the fact that Scottish entries are ahead of the rest.

He also urged those who hadn’t nominated yet to do so within the deadline.

The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement by groups in the United Kingdom who volunteer their own time to enhance and improve the quality of life and opportunity for individuals or other groups in the community.

Successful groups will be able to demonstrate a proven track record of community involvement in the social, economic or environmental spheres, normally for three years or more.

The scheme will annually grant 200 of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Awards, of which around 20 are expected to be awarded in Scotland.

The closing date for nominations is 30th September 2002. The first awards will be announced on 2nd June 2003 (50^th anniversary of the Coronation).

Over half of Scots volunteer each year, and some 27% on a regular basis, the highest rates of volunteering in the UK.

Nomination forms are available from the Golden Jubilee Office’s website www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk or Public Enquiry Line on 0845 000 2002 or by email from the Scottish Executive at stuart.forbes@Scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

For more information on The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, contact the Golden Jubilee Office on 020 7211 6145.

Full Story

STUDY SUPPORT HAS "CRUCIAL ROLE" TO PLAY
Out-of-school hours learning such as homework clubs, sport, outdoor activities and arts can support course work and improve literacy, numeracy and IT skills, says Education Minister Cathy Jamieson.

The Minister told the Scottish Study Support Network annual conference in Glasgow that providing opportunities for pupils to learn outside the classroom improves their academic performance and enhances key skills.

Funding of £10million is being made available to local authorities for Study Support in both this financial year and next. Also, study support is now one of the strands of the Social Justice programme under the National Priorities Action Fund.

The Scottish Support Study Network aims to provide:

• Support, advice and constancy to all state funded projects;
• Regular newsletters to all state-funded schools;
• An interactive website;
• Local and national seminars and conferences promoting best practice and facilitating staff development;
• Advice and information on training and consultancy;
• Support to local networks; and
• Access to publications.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the USA, begins with a debate on Scotland's Links with the United States of America.

This, however, will not solely be a chance to remember September 11^th. It will also focus on the economic and cultural ties between Scotland and the US. While, of course, a matter for Westminster and not the Scottish Parliament, it is possible that some members may also seek to use the debate as an opportunity to raise the issue of Iraq.

The day concludes with a Member’s Business debate on Ferry Services to the Northern Isles from the Conservatives' Mary Scanlon.

THURSDAY sees three debates and a statement on a series of contentious political topics.

The first two debates come from the SNP.

The first is on Performance of the Scottish Economy. While the motion has not yet been published, it is expected that the SNP and Executive will form up along familiar lines. The SNP will argue that the Scottish Economy is weak and can only be rescued by fiscal autonomy. The Executive will counter that the strong economic fundamentals in Scotland and the rest of the UK – with interest rates and inflation at their lowest levels for almost forty years and claimant count unemployment at an historically low level – provide an excellent platform for growth.

The second SNP debate is on the Acute Services Review in Greater Glasgow.

Again, the motion has not been published. The title, though, appears fairly self-explanatory, suggesting that the debate will focus on the ongoing review of acute health service provision in the Greater Glasgow area.

The full text of both motions will be published in the Business Bulletin in due course and a transcript of the debates will be available in the Official Report from 08:00 on Friday.

This is followed by a Ministerial Statement on the Spending Review 2002.

In the Statement, Finance Minister, Andy Kerr, will announce how the £4.1bn which was earmarked for Scotland in the Spending Review announced in July by Chancellor, Gordon Brown, is to be spent over the next three years.

No further information on exactly where the money is to be invested will be available until the Minister makes the annoucement to the Parliament.

In the afternoon, after Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be a chance to debate the Spending Review 2002.

Obviously, as the contents of the Statement are not yet known, no further details on the debate are known.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Causing Death by Dangerous Driving from Labour's Cathie Craigie.

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