Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 131, 16^th September 2002

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

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

• Justice 1 & 2. Both Committees will meet together to hear from Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, on progress to date and future plans of the Scottish executive. The Committees will also take evidence from Clive Fairweather, the outgoing Chief Inspector of Prisons, on his annual report for 2001 to 2002.
• Audit will consider arrangements for a possible Inquiry into the report by the Auditor General for Scotland entitled "Review of the Management of Waiting Lists in Scotland".
• Education will take evidence on the Public Appointments and Public Bodies Bill.
• Local Government will take evidence from CoSLA on its Renewing Local Democracy – Phase 2 Inquiry. It will also consider a draft Stage 1 report on the Local Government Bill and proposals for consideration of Proportional Representation (Local Government Elections) (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1.
• Rural Development will consider a draft report on its Inquiry into Integrated Rural Development, and will take evidence from fishermen’s representatives on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
• Subordinate Legislation will consider the Scottish Executive responses to points raised on the Public Appointments and Public Bodies Bill.
• Social Justice will consider a draft report on the Social Inclusion Inquiry.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

EXTRA HELP FOR FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMMES
An expansion in support for vulnerable and deprived families with young children demonstrates long-term commitment to closing the opportunity gap, Education and Young People Minister Cathy Jamieson said today.

The Executive's Spending Review will mean increased funding over the next three years for Sure Start Scotland from £19 million to £31 million, and for the Childcare Strategy from £19 million to £23.9 million.

The total amount of funding will be £54.9 million by 2006. Ms Jamieson said her priority now was to concentrate on what that level of funding could deliver.

Sure Start Scotland, which started in 1999, is aimed at providing targeted support to families with very young children (0-3 years) with a focus on the most vulnerable and deprived families. Examples of services funded through Sure Start are: parental support; outreach services; childcare, including nurseries and playgroups; childminding; support for children with special needs; and projects for the most marginalised, such as families affected by drugs misuse.

"A Childcare Strategy for Scotland" (1998) aims to ensure good quality affordable childcare for all 0-14 year olds by: raising quality standards; supporting parents’ purchasing power; expanding childcare places and improving information. All 3 and 4 year olds in Scotland now have access to a free pre-school education place, where their parents want one. The latest figures show that 96% of 4 year olds and 85% of 3 year olds are in nursery education.

Full Story

YOUTH FOOTBALL STARTING TO ROLL
A series of measures designed to promote and develop youth football across the country have been announced.

In addition to Lloyds TSB Scotland’s sponsorship of the Euro 2008 Bid, with its emphasis on getting youngsters to play football, there will be £24 million of new funding for school sports programmes.

Welcoming the news, First Minister, Jakc McConnell said:

"I recognise football's particular place in Scottish sport, in culture and its impact on the economic and social well-being of many people. That is why we are so determined to do all that we can to secure Euro 2008.

"And we are doing all we can to ensure that as many children as possible can participate in football and sport at school and that they have access to facilities they need.

"As announced yesterday in Parliament, youth football will benefit from the £24m additional funds we are now making available to develop school sport through the Active Primary Schools and School Sport Development Officer programmes. We are committed to building the links between schools and local clubs so that the pathways and the coaching are available to enable everyone to develop their sporting potential.

"I want to see Scottish teams doing well at club and national levels. I want us to have football teams we can take pride in and which Scottish youngsters will aspire to play for. That is why I am delighted that the SFA is announcing today its review into youth football development.

"This review will have a wide remit. It will recommend a single national framework for the delivery of football development. This is important work which is why the Executive is helping to fund the review.

"If radical changes are recommended through the review, we will look to the SFA and the sport of football at all levels to grasp the nettle and do what is necessary to make Scottish football a modern and dynamic game.

"It must be capable of maintaining a large playing base; able to identify and nurture talent; and compete successfully at European and World levels. We must have a streamlined and modern organisation capable of delivering results in the 21^st century."

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

Much of this week's Chamber business is concerned with legislation, starting on WEDNESDAY with Stage 1 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.

Already the subject of much public debate, the Justice 2 Committee published its Stage 1 report on the Bill on Friday. The report endorses the general principles of the Bill, backing 67 of its 70 clauses, but does not support the specific proposals to ban the physical punishment of children under three.

The Committee also highlighted concern over victim statements and piloting Children’s Hearings for some 16 and 17 year old offenders.

The Committee, though, endorsed Executive proposals on:

• Creating an Order of Lifelong Restriction for high risk offenders;
• The creation of a Risk Management Authority;
• Increased sentences for child pornography;
• Using of the latest electronic monitoring technology to track offenders;
• Increased protection from harassment;
• Measures on Drug Courts;
• More protection from anti-social behaviour; and
• Enhanced arrangements for checking on those who work with children and vulnerable people.

With specific reference to the physical punishment of children, the Committee report states:

"The Committee strongly supports any measures, which will reduce harm to or abuse of children and welcomes the general trend in society towards less physical punishment of children.

"The Committee suggests that the option of public education and improved support for parents, as an alternative to legislation, may have been dismissed too easily.

"The Committee would not oppose subsection 43(1) but accepts that it is unlikely to lead to any change in the way the courts might determine a case.

"In relation to the physical punishment of children measures, the majority of the Committee concluded that it is reasonable for there to be a blanket ban on blows to the head and accepted the intention behind the ban on shaking or the use of an implement while wishing to see further clarification of these provisions.

"The Committee does not support the inclusion in the Bill of subsection 43(3)(a), which would ban the physical punishment of children under three. We do not wish to see an increase in the prosecution of parents for moderate physical punishment and we do not accept that it is realistic to remove an available defence to the charge of assault while at the same time reassuring Parliament that the number of prosecutions will not increase as a result."

As a side issue, the leaking of this report to a national newspaper prior to publication has angered Committee members and the matter has been referred to the Standards Committee.

Click Here to Read the Committee's Report in Full

In his response to the report, Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, said, on the issue of a ban on smacking of very young children, that it was clear there was insufficient support among MSPs in the Parliament and he would be recommending to Cabinet that the age-related element does not proceed. He added that the Executive "will of course continue to pursue a range of measures to further protect young children from physical abuse."

On the subject of Children’s’ Hearings for 16-17 year olds, the Justice Minister said that the Cabinet has been committed to this proposal for some time now, but that they will look with interest at the Committee's suggestion that the pilot schemes be limited to those with one or only a small number of non-serious offences and will consider this further.

On Victim Statements, Mr Wallace underlined the Executive's belief in the importance of giving victims a greater voice in the criminal justice system. He expressed his desire to reflect on the comments of the Committee and see how its concerns could be addressed in a way that will allow victims the chance to have their say in court and explain the impact a crime has had on them. "Victims have this right in many other countries and I refuse to believe that we cannot work with the Committee to arrive at a solution that will satisfy everyone," he said.

Click here to read the Bill in full as introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

The day concludes with a Member’s Business debate on Dundee Heritage Trust from the SNP's Irene McGugan.

THURSDAY begins with more legislation. This time the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill.

The Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001, which was passed by the Parliament in December 2000 and received Royal Assent on 17 January 2001, as the name suggests, abolishes both legal sanctions. The Act, however, will not come into force until 31^st December 2002 at the latest, to allow the Executive time to bring forward alternative proposals to replace them. The Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill represents this alternative.

In effect, the Bill aims to implement the central recommendations of the Working Group, established by the Minister for Justice, on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant Sale, in its report Striking the Balance: a New Approach to Debt Management.

These include:

• A statutory national debt arrangement scheme to help people repay debts in a managed way free from the threat of enforcement action;
• New incentives for debtors and creditors to reach negotiated settlements out of court;
• A new, less intrusive enforcement procedure which will target only those who can pay but won’t; and
• Provision of money advice and information in court within the court process.

Click here to read the Bill in full as introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

In the afternoon, after Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be an Executive Debate on The Role of Culture in the Educational Development of Young People.

As the motion has not yet been published, the focus of the debate remains unclear.

As always, however, the full text of the motion will be published in the Business Bulletin in due course and a transcript of the debate will be available from the Official Report from 08:00 on Friday.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Support for Crofting from the Liberal Democrats' Tavish Scott.

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