Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 148, 3^rd February 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

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

• Health meets twice to continue with the Mental Health Bill and will consider options for future work on the OFT Report on Retail Pharmacies.
• Procedures considers dissolution issues and standing order changes for SPCB elections.
• Equal Opportunities takes evidence from Social Justice Minister, Margaret Curran, on Mainstreaming Equality.
• Children's Commissioner Bill considers the Bill at Stage 2.
• Standards continues to consider the Cross Party Group Review and issues relating to the Business Exchange.
• Local Government meets in private to consider a draft stage 1 report on the Prostitution Tolerance Zones Bill.
• Rural takes evidence from Deputy Rural Development Minister, Allan Wilson, on the aquaculture industry and continues with stage 2 of the Agricultural Holdings Bill.
• Audit considers a report on hospital cleaning, and takes evidence on Dealing with Offending by Young People.
• Enterprise & Lifelong Learning takes evidence from Enterprise Minister, Iain Gray, on the New Economy.
• Standards meets in private to consider a draft Committee Bill on Replacing the Members' Interests Order.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

SMALL BUSINESS RATE RELIEF SCHEME
The small business rate relief scheme will commence from 1^st April, it was confirmed today.

The introduction of scheme will provide rates relief for some 70% of non-domestic ratepayers in Scotland. The aim of the new scheme is to spread the burden of rates more fairly.

An information leaflet advises businesses whether they are eligible to apply for the new rate relief. Existing ratepayers will automatically receive a copy of the information leaflet from their local authority.

From 1st April 2003 all non-domestic subjects in Scotland with a rateable value of £10,000 or less are eligible for a discount of between 5% and 50% on the rate poundage. In 2003-04 the rate poundage will be 47.8 pence.

Rate relief for subjects with a rateable value of £10,000 or less is set out below.

The exact level of relief therefore depends on:

(i) The total rateable value of all subjects occupied by the rate-payer; and

(ii) Whether or not the property is eligible for one of the existing non-discretionary rate reliefs (Charitable rate relief, disabled persons rate rebate, farm diversification rate relief, rural rate relief, derating allowance (stud farms) and relief by virtue of being empty.)

If a subject is eligible for an existing non-discretionary relief then it already qualifies for at least a 50% rate relief which is why the small business rate relief is limited to 5% in these circumstances.

Full Story

FAST-TRACK HEARINGS TO TACKLE YOUTH CRIME
Fast-track hearings designed to deal quickly and effectively with young people who persistently break the law are now open for business.

The new hearings - being piloted in Dundee, Ayrshire and East Lothian and the Borders - are aimed at a hard core of offenders responsible for one third of youth crime in communities.

Fast Track hearings will deal with the 8% of offenders under 16 who commit five or more offences, mostly vandalism, breach of the peace and car related crime. This will tackle more than one third of offending in communities by young people.

From 1^st February, any young person who has five or more referrals for offences within a six month period will go through the fast-track process.

The fast-track hearings should take 80 days between the offence being committed to referral to a programme - this is one third quicker than what happens at present.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY sees, once again, a Stage 3 debate. This week we have Stage 3 of the Public Appointments and Public Bodies Etc. (Scotland) Bill.

Introduced on 17^th June 2002 by Finance and Public Services Minister, Andy Kerr, the Bill proposes to abolish certain public bodies and appoint a new Scottish Public Appointments Commissioner. The Commissioner will produce a code of practice for ministerial appointments to public bodies and will have a role in ensuring ministerial compliance with the code of practice and in investigating complaints.

In its Stage 1 Report on the Bill, the Local Government Committee endorsed its general principles, but called for greater consultation of the Parliament throughout the process. The Bill was passed by the Parliament at Stage 1 on 31^st October 2002.

Highlights at Stage 2, again in the Local Government Committee, included the following:

• Concern had been raised at Stage 1 about the proposed abolition of the Historic Monuments Board for Scotland and the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland. The Committee had argued that there was insufficient detail on the replacement arrangements and agreed to lodge amendments proposing to delete from the Bill the sections referring to the abolition unless adequate successor arrangements are proposed. Accordingly, Deputy Finance and Public Services Minister, Peter Peacock, attended a subsequent meeting and outlined the proposed successor. He stressed that the new Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland would be able to take a broader and more strategic role than is currently possible. The council’s remit will be to advise Scottish Ministers on matters which affect the historic environment and on Ministers' exercise of their powers and responsibilities with regard to the historic environment.
• Another issue around this Bill has been the provision to abolish the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland - a charity - and replace it with the National Survey of Archaeology and Buildings of Scotland - which would not have had charitable status. This has proved controversial due to the large loss of income the change from charitable to non-charitable status would have meant for the organisation. However, as readers of last week's Committee News will be aware, a letter from Peter Peacock to the Committee confirmed that it has been decided to amend the Bill at Stage 3 to remove this section.
• SNP members moved amendments that would have prevented members of the House of Lords or those holding the somewhat nebulous "high office" in a political party from becoming the Commissioner for Public Appointments. They were defeated.
• An amendment to remove the provision that the commissioner would have to retire at 65 was passed.

Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum
Click here to read the Bill as amended at Stage 2

The final item of business is a Member's Business debate on Tackling Underage Drinking from Labour's Trish Godman.

THURSDAY morning is largely given over to two Private Member's Bills from opposition members.

Before that gets underway, however, there is a short Sewel Motion on the UK Local Government Bill.

A Sewel motion is necessary as the Bill contains provisions to give Scottish Ministers the power to improve the protection of public sector workers' terms and conditions on their transfer to a private company. (So-called TUPE plus.)

This is followed by Stage 1 of Tricia Marwick's (SNP) Proportional Representation (Local Government Elections) (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill, as the name suggests, proposes to introduce Proportional Representation for local council elections.

The Executive’s view is that the Bill is "unnecessary and ill-conceived", would cut across its own work and has had insufficient consultation. It will be recalled that the Executive is committed to publishing a Bill to include PR before the next election. However, the Executive makes it clear that Electoral Reform is, in its view, merely one of a range of measures needed to renew local democracy.

Click here to read the Bill as Introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

This is followed by Stage 1 of Robin Harper's (GRN) Organic Farming Targets (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill would require the Government to set targets for the amount of land which is certified organic and to develop a plan to make sure those targets are met.

In Stage 1 evidence, however, the Executive argued that, while it is committed to supporting the development of a prosperous and environmentally friendly organic sector, the Bill would be unworkable as it creates a duty for the Executive to attain targets, even though the attainment of these targets is outwith the Executive’s power.

Click here to read the Bill 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 is a debate on the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2003.

An annual occurrence, this is essentially the opportunity for the Parliament to formally confirm the allocations being given to Local Authorities.

The day is rounded off with a Member's Business debate on Removal of Thimerosal in Vaccines from the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon.

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