Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 153, 10^th March 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE
With Committees starting to wind down in the run up to dissolution, there are few items of interest in the Committee Chambers this week.

• Health & Community Care is taking evidence from the Office of Fair Trading on its report on pharmacies.
• Education Culture & Sport considers changes to the Schools Code.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

NEW GUIDANCE ON DOMESTIC ABUSE
New guidance to help the NHS respond appropriately to victims of domestic abuse has been published today.

The guidance, "Responding to Domestic Abuse: Guidelines for Health Care Workers in NHSScotland", provides health care workers with:

• An overview of domestic abuse in Scotland;
• Information about the health effects of domestic abuse and potential signs and indicators of domestic abuse; and
• Practical advice about how to approach the difficult task of talking about abuse.

It also:

• Identifies what should be in place to help health care workers respond effectively to anyone experiencing domestic abuse; and
• Highlights good practice for professionals to help them inform and support women.

The guidelines also include information for NHS organisations about dealing with domestic abuse as employers. It outlines their responsibilities to respond sensitively and sympathetically to staff experiencing abuse.

Statistics show that in 2001 there were 700 incidents per 100,000 population in Scotland. More than 350 people experienced serious assault and 13 people were murdered by their partners in the same year.

Full Story

NEW GUIDE FOR CANCER PATIENTS
"Cancer in Scotland: A guide to securing access to information" - a new guide to ensure cancer patients and their carers are receiving relevant information - has been launched.

Health Minister, Malcolm Chisholm, unveiled the guide at the Scotland Against Cancer Conference in Glasgow. "Patient information is a vital part of a patient focused service. Yes, there is lots of information around - leaflets, videos, websites and phone lines. But if the right information, in the right format is not available at the right time it is of little use to patients," he said.

The Minister also encouraged patients to come forward to take part in clinical trials as another important element of patient involvement, saying:

"When people think of patient involvement it tends to focus on patients as members of groups, support networks, planning and decision making bodies.

"But these are not the only routes through which patients can and should be involved. Participating in clinical trials has long been recognised as a way of improving outcomes for patients. It is also recognised that if they are eligible for trial and, if they agree to be treated within trial protocols, this means they are necessarily better involved in decisions about their treatment.

"I want to encourage patients everywhere to ask about how, and if, they can be involved in clinical trials through the Scottish Cancer Research Network."

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY is devoted to Stage 3 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill.

Passed at Stage 1 on 19^th December 2002, the bill seeks to modernise the law on agricultural tenancies. It aims to do this by:

• Proposing new types of tenancy;
• Providing a pre-emptive right to secure tenants to buy their land;
• Providing a system of quicker, cheaper and simpler resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants; and
• Providing new opportunities for diversification.

At Stage 2 in the Rural Development Committee, there was intense debate over whether secure tenants should have an absolute right-to-buy at any time and how to protect those in limited partnerships where landlords are acting now to end the relationship.

There was also a lengthy debate on an amendment lodged by Rhoda Grant (LAB) which would give the Land Court the power to allow tenants to withhold their rent until landlords obligations e.g. repairs, are fulfilled. The Executive opposed the amendment, and it was withdrawn on the understanding that the issue would be returned to at Stage 3.

Other amendments passed included those to ensure that landlords should pay compensation to tenants at waygo for any improvements the tenant has made which increase the value of the tenancy. There was also discussion of who should receive the benefit of an improvement made with the help of a public grant - this is another issue which will be returned to at Stage 3.

An amendment from Stewart Stevenson (SNP) to extend the minimum period of limited duration tenancies was defeated on a division. Amendments from John Farquhar Munro (LIB DEM) regarding increases of rent after a landlord has been forced by legislation to carry out improvements to property and about who has responsibility for fixed equipment on a tenancy were withdrawn after assurances from the Executive that these issues would be dealt with at Stage 3. A further amendment of his to outlaw the practice of requiring a tenant to be resident was agreed to.

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 day is rounded off by a Member's Business Debate on the New Forth Bridge Crossing Near Kincardine from Labour's Dr Richard Simpson.

THURSDAY morning is devoted to an SNP Debate on Public Services.

As usual with opposition debates, the motion has not been tabled. However, it is expected that, like last week's Conservative debate on the Executive's record, it will be very wide ranging.

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

In the afternoon, after Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, Stage 3 of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Bill is taken.

A Private Member's Bill introduced by Conservative, Keith Harding, its two principal aims are:

• To amend the offence of dog fouling so that the offence consists of failing to clear up after a dog rather than of allowing a dog to foul; and
• To establish new enforcement provisions, enabling local authorities and police constables to issue fixed penalty notices to persons suspected of committing the offence of dog fouling.

Although this is a Member's Bill from an opposition MSP, it has Executive support. At a meeting of the Local Government Committee (the lead Committee) last November, Deputy Finance and Public Services Minister, Peter Peacock, reaffirmed the Executive’s position that, were it to be passed, the Executive would commit £100,000 for a publicity and educational campaign on the issue.

Following its approval at Stage 1 on 13^th January 2003, the Bill returned to the Local Government Committee for Stage 2 consideration. The Stage 2 amendments, which had been indicated by Keith Harding during Stage 1 and were non-controversial, were dealt with in a single meeting.

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 day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Post Office Card Accounts from the Conservatives' David Mundell.

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