Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 159, 16^th June 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE

·         Finance takes evidence on the Holyrood Project from Scottish Parliament Clerk and Chief Executive, Paul Grice; Lib Dem member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, Robert Brown MSP; Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, John Home Robertson MSP; and Holyrood Project Group Project Director, Sarah Davidson.

·         Audit hears from the Auditor General for Scotland on Individual Learning Accounts.

·         Standards considers the application of a provision in the Code of Conduct relating to Cross-Party Groups.

·         Health has subordinate legislation on Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning to approve.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

“Being tough on crime works” – First Minister
Successful action to tackle anti-social behaviour has given a community in London renewed hope and shows what can also be achieved in Scotland. First Minister, Jack McConnell, has heard today how local despair at rising levels of crime and youth disorder in the Slade Green area of Bexley led to the launch of a concerted campaign by residents, police, the council and a local housing association.

Anti-social behaviour orders against a hardcore of persistent young offenders have proved especially effective.

The First Minister was visiting the area to share ideas on dealing with crime and disorder in advance of the publication later this month of proposals for an Anti-Social Behaviour Bill in Scotland. Its measures will include the introduction of similar orders for young offenders in Scotland.

Anti-social behaviour orders for young offenders are part of a broad youth crime strategy in Bexley that includes victim initiatives and better parenting. The community has also taken action to combat and clean up graffiti, set up a taskforce to deal with abandoned cars, improve street lighting, increase CCTV coverage and more park security.

Crime in Bexley has fallen by 6.8% in the last year which makes Bexley the best performing Borough in the Metropolitan Police area in crime reduction for 2002/03. Since 2001, Bexley Community Safety Partnership’s current crime reduction strategy has reduced vehicle crime by 18%, disorder by 13%, vandalism by 20% and street crime by 25%. Street robbery in Slade Green has dropped by 85% and car crime by 29%.

Before the launch of the Slade Green Community Safety Action Zone, a survey showed 22% of residents in Slade Green who responded felt safe at night in their area. After the launch, another survey showed 93% of residents in Slade Green felt safe at night in their area.

 Full story

West Coast Main Line upgrade
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has announced plans to modernise the West Coast Main Line.

The SRA, which oversees Britain's railways, outlined its plans to improve the operation and performance of the train network. The £9 billion upgrade will eventually see 125 miles per hour tilting trains running on the West Coast Main Line and could cut journey times between Glasgow and London by as much as 45 minutes.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

The week’s Chamber Business begins on WEDNESDAY with an Executive debate on Patient Focus and Public Involvement in the NHS.

At the time of writing the motion has not been published.  However, it is likely that the Executive’s plans in this area as set out in the Partnership Agreement will form the substance of the debate.

In terms of focusing on the patient, some of the main points set out in the agreement include:

• Supporting the achievement of the national waiting time targets for cancer;
• Delivering a maximum wait of 26 weeks for all outpatient appointments by the end of 2005;
• Ensuring that anyone contacting their GP surgery has guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other health care professional within 48 hours by April 2004;
• Guaranteeing, from the end of 2003, treatment for inpatients within 9 months of diagnosis, reducing this time to 6 months by the end of 2005;
• Guaranteeing treatment for all coronary heart disease patients within 18 weeks of diagnosis, from 2004.

On the public involvement aspect, Executive proposals include obliging health boards to consult stakeholders more effectively. NHS reform legislation to abolish NHS Trusts and establish Community Health Partnerships will also be brought forward.

It should also be noted that two Labour backbenchers, Paul Martin and Bill Butler, have tabled proposed Private Member’s Bills to widen public involvement further. Mr Martin’s Bill would require Health Boards to consult when any changes of use of health service premises are proposed, whether those changes are on a new or existing site.  Mr Butler’s would require direct elections, for the public, to the majority of places on National Health Service Boards in Scotland.  It is possible that both with be discussed during the debate.

The day is rounded off by a Member's Business Debate on Concorde and the Museum of Flight from Labour’s John Home Robertson.

THURSDAY begins with Conservative debates on i) The Water Industry and ii) Care Homes for the Elderly.

While neither motion has been published, it is likely that the former will relate to the recent creation of Scottish Water and the consequent rises in water bills for businesses. As regards the latter, the Conservatives may wish to raise the issue of Church of Scotland care home, the future of which, it is understood, the church is considering.

As always, the motions will appear in section F of the Business Bulletin in due course and the full transcript of the debates will be printed in the Official Report, available online at 08:00 on Friday.

In the afternoon, following Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there is an Executive debate on the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2003.

This will implement a number of minor changes, chiefly replacing references in legislation to the former water and sewerage authorities (West of Scotland Water, East of Scotland Water etc.) with references to their successor, Scottish Water.  It also amends legislation to ensure that, where Scottish Water exercises its powers of compulsory purchase under s47 of the 2002 Act, the procedures which apply to Scottish Water are the same as those for local authorities.

There is the a short debate on a Sewel Motion on the UK Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill.

This Bill seeks to make changes to the insurance system under which the insurers of those who injure others in certain circumstances (e.g. being drunk) are liable to reimburse the NHS for expense incurred.  The Executive wishes these changes to be UK wide, hence the need for a Sewel motion.

The week in the Chamber concludes with a Member’s Business Debate on Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport Investment from Sandra White (SNP).

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