Scottish Parliament e-Brief 

Issue 170, 15^th September 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE
This week’s likely highlights in the Committee Corridors include:

SECTION 2 - NEWS

Future spending plans explained
The Scottish Executive has outlined how it will fund the priorities set out in the Partnership Agreement.

Finance and Public Services Minister, Andy Kerr, told the Parliament last week that the priorities aim to build a better Scotland by delivering greater economic prosperity, better public services, and an improved standard of living.

The Executive, he said, was taking a prudent and common sense approach to its finances to ensure these pledges are met.  How they will be delivered is laid out in the draft Budget for 2004-2005, which sets out the detailed spending plans.

A key element of this approach to public finances is End Year Flexibility which is designed to ensure maximum value for taxpayers’ money. The carry forward of resources from the expenditure plans for 2002-03 was £394 million, a reduction from the 2001-02 figure of £643 million.

Click here to read the Draft Budget for 2004-05
Full story

Pneumococcal vaccination programme
A pneumococcal vaccination programme for all people over 65 years of age in Scotland was launched today.

From October, half a million over-65s will be offered pneumococcal vaccination if they have not already been vaccinated on health grounds. The vaccine helps to protect against invasive pneumococcal infection which can cause severe forms of pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis.

Initially the vaccine will be offered and administered at the same time as the flu vaccination - from October to mid-December - in order to maximise uptake and minimise any inconvenience to patients.

To explain the benefits of the pneumococcal vaccination and the protection it offers, an education and publicity campaign will begin this week.

The total number of patients to be immunised is likely to be similar to the numbers for the influenza vaccine. The associated level of GP remuneration has been put in place and GPs have been informed of these details by the Executive Health Department.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY begins with an Executive Debate on the Review of Licensing Laws, which attracted much media interest last month.

The Executive is looking at reforming the licensing laws with a view to:

• Encouraging a more responsible drinking culture;
• Breaking the link between binge drinking and anti social behaviour; and
• Creating a system which protects the young and the vulnerable.

The review is an integral part of the campaign against anti-social behaviour in communities.

The existing legislation on licensing, the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976, was devised in response to the Clayson Report of 1973.  This was the last consultation undertaken on licensing in Scotland.

Clearly, the situation in Scotland with regard to licensing has altered dramatically since 1976.  The way people socialise has changed, due mainly to changes in working patters and greater economic freedom, especially for women.  As a result, the number and type of pubs and clubs has increased and the hours they open have also increased.

This had led to pubs competing with each other to attract drinkers and so, over the last 25 years, we have seen a rise in drinks offers, happy hours and other “carrots” to attract drinkers - particularly young drinkers.  There are fears that this is leading to irresponsible binge drinking, which has the knock on effect of increasing anti-social behaviour, underlining the link between drink and crime, and damaging to health.

Not only can drinking among young people can lead to anti-social behaviour, the figures show it is also a strong factor in more serious crime.  The Scottish Crime Survey 2000, for example, reported that 72% of victims of serious crime reported that their assailant was under the influence of drink.  The most recent homicides in Scotland statistical bulletin showed that of those accused in homicide cases in 2001, 42% were under the influence of drink at the time.

On 28^th June 28, therefore, the then Justice Minister Jim Wallace announced the appointment of a committee under Sheriff Principal Nicholson’s chairmanship to "review all aspects of liquor licensing law and practice in Scotland, with particular reference to the implications for health and law and public order; to recommend changes in the public interest; and to report accordingly".

This Committee published its report (known as the “Nicholson report”) on 19^th August this year.  Of some 90 recommendations for reform, key recommendations include:

They include:

• A clear set of licensing principles as a reference point for the new licensing system. These are the prevention of crime or disorder, the promotion of public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, the promotion of health, and the protection of children from harm.
• Abolishing the present outdated system of licences and opening hours, replacing them with a tailored ‘premises by premises’ approach authorised by local licensing boards in line with the new licensing principles.
• A new general presumption that licensed premises should offer access to young people under the age of 18, promoting the introduction of young people to licensed premises in a responsible and supervised manner, but still retaining the current prohibitions against the sale or supply of alcohol to such young people.
• A crackdown on “irresponsible promotional activities” through a new standard condition of all licences that no advertising, promotion or price discounting should be carried out that might encourage binge-drinking.
• The introduction of a wide range of sanctions to be used by local licensing boards as appropriate.
• The creation of Liquor Licensing Standards officers to support the majority of responsible licensees and ensure that sanctions are enforced against the small minority of licensees failing to comply with the terms of their licence.
• An end to piece-meal ‘proof of age’ schemes around Scotland with the introduction of a single national ‘proof of age’ card to strengthen the prohibition of the sale and supply of alcohol to young people under 18.

Click here to read the report in full

The day is rounded off with a member’s business debate on the Elgin Bypass from the SNP’s Margaret Ewing.

Most of THURSDAY is concerned with an Executive debate on Rising to the Challenge of Improving Scotland’s Health. 

This is the first of a new style of wide-ranging debate in the Chamber.  Rather than debate a specific motion and amendments thereto, Members will be able to raise any health-related topic they wish to discuss.

While there is, of course, no precedent for this, it can be expected that members will use this as an opportunity to raise local issues.

This is followed by First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Question Time, the debate on Rising to the Challenge of Improving Scotland’s Health is concluded.

The week in the Chamber concludes with a Member’s Business debate on Terrestrial Trunked Radio Masts from the Greens’ Mark Ruskell.

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