Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 176, 3rd November 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

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

SECTION 2 - NEWS

Health and fire chiefs unite for firework safety
Two of Scotland’s senior professionals in the fields of health and fire safety have united to call for both responsible sales and responsible use of fireworks. Their message echoes those issued by Scottish Executive Ministers Andy Kerr and Margaret Curran last week.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services Dennis Davis said:

“Last year we know there were 114 firework related injuries reported in Scotland.  We all realise that there may well be many unreported injuries and even more likely many occasions when people or animals were frightened or fireworks caused a nuisance.

“If fireworks are used it is vital that they are used responsibly. Letting them off in the street is not just wrong it is highly dangerous and certainly not in any way cool… An organised event is often the best way to enjoy the spectacular display that fireworks give us but my message is - if you do intend to use them at home make sure the fireworks meet the quality of the British Standard and follow the safety guidance given on each firework and in the Firework Safety Code.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Andrew Fraser said:

“Last year’s total of firework injuries shows a sharp rise on previous years. The matter of greatest concern is the number of younger children  - 39 aged under 13 years - who were injured. Each injury is a tragedy for the person concerned, but we must not lose sight of the fact that firework injuries are preventable.

“From these figures, we cannot escape the conclusion that fireworks are getting into the wrong hands. The new legislation is a major step forward but, at the same time, wholesalers, retailers and parents have to take particular care to supply and store fireworks legally and safely. We are working with police and fire safety colleagues to get that message over as this fireworks season approaches.”

 Full story

2nd class status for kids in care must end, says Minister
Looked after children are being let down by services which deny them the same opportunities in life as their peers, according to Education and Young People Minister, Peter Peacock.

The Minister, who chairs the newly established Cabinet Delivery Group on Children and Young People, was speaking as figures showing that six out of ten children who leave care have no qualifications and are not in education, employment or training were published.

One in five also experience a period of homelessness in the year after leaving care.

The statistics also show an increase in the number of children’s social workers.

The Executive last year gave local authorities £10 million to improve education facilities for looked after children and a new duty on local authorities to assess the needs of looked after children comes into force next April.  The new duty will also mean local authorities have to keep in touch with care leavers and gather information on their living arrangements and their employment or training.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY begins with an Executive debate on Scotland’s Transport.

This debate may concentrate on the Partnership Agreement commitment to bring forward proposals for a Strategic Transport Authority.  This would be an agency within the Executive directly accountable to Ministers, focusing on:

·         Delivery improvements in transport infrastructure;

·         Co-ordination of national concessionary fare schemes;

·         Better investment balance between transport modes and monitoring of the delivery of national targets and standards to secure sustainable transport;

·         Taking responsibility for the delivery of quality bus contracts;

·         Securing improved working with local authorities as partners in delivery;

·         The development of effective regional delivery partnerships;

·         Overseas routes promotion; and

·         Oversight of currently tolled bridges.

The Ministerial role would be to set policy direction and budget allocation.

The day is rounded off with a Member’s Business debate on No Dumping of Nuclear Submarines in Scotland from the SNP’s Bruce Crawford.

THURSDAY begins with two debates from the Green Party: on Sustainability in Scotland and Sustainable Future of Scottish Agriculture.

As is usual with opposition debates, neither motion is yet available and so, asides from what is self-explanatory from the title, little about the precise focus of either debate is known.  However, both motions will be published in the Business Bulletin in due course and the full transcript of the debate will be available in the Official Report on Friday.

This is followed by First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Question Time, there is an Executive debate on Common Agricultural Policy Reform.

The issue of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform has been a vexed one European Circles for some time and, following an agreement at the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on 26^th June 2003, it is being proposed that:

·         Main CAP subsidies be decoupled from production and replaced by a single farm payment based on average subsidy receipts in the years 2000 to 2002;

·         Payments be conditional upon compliance with statutory conditions covering environment, food safety, animal and plant health, and animal welfare. Land must be kept in good agricultural and environmental condition;

·         Modulation of direct payments and transfer of the money to Rural Development expenditure will start in 2005;

·         There is a new financial discipline mechanism to reduce direct payments to fund policy changes and restrain overall expenditure with agreed limits; and

·         By 2007 Member States must set up a farm advisory service which will be available to help them meet their cross compliance obligations.

In July, following this agreement, the Scottish Executive announced details of a consultation on the future of agricultural support in Scotland.

The day closes with a Member’s Debate on Wind Farms from the Conservatives’ Murdo Fraser.

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