Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 181, 8^th December 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

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

SECTION 2 – NEWS

Cancer centres join UK network
Two Scottish Centres have been accepted as members of the UK-wide National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) with the aim of improving cancer patients' access to new treatments by bridging the gap between scientific and clinical research.

One Centre will be based in Edinburgh , with a joint centre in Glasgow and Dundee , and will receive a total of £2.3 million of funding over 5 years from the Executive's Chief Scientist Office.

NHS clinical research staff will work together with scientists engaged in basic cancer research to help to ensure that advances in basic science reach patients faster.

Proposals for the Scottish centres include:

·         In Edinburgh , developing a database of information on patients with breast and colorectal cancer, in order to increase recruitment to early clinical trials. The data will be used to gain a better understanding of the causes of cancer and how it can be prevented or detected at an early stage.

·         The Glasgow/Dundee Centre will look at the effect of new drug treatments alongside data on the properties of various types of tumour, in order to find out how different people respond to treatment.

NTRAC currently consists of 10 network centres in England and centres in Belfast and Cardiff , drawn from centres of excellence in cancer research. It is part of the National Cancer Research Institute. A coordinating centre has been established at the University of Oxford which will provide the secretariat, communications hub and professional support for the network.

Full story

Legislation to protect emergency workers
A consultation on proposed legislation which would give emergency workers statutory protection was launched today.

The proposed legislation would make it an offence to assault, obstruct or hinder emergency workers, or anyone helping them in an emergency situation. It would also apply to hoax emergency calls.

The Executive will also work with trades unions and other stakeholders to bring forward a wider package of measures to underline that attacks on public service and other workers are totally unacceptable. This is likely to include increased use of CCTV, partnership working, training and awareness and educational campaigns.

Steps have been taken recently to reinforce protection of public service workers under the common law, following a debate in the Parliament in February 2003. The Lord Advocate has issued guidance to Procurators Fiscal, which has underlined that such attacks should be treated very seriously, The fact that a worker is assaulted whilst providing a service to the public is treated as an aggravating factor to be taken into account in deciding whether to prosecute in the summary court or on indictment. 

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY begins with an Executive debate on Fisheries 2004.

A controversial political issue in fishing communities, the debate is likely to centre on the Executive's forthcoming negotiations at the European Fisheries Council.

The Council, which will take place this month, will agree quotas and effort control measures to come into effect from 1^st January 2004.

Executive Ministers have been meeting with key industry interests to agree the Executive's negotiating position.

The day concludes with a Member’s Business debate on the subject of Laurencekirk Railway Station from the Liberal Democrats’ Mike Rumbles.

THURSDAY morning sees an opposition debate from the Conservatives on Reform of the Public Services with Special Reference to Health, Education and the Police.

As is normal with opposition debates the motion has not yet been published.  Therefore, asides from what is obvious from the title, the precise focus is not clear.

The motions will, as always, be published in the Business Bulletin in due course and full transcripts of both debates will be available from the Official Report on Friday.

This is followed by First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Question Time, there the Preliminary Stage (the equivalent of Stage 1 for Private Bills) debate of Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill.

The Bill is being promoted by Clackmannanshire Council, which is seeking statutory authority to construct a railway along the former rail route between Stirling and Kincardine via Alloa.  It also wishes to construct a link road following the closure of Hilton Road , Alloa.

The dedicated Bill Committee (which is needed for all Private Bills) backed the general principles of the Bill, concluding in its Preliminary Stage Report that the proposals “could be a major boost to the development of the local economy.”  It therefore recommended to the Parliament that the general principles of the Bill should be agreed.

Click here to read the Bill as introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Note
Click here to read the Promoter’s Memorandum

The day is rounded off with a Member’s Debate on 20mph Speed Zones Around Schools from Labour’s Bill Butler.

[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Report to the People ] [ Interact ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]

[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]

Previous Page