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

SECTION 2 – NEWS

Confiscation of drug profits
The first proceeds of crime in the UK to be paid back following a civil court action have been recovered at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by the Civil Recovery Unit (CRU), which acts on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

The £24,000 recovered from a 34-year-old Aberdeen man was the suspected profit of drug trafficking.

The man had been acquitted of drug trafficking offences, following the acceptance of a not guilty plea, but could not account for the substantial sum. A co-accused was convicted.

The successful recovery followed a civil action taken by the CRU under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) introduced early last year. Prior to the introduction of the Act, only those convicted of a criminal offence could have assets confiscated.

CRU successfully argued that, on the balance of probabilities, the money held at the bank represented the profits of drug trafficking. The balance of the bank account was therefore recoverable property within the meaning of the Act.

Full story

Popular names for children 2003
After four years at the top, Jack and Chloe are no longer the most popular baby names, according to the official lists published today by the Register General for Scotland.  Scottish parents have turned their favour to Lewis and Emma.

For both boys and girls, the range of names used has been consistently widening over the last 100 years.  Parents are increasingly selecting names which are different. 

There are few changes in the lists of second names from year to year, with James and John, Louise and Elizabeth being consistently popular.

The full tables of the top 100 boys’ and girls’ birth names in 2003 are available on the GROS website at: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/grosweb/grosweb.nsf/pages/03names.

The rankings were based on the first forename recorded on the birth register. Different spellings, e.g. Stephen, Steven, were counted separately. Accents were ignored.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

2004’s business in the Chamber begins on WEDNESDAY with Stage 1 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill, introduced on 29^th September 2003, provides improved measures for tackling wildlife crime and species protection. It also aims to enhance the system of protection for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and places a new general duty on public bodies for the conservation of biodiversity.

In its Stage 1 report, the Environment and Rural Development Committee endorsed the general principles of the Bill, but expressed concern that current budgets may not be able to accommodate the changes which the Bill requires.

The Committee also accepted the proposal for Scottish Ministers to be able to ban the possession of certain pesticides implicated in poisoning birds of prey. Free-running snares are agreed with as a legitimate method of pest control, but the Committee also makes detailed recommendations to improve the operation and enforcement of these provisions.

The Stage 1 report also recommends that:

·         The Bill should provide more protection for valuable geological heritage such as fossils;

·         Scottish Ministers should report to the Parliament on an annual basis on the implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy;

·         SNH needs to work closely with land managers during the process of designating SSSI, and all scientific evidence about the designation of sites should be available to land managers; and

·         Scottish Ministers should develop a national legislative code of practice for eco-tourism operators to give greater protection to whales and dolphins, instead of relying on voluntary agreements.

Click here to read the Bill as introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

The day concludes with a Member’s Business debate on the subject of the Closure of Holy Trinity Episcopal School from the Conservatives’ Brian Monteith.

THURSDAY morning begins with an Executive debate on Delivering a Quick, Effective Youth Justice System.

Modernising the youth justice system is a key part of the Partnership Agreement.  It commits the Executive to:

·         support the Children’s Hearings system, expanding fast track hearings, if these are evaluated as successful and increase the resources available to deal with persistent offenders;

·         roll out Youth Courts where they are needed, subject to successful evaluation as necessary;

·         consult on a national system of warnings for young offenders, with a restorative element where appropriate; and

·         direct £10 million to provide additional support to localised action and initiatives to divert young people away from crime.

While no motion is available, it is likely that this debate will focus on how the Executive is proceeding in realising these goals.

This is followed by First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Question Time, there is an Executive debate on Improving Scotland’s Homes.

Following the passing of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 attention is now turning to the private sector.  Accordingly, on 16^th December, plans for new legislation to improve conditions in Scotland's privately-owned housing sector were unveiled.

A draft Private Sector Housing Bill, to modernise local authority powers in relation to the private sector will be brought forward during the lifetime of the current Parliament. Key features of the Bill will include:

·         Modernising the powers available to local authorities to tackle house condition problems in the private sector;

·         Extending the existing Tolerable Standard; and

·         Reserve powers to allow the Executive to introduce a statutory system of single surveys (pending the outcome of the pilot scheme currently underway).

The Executive will also explore the scope for extending the remit of Rent Assessment Committees to deal with complaints by tenants in the private sector about repairs and the scope for a national registration scheme for all private landlords.

This Bill will complement the Tenements Bill which the Executive is committed to introducing shortly.

The legislation will also be accompanied by a range of complementary measures which the Executive will undertake, including:

·         Developing a voluntary accreditation scheme for private landlords and property managers;

·         Changes to types of assistance provided by local authorities to private owners;

·         Encouraging local authorities to promote and support the establishment of owner's associations, including grants to assist in their establishment; and

·         Reviewing the scope for extending community mediation schemes in relation to disputes over common repairs.

Another development in the field of private sector has been the Housing Improvement Task Force (HITF), the establishment of which was announced in 2000 and which began work in March 2001.  The HITF carried out a comprehensive review of housing policy relating to the private sector in Scotland. The HITF was chaired by Margaret Curran and members represented a wide range of interests, including surveyors, finance institutions, local authorities, housing associations, voluntary sector organisations, academic interests, landlords and legal firms.

The final report of the HITF, Stewardship and Responsibility: a policy framework for private housing in Scotland, was published in March 2003.  It contained over 150 recommendations.  The Executive carried out a consultation exercise on the HITF report over the summer of 2003.  The Partnership Agreement contains a commitment to build on the recommendations of the HITF report, together with a number of specific commitments linked to particular Task Force recommendations.

The Executive has also announced that it has settled on four areas in which to run a pilot project to test a single survey for house buying and selling.  The core aim of a single survey is to improve the information about the property condition available to potential buyers, most of whom currently rely on a valuation report rather than a survey.

Further information on the Housing Improvement Task Force and specifically on the single survey can be found on the HITF website and the Single Survey website:  www.scotland.gov.uk/hitf and www.scotland.gov.uk/sssg.

The day is rounded off with a Member’s Debate on the Horse Racing Industry in Scotland from Labour’s Susan Deacon.

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