Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 222

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

Shaping the future of the NHS
The independent expert group looking at the future of NHS Scotland is holding a series of regional meetings with patients and medical professionals round the country in December.

The Kerr Group, chaired by cancer specialist Professor David Kerr, will be taking views to help them draw up a national framework to guide future decisions on how the NHS is run. This follows his visit to Inverclyde in October.

Because of space limitations, places at each venue will be provided on a first-come-first served basis.

Those wishing to attend one of these meetings should write to: Freepost Plus, RLRS-EHHE-JTXC, Room GE16, St. Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 DIG, or email: nhsfuturedebate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

In addition to the public meetings, the Group have also produced a leaflet seeking views, which will be distributed throughout the NHS for staff and patients.

Fund aimed at reducing retail packaging
The Scottish Executive is provide £764,000 through the Retail Innovation Fund as an incentive for retailers to lead by example and reduce packaging waste. The move is part of an £8 million

initiative, launched in

Scotland

today, to be managed by WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

An estimated 12 million tonnes of household waste is produced annually from supermarket and fast food packaging in the

. Research, undertaken by WRAP, shows that more than 40% of the household waste going to landfill originates from supermarket and fast food packaging.

WRAP promotes recycling and resource efficiency across the

. Its main aims are to find markets for recycled materials and to undertake waste minimisation work. It is funded by the Executive, DEFRA, DTI and the administrations in

Wales

and

Northern Ireland

Businesses with a turnover of £2 million or more and who use over 50 tonnes of packaging per year are required, under packaging legislation, to recycle and or recover some of their waste. Packaging recovery targets are currently 50%, rising to 70% from 31^st December 2008.

The Executive has pledged to recycle or compost 25% of municipal waste by 2006 and 30% by 2008.

WEDNESDAY begins with a Ministerial Statement on Smoking.

This is on the controversial topic of banning smoking in certain public places. At the time of writing, however, the details (such as what type of premises would have extra restrictions placed upon it) have not been confirmed.

This is followed by an Executive debate on this statement.

The day concludes with a Member’s Business debate on the Science and the Parliament Event, 10 November 2004 from Dr Elaine Murray (LAB).

THURSDAY begins with an Executive debate on Fostering.

Last September, a discussion paper was published which was designed to enable families and professionals to contribute their views on the future of adoption and fostering legislation.

The paper, Choices for Children in Fostering and Adoption, identifies key questions for the Adoption Policy Review Group to examine. This group's remit is to recommend changes in the law of adoption and fostering and current practice in order that the system be brought up to date and, where appropriate, simplified so that the best outcome is provided for children who, for whatever reason, require to be brought up by persons other than their natural parents.

It is expected the group will take around 18 months to carry out its work before making recommendations to Ministers.

This is followed by First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Question Time (for the departments featured in the themed section this week, see Section 1 above), there is the eagerly anticipated main event – a Procedures Committee debate on A New Procedure for Members’ Bills.

This follows the publication by the Committee of a report into the matter. In the interests of encouraging Bills with cross party support, the report recommends that MSPs who want to introduce a Member’s Bill will have to secure eighteen supporters from across the political divide. At present MSPs need only the backing of 11 fellow Members to see a Bill proposal clear the first hurdle in the parliamentary process. The Committee is also calling for a minimum period of 12 weeks consultation to be carried out on new Bills proposed by MSPs.

This is followed by another Procedures Committee debate on the equally gripping topic of Timescales and Stages of Bills.

Again, this follows a, to put it mildly, fairly dry and technical report published by the Committee which sets out a package of proposed changes to Standing Orders aimed at providing more time for scrutiny throughout the 3-stage process for considering Bills.

Among other things, the report calls for:

More time for Stage 1 inquiries, including at least six to eight weeks for the submission of written evidence on any substantial Bill.
An extra week between Stage 1 and Stage 2 to allow for the preparation of amendments.
The increasing by a day the notice-period for lodging amendments – from 2 days to 3 at Stage 2 and from 3 days to 4 at Stage 3 – primarily to enable members (and outside observers) to see further in advance how the amendments are to be grouped for debate.

Chamber business concludes with a Member’s Business debate on Dying with Dignity from Jeremy Purvis (LD).

Wednesday 10^th November 2004
14:35 – 15:05	Ministerial Statement: Smoking
15:05 – 17:00	Executive Debate: Smoking
17:00 – 17:30	Member’s Business: Science and the Parliament Event, 10 November 2004 (Dr Elaine Murray (LAB))

Thursday 11^th November 2004
09:30 – 12:00	Executive Debate: Fostering
12:00 – 12:30	First Minister's Question Time
14:00 – 15:00	Question Time: * Education and Young People & Tourism, Culture and Sport; * Finance and Public Services & Communities; * General Questions
15:00 – 15:30	Procedures Committee Debate: A New Procedure for Members’ Bills
	Procedures Committee Debate: Timescales and Stages of Bills
17:00 – 17:30	Member’s Business: Dying with Dignity (Jeremy Purvis (LD))

Tuesday 9^th November 2004
AM	Finance	Evidence on the Spending Review 2004, the Draft Budget and EYF comes from Finance and Public Sector Reform Minister, Tom McCabe and officials. Civil servants also give evidence on the Financial Memorandum of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill.
	Procedures	The Committee looks at Private Bills.
	Standards	This week sees further consideration of the replacement for the Members’ Interests Order.
	Audit	The AGS briefs members on his report entitled “Maintaining Scotland’s roads.”
PM	Enterprise and Culture	3 panels of witnesses give evidence on the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Bill.
	European and External Relations	More evidence for the Promoting Scotland worldwide inquiry is followed by a paper on the remit and functions of the EU Fisheries Control Agency from Alasdair Morrison.
	Health	The Workforce Planning Inquiry continues apace. This week, another three panels of witnesses give evidence. Contributors include representatives from various Royal Colleges and Health Minister, Andy Kerr.
Wednesday 10^th November 2004
AM	Communities	A host of witnesses, including the Minister, give evidence on the Budget.
	Public Petitions	Topics covered by new petitions include a junction on the A90, the Scottish Football Team’s management regime, treason and golden eagles. Members also return to the petition on the safety of the spreading of sewage sludge.
	Education	The Minister and officials give evidence on the Budget and the curriculum review.
	Justice 1	HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and his deputy give evidence on the former’s report on Prisons for 2003-2004.