Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 259

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

Cancer deaths decrease
Figures out today show that more people in Scotland are living with and beating cancer.

Taking age into account, cancer mortality has decreased by 12% among men and 6% among women in the last 10 years.

Of the cancers that cause the most mortality, the largest fall for men was in lung cancer - 27%. For women that largest fall was in stomach cancer - 33%. The number of cancer cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) has increased between 2001 and 2002 from 25,788 to 25,999.

But within this positive picture, the figures also highlighted the need for continued action on skin cancer. Although melanoma of the skin is only the 10th most common cancer in men, male deaths from this cancer over the last 10 years increased steeply by 31% to 93 in 2004. Melanoma now accounts for 1.2% of male and 0.8% of female cancer deaths.

Forced marriage: a wrong not a right
Communities across Scotland are being urged to talk about the hidden problem of forced marriage and consider whether legislation would be an effective way to address it.

Unlike arranged marriages, forced marriage is where a marriage takes place without the consent of both partners.

Today, in partnership with UK Ministers, Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm launched a consultation on whether to create a specific criminal offence of forcing someone to marry.

Currently, there is no specific criminal offence relating to forced marriage within the UK and the consultation looks at the arguments for and against creating a specific offence and how legislating in this way might work.

The deadline for consultation responses is December 5, 2005. The Executive will reach a decision on the introduction of a new criminal offence after responses to the consultation have been analysed.

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

The first week back has a slightly different look than normal, with Chamber business taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday and Committee business on Thursday.

TUESDAY begins with a Statement from the First Minister on the Scottish Executive’s Programme.

This is the Executive's legislative plans for the next 19 months and focuses on:

Justice and respect;
Ensuring no child is left behind or held back;
Health improvement; and
Growing economic prosperity for all of Scotland to share

The programme includes plans to reduce the business rates poundage to bring it into line with England and reform the planning system. Bills will also be introduced to improve police effectiveness and to ensure that court sentences for convicted offenders make the punishment fit the crime.

Read the full text of the FM's speech
Read background briefings for the full programme

In the afternoon, a 2-day debate on the Executive's Programme begins. It is understood that this section of the debate will focus on justice issues.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Autistic Spectrum Disorder from Karen Gillon (LAB).

The debate on the Executive's Programme continues on WEDNESDAY. It is understood that the morning session of the debate will concentrate on health and education.

This is followed by General Question Time and First Minister’s Question Time.

In the afternoon, after Themed Question Time (for the featured departments, see Section 1 above) the debate on the Executive's Programme concludes. This final section will spotlight the economy.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on the Paisley Choral Festival from Annabel Goldie (CON).

Tuesday 6th September 2005
10:35 - 11:45	First Minister’s Statement: Scottish Executive’s Programme
14:30 - 17:00	Executive Debate: Scottish Executive’s Programme
17:00 - 17:30	Member’s Business: Autistic Spectrum Disorder (Karen Gillon (LAB))

Wednesday 7th September 2005
09:30 – 11:40	Executive Debate: Scottish Executive’s Programme (cont.)
11:40 – 12:00	General Question Time
12:00 – 12:30	First Minister's Question Time
14:15 – 14:55	Themed Question Time: * Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning; * Justice and Law Officers
14:55 – 17:00	Executive Debate: Scottish Executive’s Programme (cont.)
17:00 – 17:30	Member’s Business: Paisley Choral Festival (Miss Annabel Goldie (CON))

Thursday 8th September 2005
AM	Finance	The Committee will consider its approach to the scrutiny of the Financial Memorandum for the Human Tissue (Scotland) Bill before taking evidence on Dennis Canavan's St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill.
	Public Petitions	New petitions cover topics including the future prospects for the Scottish haulage industry; coastal and river erosion; the sequestration recall process; affordable housing; and dealing with and monitoring convicted child sex offenders. The Committee will also return to the petitions on the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976.
PM	Education	The Committee will consider the Scottish Executive’s responses to its report on the additional support for learning code of practice and to correspondence on school transport issues, before looking at its approach to publishing its report on pupil motivation.
	Enterprise and Culture	Members take evidence on the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill.
	Health	Members will receive a briefing on the Human Tissue (Scotland) Bill.
	Justice 2	The Committee will consider the Scottish Executive’s responses to its report of its Youth Justice Inquiry and its stage 1 report on the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Bill.