Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 293

New guidelines on knife crime
New measures to combat knife crime, described as "a combination of deterrent and punishment", were announced today ahead of a month long amnesty which begins on Wednesday.

At a Violence Reduction Unit Seminar in Edinburgh, Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC explained that the new measures were based on an internal review of prosecution policy on knife crime commissioned last year.

They relate to:

How and when cases are reported by the police to Procurators Fiscal;
The question of bail; and
Decision making by prosecutors, particularly in relation to the appropriate choice of court.

Mr Boyd said:

"Anyone caught carrying a knife, whether they have used it in a separate offence or not, will be arrested and kept in custody pending their appearance in court. This way, communities can have confidence that those who carry, or use, knives on our streets will be swiftly dealt with.

"When individuals appear in court prosecutors will oppose bail if he or she has one or more previous convictions involving possession or use of a knife. Bail will also be opposed if an accused has a previous conviction for an offence of violence which resulted in a custodial sentence."

He added:

"As the Minister for Justice has made clear, we will provide people with the opportunity to surrender their knives. But where people do not take this opportunity and persist in carrying a knife they will face the consequences."

The knife amnesty will run from May 24 to June 30 and the measures announced today will come into effect at the conclusion of the amnesty.

Euro funding for west of Scotland
James Watt College has been awarded £113,183 for its Vocational Training project targeted at the tourism sector.

The College will offer vocational skills to 60 unemployed people and link in with employment opportunities in tourism throughout the region. This project is one of 10 that the college have had approved, totalling over £1.1 million, to enable it to provide a range of training opportunities for local people.

The award is one of up to 50 west of Scotland projects to benefit from the latest round of £11 million in European funding.

On bankruptcy, the Bill seeks to draw on the experience of other developed economies by making it easier for people to re-start after bankruptcy. On diligence or court enforcement, the aim is to implement the far-reaching recommendations for reform contained in 5 reports published by the Scottish Law Commission between 1985 and 2001.

While most debtors will be discharged after one year of bankruptcy, a debtor whose conduct is fraudulent or culpable will be subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order (BRO), which imposes particular restrictions on a debtor for a period of up to 15 years after discharge. Other debtors may also agree to be bound by restrictions known as bankruptcy restrictions undertakings (BRU). Being subject to a BRO or a BRU would be similar in effect to being an undischarged bankrupt.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Sectarianism in Scotland from Bill Butler (LAB).

The day closes with a Member's Business debate on the Trafficking of Impoverished Women into Forced Prostitution in Scotland from Trish Godman (LAB).

Wednesday 24th May 2006
14:35 – 17:00	Stage 1 Debate: Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill
17:00 – 17:30	Member's Business: Sectarianism in Scotland (Bill Butler (LAB))

Thursday 25th May 2006
09:15 – 11:40	Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill
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 – 16:00	Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill (cont.)
16:00 – 17:00	Conclusion of Stage 3 Proceedings: Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament Bill
17:00 – 17:30	Member's Business: The Trafficking of Impoverished Women into Forced Prostitution in Scotland (Trish Godman (LAB))

Monday 22nd May 2006
ALL DAY	Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill	5 panels of witnesses, featuring, among others, Scottish Natural Heritage; the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; a Community Council; the Transport Minister; and SPT give evidence on the general principles of the Bill.
Tuesday 23rd May 2006
AM	Standards and Public Appointments	The Committee will consider a request from the Cross-Party Group on Renewable Energy to revise its title and remit, before looking at a Petition calling for a right of appeal against the Standards' Commissioner's decision to reject a complaint and for the Standards Commissioner to be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
	Equal Opportunities	The disability inquiry hears from CoSLA and representatives of senior local government management in services such as education; social work; personnel; and culture, community and leisure.
	Finance	The Scottish Charity Regulator; Standards Commission for Scotland; and Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care give evidence to the accountability and governance inquiry.
PM	Health	The Committee will receive a briefing from the Bill Team on the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Bill.
	Enterprise and Culture	The inquiry into the Scottish Executive's plans for future structural funds programmes from 2007 to 2013 hears from the South of Scotland, Strathclyde and East of Scotland European Partnerships; the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme; and the Objective 3 Partnership. The Committee will also take evidence on the European Commission's Energy Green Paper from the Association for the Conservation of Energy, Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Carbon Trust.
	Justice 1	Shirley McKie, Iain McKie, Andrew Smith QC and Hugh Ferry, Former Director of the SCRO, give evidence to the Scottish Criminal Record Office inquiry.
	Justice 2	Evidence on the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill comes from, among others, the Scottish Legal Aid Board; the Scottish Consumer Council; and Royal and Sun Alliance.
Wednesday 24th May 2006
AM	Communities	The Communities Minister gives evidence on homelessness, before the Committee considers petitions on the planning process for public works and building new schools in a safe and secure environment and not on functional flood plains.
	Justice 1	Stage 1 evidence on the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill comes from the Council of Procurators Fiscal Society and the Law Society of Scotland.
	Education	Stage 1 evidence on the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill comes from Adoption UK, Birthlink, The Fostering Network Scotland and the Foster Care Associates.