Scottish
Parliament e-Brief
SECTION
1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
Parliament is in recess.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
Fair
deal for mesothelioma sufferers
Views are being sought on plans
to change the law to allow the families of mesothelioma sufferers to claim
compensation for their grief and suffering after their relative's death, even
when the victim has settled their own claim while still alive.
Under the current law, sufferers of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, face the distressing dilemma of settling their damages claim while alive, or not settling their claim before death to enable relatives to claim greater awards. Most sufferers do not claim themselves so as not to disadvantage their families.
It is therefore proposed to amend the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 to allow the immediate family to claim full damages for non-financial loss, even if the deceased had settled their own claim while alive. The proposals are set out in more detail here.
In a statement on 22nd June 2006 on the Legislative Programme, the Minister for Parliamentary Business announced that the Executive would introduce a Damages Bill this session to address a problem relating to non-patrimonial loss.
The consultation will close on 18th August 2006.
Free
nursery places for two year olds
A £2 million pilot scheme will
make over 900 extra nursery places available to two-year-olds in Dundee, Glasgow
and North Ayrshire from families who need additional help and support.
Free part-time nursery places are currently available to children aged between three and five, but this project will benefit hundreds more. Dundee and North Ayrshire will both provide 200 targeted places for two-year olds. Glasgow will provide 510 places.
Radio Clyde's Cash for Kids charity is providing £200,000 towards the Glasgow project - the biggest ever single grant in its history. This will finance the appointment of three community outreach workers. They will be a key link working closely with the two-year-olds, their families and the nurseries and pre-five centres involved in the initiative. The Executive will provide £0.5 million to Glasgow and £0.25 million to Dundee and North Ayrshire in 2006-07 and again in 2007-08.
SECTION
3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
Parliament is in recess.
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