Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 34, 11th September 2000
SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
THE CHAMBER
Wednesday 13th September
Thursday 14 September 2000
Please see section 3 for briefing notes on the main debates.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Justice & Home Affairs
Will take Stage 1 evidence on Adam Ingram’s Leasehold Casualties Bill and hear from the Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland.
Equal Opportunities
Discusses single-sex schools, and their inquiry into Travelling People.
Procedures
A heavy agenda includes consideration of many proposed changes to the Parliamentary process.
Rural Affairs
Will discuss stage 2 of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Amendment (Scotland) Bill; and a report on amnesic shellfish poisoning.
Social Inclusion
Takes Stage 1 evidence on the two private members bills around family homes and mortgage repossessions. They also consider their report on drug misuse.
For a fuller account of the work of the Committees, please see tomorrow’s Committee Brief.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
GOOD COMPUTER SKILLS IN SCHOOLS JUST A CLICK AWAY
A report on the use and potential of computers and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in Scottish schools was welcomed on Friday by Deputy Minister for Children and Education, Peter Peacock.
The HMI report, 'Use of ICT in Learning and Teaching', is an evaluation of how well computers are being used in schools to promote pupils' attainment. The format of the report itself benefits from ICT progress - an electronic version of the report, to be placed on the web later this month, will contain video illustrations of some of the good practice identified in the report.
Peter Peacock said:
"The use of computers and ICT represents both an exciting opportunity and a major challenge for Scottish schools. The Scottish Executive is working closely with councils, schools and key national agencies to ensure that every pupil will benefit from the advantages computers can bring to learning and teaching.
"The Excellence Fund is helping to equip schools with the necessary equipment and facilities, the National Grid for Learning programme is now well underway and a national programme to train all teachers and school librarians, supported by the New Opportunities Fund, has begun. Many councils and schools are supplementing these national initiatives with developments designed for their own circumstances.
"Today's report shows that good progress is being made. However it also shows that more needs to be done to ensure that the full benefits of computers and ICT are used to unlock the potential to raise standards across the curriculum."
The HMI report is the result of focused inspections undertaken during 1999-2000 in 10 primary schools and 22 secondary departments to evaluate how well ICT was being used in learning and teaching to promote pupils' attainment within curriculum areas and subjects. The inspections also covered the extent to which pupils were acquiring skills in ICT. The report also draws on evidence from the wider HMI general inspection programme.
The illustrations of good practice which will accompany the electronic version of the report were filmed in a sample of schools by a team from Learning and Teaching Scotland (formerly the Scottish Council for Educational Technology). The electronic version, with video clips of best practice, will be available on the National Grid for Learning’s website on 26 September: http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/teachers/ICTLT
Overall, the report finds that while some good progress has already been made in using ICT in learning and teaching there is still much more to do. HMI found that the use of ICT was making a key contribution to pupils' attainment in particular curriculum areas and subjects. Gains often related to greater scope and depth of understanding in certain aspects of the curriculum, increased pace of learning, heightened motivation to learn and capability for schools to produce learning tasks well matched to the needs of pupils with learning difficulties. However, the good practice which produced these gains is still not sufficiently widespread or consistent in quality across Scotland.
Within 5 years, HMI will undertake a follow-up task to evaluate the progress made in following up the recommendations in the report.
SPORTS MINISTER MAKES STATEMENT ON FOOTBALL TRANSFER FEES AND EU LAW
On Friday, the Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport, Rhona Brankin, issued a statement regarding the threat which European Union law football is posing football transfer fees.
She said:
"I am very aware of the current discussions about the football transfer fee system and its compliance with EU competition and employment law.
"The current transfer system is not perfect but any alternative must achieve aims of promoting youth development and assisting smaller clubs. I am very concerned that clubs in Scotland are not discouraged from setting up football academies to help develop our best young talent.
"Clearly sports, including football, must comply with the law but I hope that the European Commission will apply the rules sympathetically, recognising the special characteristics of sport. It is helpful that the Commission has given football more time to propose alternatives to the present system."
The Minister concluded:
"The Scottish Executive is keeping in close touch with the football authorities in Scotland and the UK Government over this matter."
SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S DEBATES
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME FOR 2000/01
It is not, obviously, possible to brief in advance on the content of Wednesday’s statement of the Executive’s programme for the year ahead. However, the full statement will be available from the Scottish Parliament website http://www.scottish.parliament.uk from 08:00 on Thursday. Also, the Scottish Executive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk should have the full document and accompanying press statement on Wednesday afternoon.
FRAMEWORK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
The Way Forward: Framework for Economic Development, published in June 2000, is the outcome of a major review and extensive consultation on economic development in Scotland. The Framework looks at factors that can accelerate economic progress and examines the ways economic development impacts on the key issues of social justice and environmental sustainability. Delivery is crucial and an outcome led approach is the Executive’s top priority.
The Way Forward: Framework for Economic Development in Scotland
- Securing economic growth through international competitiveness.
- Ensuring all regions of Scotland are able to contribute and benefit.
- Ensuring all in society contribute and benefit.
- Ensuring that development is sustainable so that future generations are considered
The Framework itself is a detailed document which outlines:
The document also contains a helpful executive summary. The document can be read in full by clicking on: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/economics/feds-00.asp
STAGE 1 OF THE TRANSPORT (SCOTLAND) BILL
The Executive’s Transport Bill was laid before the Parliament on 5th June. 5 Committees have been involved in stage 1 of the Transport Bill, hearing evidence from 30 sets of witnesses since mid-June. The Bill is a major part of the Executive’s legislative agenda and is crucial in the delivery of our manifesto promises.
This is the first Transport Bill for over 20 years and coupled with the Executive’s strategy to support local transport initiatives, it will lead to the resurgence of Scotland’s transport industry in the future.
The policy objectives of the Bill are to deliver a sustainable, effective and integrated transport system for Scotland. The aim is to empower local authorities to deliver local solutions to local problems and promote partnership working. The Bill includes legislation to give powers to Local Authorities to address growing congestion and environmental problems in cities and larger towns.
Current Issues in Transport
The Bill Legislates For:
Joint transport strategies: improved joint planning by local authorities to address shared cross boundary issues – for instance, how to manage travel in and out of Scotland’s largest cities.
Improved bus services: encouraging partnerships between local authorities and bus companies and if necessary, enforcing these through contracts.
Workplace parking levy and Road user charging: empowering local authorities to introduce tolls on roads or charges of workplace parking. The Bill will not enable the Scottish Executive to introduce tolls on trunk roads or motorways.
Concessionary fares: the power to help deliver a minimum level of concession for pensioners and disabled people travelling in Scotland, and progressively enhance the minimum level of concession over the next few years. This applies to buses, trains, ferries and internal flights.
Through-timetabling and through-ticketing: local authorities will be given the power to create ticketing schemes and will be required to ensure that timetable information about bus services is available.
These are expanded on below:
Joint Strategies: The Bill will legislate for the creation of joint regional transport strategies. These will ensure co-operation between neighbouring local authorities – is imperative to tackle regional transport challenges. So far such partnerships, where they exist, have made great progress (e.g., SESTRANS)
Empowering local authorities: Because Scotland has a diverse range of transport challenges (problems in the borders are different to those in the central belt, for instance), it is right that local authorities are given responsibility for transport solutions.
In the first instance, it will not be compulsory for local authorities to prepare local transport strategies; this differs from the UK situation where strategies will be statutory. However the Scottish Ministers can compel local authorities to produce joint transport strategies alongside neighbouring local authorities areas.
Key Aims of Quality Bus Partnerships:
The Transport Bill will give the force of law to such partnerships between local authorities and bus companies to provide quality services to passengers. This will allow local authorities to subsidise higher frequencies of bus services, for example on low patronage routes, which commercial operators would not otherwise provide.
If quality partnerships are tried and fail, or are inappropriate, the Bill also allows for the Scottish Executive to approve ‘Quality Contracts’ in their place – see below.
Quality Partnerships would be on a statutory basis, within a coherent framework. The Executive proposes to publish best practice guidelines to assist local authorities with designing quality partnerships.
Statutory Quality Partnerships will be legally enforceable: local authorities and operators will have to provide what they say they will provide.
Quality Partnerships will enable local authorities to enhance services when they feel that there is a genuine need, but where the operators do not consider there to be a commercial market.
Under a Quality Partnership, it will be possible for the partners to agree a maximum fare.
In rural areas, Quality Partnerships will provide increase flexibility for councils to buy in enhanced service frequencies, and so deliver more services to rural communities.
However, in giving evidence to the transport and environment committee, several local authorities expressed concern that Quality Partnerships would not give them adequate powers to stipulate maximum fare prices and minimum frequencies of service.
Quality Contracts
The Bill will also allow for ‘Quality Contracts’ to ensure high quality bus services and facilities tailored to local needs. Quality contracts will have to be approved by the Executive. The Executive envisage this as being
"...in exceptional circumstances. Evidence that the Quality Partnerships or other initiatives have been both tried and failed, or are demonstrably not appropriate, will have to be provided before the Scottish Executive’s agreement will be forthcoming."
If a Quality Partnership fails, and the Executive agrees, a Quality Contract will bring an exclusive franchise by competitive tendering awarded to a single operator. Contracts are seen as a final resort, backing up the partnership approach if necessary. The Bill favours a partnership approach and is cautious about Quality Contracts because Contracts:
The Bill stipulates that once the Executive has given agreement in principle to a Quality Contract, there should be a 21-month period before it comes into effect. Several concerns were expressed about this clause during Stage 1 of the Bill’s progress.
The Executive argue that the 21 month period is the estimated time scale that it will take to put a contract into practice, through invitation to tender, consideration of tenders, post-tender negotiations and award of the contract. Section 15 of the Bill provides a power to amend the 21-month period.
Workplace parking levy and road user charging
Charging policies are only one part of the proposed "contract with the motorist". In return, motorists will see 100% hypothecation to transport, ensuring that the net revenue from charging will be ring-fenced for local transport purposes, without a time limit. This will be genuine additional money and will not replace government funding.
Workplace Parking Levy
The Bill would legislate to empower local authorities to introduce workplace parking licensing scheme. Employers would be required make a payment to local authorities in light of the parking spaces that they provide for employees. All of the net revenue raised will be ring-fenced for local transport purposes.
First and foremost, the aim of the policy is to tackle traffic congestion and pollution by reducing car use. Scottish Ministers will not support schemes which set out solely to raise revenue – schemes must tackle congestion.
The Bill places the responsibility for paying the levy on to the occupier of a premises, not the motorists. Some witnesses suggested to the Transport and Environment Committee that workplace charging would be a tax on business, not a levy on car use. However, it will be up to the individual employers to decide whether to pass on the charge to their employees.
Charging motorists to bring their car to work should be a disincentive to driving. Additionally, the levy would encourage employers to put in place Green Transport Plans (e.g., employee bus services, interest free loans for purchase or bus passes or bicycles). It may also encourage employers to reduce their number of parking places.
Road User Charging (Road Tolls)
The Bill would empower local authorities to introduce road user charging schemes, or tolls on selected roads. All of the net revenue raised will be ring-fenced for local transport purposes.
Again, the aim is to tackle traffic congestion and pollution. Again, the Executive will not support schemes which set out solely to raise revenue.
Motorway / trunk road tolls: In late 1999 the Executive decided against introducing road user charging or motorways or trunk roads. This decision was made after considerable opposition was expressed in the consultation process. The key problems with this trunk road tolling are:
The Bill will provide for social justice for pensioners and disabled people, by helping them to attain a better quality of life through improved access to travel, whatever their income and wherever they stay.
The Bill applies to buses and ferry services, but DETR has agreed that this should be extended by Order to include all rail services and flights within Scotland.
This is another practical example of devolution’s effectiveness, through partnership between the Scottish and UK administrations.
Other aspects
Reducing bridge congestion: The Bill will enable the Executive to establish new boards for the Forth and Tay Road Bridges. So far, the Forth Road Bridge is the only candidate for a new board. Such a board would have wide strategic and funding powers, so that it could address congestion.
Disabled badge parking: The Bill gives police, traffic wardens and attendants power to inspect disabled parking badges, cracking down on abuse and misuse of badges.
Links to further information
The Bill and its explanatory notes
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