Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 39, 23rd October 2000
SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
THE CHAMBER
Wednesday 25th October
Thursday 26th October
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Please see attached Committee Brief.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
McLEISH ELECTED AS LABOUR LEADER
Enterprise Minister Henry McLeish has become Labour's new leader in Scotland, beating Finance Minister Jack McConnell by 44 votes to 36.
The vote was taken on Saturday at a meeting in Stirling of the party's MSPs and the party executive in Scotland.
Mr McLeish will now become Labour's nominee for the post of First Minister, a decision which will be taken by members of the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
A victorious Mr McLeish declared: "The future starts today. The general election starts today."
On Monday, the party would start to take forward Donald Dewar's legacy to deliver for Scotland a "true partnership - of party, people and the Parliament working together", he said.
He went on: "You will understand this is a time of mixed emotions for me. It is such a tremendous honour and privilege to be given the interim leadership of the party by yourselves. It is also tinged with the emotions of the background against which it (the contest) has taken place."
He went on: "The last week has been a tough and testing time for all of us. Donald's death was tragic. We have seen how the Party and the Parliament has been affected and on Wednesday we saw in Glasgow how Donald was viewed by the people."
Mr McLeish went on: "We are today working on that legacy, to take it forward. We have tragedy behind us but ahead of us this party has a tremendous future. My belief is that we can do that by working ahead as a team."
Mr McConnell pledged to accept the result "without question". He said: "I said a week past Wednesday that Donald Dewar was irreplaceable.
"We have elected today a fine leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament and somebody who will be a very fine First Minister. I would like to accept the result without question."
DEWAR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS PLANNED
Glasgow University - where the late First Minister Donald Dewar studied law - is to introduce scholarships for disadvantaged students to commemorate his life.
The university said the planned introduction of the 10 scholarships is in recognition of Mr Dewar's "commitment to social justice".
A Donald Dewar Memorial Scholarship Fund is also being established, to which donations will be invited to fund further scholarships, a spokesman said.
Representatives from the university will also be discussing with his family plans to introduce an "academic initiative" in the name of the First Minister, who studied at Glasgow in the 1960s.
There is also a proposal to add Mr Dewar's name and that of his friend and fellow Glasgow graduate John Smith, the late Labour leader who died in 1994, to the Memorial Gates in University Avenue.
The university is also in discussion with Glasgow University Union, where Mr Dewar was president between 1962 and 1963, about setting up a student debating prize in the name of both men.
Mr Dewar and Mr Smith were famous for their student debating, skills which undoubtedly helped them in their political careers.
University Principal Professor Sir Graeme Davies said he thought the proposals would find "widespread support".
He added: "The university community is determined to mark the life and commitment of Donald Dewar in ways which will both commemorate his achievements and further his goals.
"We hope that many who shared his wish to extend the advantages of high education to those of all backgrounds will feel able to contribute to the Donald Dewar Memorial Scholarship Fund we have set up."
A health and homelessness co-ordinator, who will champion the health needs of Scotland's homeless, is to be appointed by the Scottish Executive.
Deputy Minister for Community Care, Iain Gray, said the Health Department's new co-ordinator would support Primary Care Trusts and Health Boards in developing strategies to tackle the health needs and problems of Scotland's homeless people.
Announcing the new post at the Health and Homelessness Conference in Polmont yesterday, he said:
"All departments within the Scottish Executive are determined to eradicate rough sleeping in Scotland, and like our partners in local authorities and the voluntary sector, we are committed to understanding and addressing the needs of homeless people.
"No one sector can achieve that success alone - partnership is critical, and homelessness needs a co-ordinated strategic response - not just a range of responses to individual symptoms.
"The Health Department is committed to playing its part in helping Scotland's homeless. In addition to the £4 million which we are investing in tackling the health needs of rough sleepers, I am announcing today that we have created a new three-year post of health and homelessness co-ordinator.
"The co-ordinator will help Primary Care Trusts and Health Boards develop strategies to tackle the very specific health needs of homeless people. This will involve spreading good practice, driving forward national standards of care, and creating high quality, comprehensive training programmes. The co-ordinator will also be responsible for building links with statutory and voluntary agencies as well as homeless people and other representative groups.
"We will be issuing guidance to the service on the provision of health services to homeless people which will form part of the overall advice to the service on tackling inequalities.
"A great deal of excellent work is already taking place to deal with these problems. We must now build on this work and ensure it is developed throughout the country.
"The appointment of Scotland's first health and homeless co-ordinator is a vital step in that process and highlights the great determination within the Scottish Executive to tackle all forms of social inequality and social exclusion."
Deputy Minister for Communities, Jackie Baillie, said:
"Ending the need to sleep rough is not just about putting a roof over people's heads. It is also about tackling mental health problems, alcoholism and drug addiction.
"Adequate health care must be at the heart of our efforts to help rough sleepers. There are already a number of partnerships throughout the country working together to tackle the complex problem of homelessness. The new co-ordinator will develop that work and ensure it is spread nationally.
"All the various parts of the NHS, as well as local authorities, employers, communities and voluntary organisations, will be encouraged to work in partnership to give homeless people a brighter, healthier future.
"Only in this way will meet our commitment to end the need for anyone to sleep rough in Scotland by 2003."
SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
The main business of the week will be the election of the new First Minister. As a result, the only issue being debated is dental services.
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