Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 46, 11th December 2000
SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
THE CHAMBER
Wednesday 13th December
Thursday 14th December
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
The highlights of this week’s committee business are:
For a fuller account on the work of the committees, please see tomorrow’s Committee Brief.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
EXTRA FUNDS ANNOUNCED FOR SCHOOL REPAIRS
An extra £17.2 million is to be shared around every state school in Scotland for immediate action on repairs and maintenance.
Education minister, Jack McConnell, said the extra cash, allotted to Scotland in Chancellor Gordon Brown's pre-budget statement, would enable every state primary and secondary school to spend cash on repairs.
The cash, to be channelled through local authorities, works out at £2,800 per-school, plus an extra £10 per-primary pupil, £15 per-secondary pupil and £30 per-special school pupil.
The money to be spent by individual schools will be decided by local authorities, who would be able to vary payments to better reflect local priorities, said officials.
Councils will also be able to take into account special factors like very small schools, or recent upgrading, but all schools must get some benefit from the cash.
The minister told the Parliament's Education Committee: "I was already aware of concerns about the fabric of some of our schools, and listening to those at the chalkface has confirmed there is an immediate need for action on repairs and maintenance."
He told the committee: "Too often children learn, and teachers teach, in conditions which distract from or restrict learning.
"It could be a lick of paint or a leaking roof, but I want those resources to be used to deal with immediate repairs, maintenance and equipment problems. With this cash, we can make a real difference in Scotland's schools."
DOMESTIC ABUSE HELPLINE NOW SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
Scotland's national freephone domestic abuse helpline is now operating seven days a week and with extended hours each day.
The helpline - managed by North Ayrshire Women's Aid - was initially open from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday. From today, it will be available 10am-10pm Monday-Sunday.
Launching the extended service in Ardrossan, Social Justice Minister Jackie Baillie said:
"It was always our aim to ensure the Helpline would be there when it was needed. This is a lifeline service for anyone experiencing abuse or affected by it, and it already receives around 50 calls each week.
"Domestic abuse is now under the spotlight as never before. We've recently published a national strategy to address it, launched the biggest ever domestic abuse funding package, and new TV ads will run over Christmas and New Year."
The helpline number is 0800 027 1234.
MCCONNELL WELCOMES DEBATE ON EDUCATION COMMITTEE EXAM REPORT
Jack McConnell, Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs has welcomed the debate on the Education Committee's report into the SQA exam problems.
Mr McConnell said: "This is a detailed report which I will be considering very carefully. It covers a wide number of issues and recommendations. I fully agree with the key recommendation - 'That pupils should never have to face such an experience again and that the credibility of the Scottish examination system is restored.'
"The actions which I have initiated, such as the Ministerial Review Group to act as an early warning system and the system of monthly reporting from the SQA, will ensure that this is achieved.
"I welcome the opportunity to debate this report and the report of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee in Parliament next week. I will also respond formally to the two reports in due course.
"In the meantime I would like to thank the committee for their work in producing this document. It is important that we all work together to restore confidence amongst pupils, teachers and the general public in the exam system in Scotland."
The report of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee into exam results was published at 10am on Friday 8 December. It is available on the Scottish Parliament website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/educ-00/edr00-11-v1-01.htm
A Parliamentary debate to discuss the reports from the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and Education Committees into exam results and the SQA is scheduled for Wednesday 13th December.
SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday is an extremely busy parliamentary day and is likely to begin with an SNP Motion of No Confidence in former Education Minister, Sam Galbraith over his handling of the SQA.
The main business on Wednesday, however, is a debate led by 2 committees - Education, Culture & Sport and Enterprise & Lifelong Learning - on the reports of their inquiries into the Scottish Qualifications Agency.
This is guaranteed to be a lively debate.
Both reports are fairly long and detailed. However, for a brief summary of their contents, please see the accompanying press releases issued by the Education Committee and Enterprise Committee.
Click here for the full Education, Culture & Sport Committee’s Report
Click here for the full Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee’s Report
In the afternoon, there will be a second committee led debate. This comes from the Finance Committee and considers Stage 2 of the 2001-02 Budget Process - i.e. the scrutiny given to the Executive’s Expenditure by Parliament.
Stage 1
In April, the Executive published Investing in You, its annual expenditure report – the detailed breakdown of its spending plans. Each Committee reported to the Finance Committee on Investing In You, about their own policy area (e.g. the Environment Committee scrutinised the spending proposed on the environment) and the Finance Committee produced a report as a result. On 28 June the Scottish Parliament debated the Finance Committee’s report.
The Finance Committee report made 14 main recommendations, almost entirely about the presentation, style and general accessibility of the document rather than about the proposals themselves. The Parliament agreed to commend the recommendations in the report to the Scottish Executive.
Stage 2
In September the Executive published Making a Difference for Scotland, their spending plans for this year. Once again, each Committee reported to the Finance Committee on the contents of the plans and the Committee compiled a report. That report was published earlier this month and is the subject of this week’s debate.
Stage 3
Expected in January or February, the third stage of the Budget Process is the Parliamentary debate on the Budget (Scotland) Bill 2001. If the Parliament votes for the Bill, it will authorise expenditure for financial year 2001/02.
Private Member’s Business comes from Lord James Douglas Hamilton’s (CON) motion on Abercorn Primary School, West Lothian.
THURSDAY
Thursday is an opposition day and begins with 2 SNP led debates. One on Transport and another on Health and Community Care. As the SNP have not as yet published the text of the motions for debate, no further information is available. However, copies of the transcript of the debates will be available on the Scottish Parliament website from Friday morning onwards.
There will then be a short Ministerial Statement on the Health Plan. As always with such statements, it must be announced to Parliament. The contents, therefore, are not yet available. Again, the full transcript will be available from Friday on Scottish Parliament website.
After Question Time, there will be a Parliamentary Bureau Debate on Committee Restructuring. This is issue is unlikely to be of much interest to those outside the Parliament. Suffice to say that the proposed changes are likely to include the following:
There will then be a very short debate on a Sewel Motion (a motion which allows Westminster to legislate on a devolved issue) on the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. This will allow Scotland to be covered by the Bill which is being introduced in Westminster.
The day closes with a Members' Business debate on Shinty from Fergus Ewing (SNP).
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