Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 53, 12^th February 2001

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

1. THE CHAMBER

Wednesday 12^th February

• Ministerial Statement: Subject TBC
• Health & Community Care Committee Debate: The Delivery of Community Care in Scotland
• Members Business: Debt Advice & Debt Awareness Day (Fiona Hyslop (SNP))

Thursday 8^th February

• SNP debate: Education
• Question Time
• First Minister’s Question Time
• Executive Debate: Children’s Issues
• Sewel Motion: Culture and Recreation Bill
• Members Business: Hospices (Trish Godman (LAB))

2. COMMITTEE BUSINESS

Likely highlights in the Committee Chambers this week are:

• Equal Opportunities takes evidence on the Housing (Scotland) Bill
• European takes evidence on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy
• Health & Community Care takes evidence on the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill
• Public Petitions agrees what constitutes an inadmissible petition
• Enterprise & Lifelong Learning considers its investigation into the Careers Service Review and starts the ball rolling with its major inquiry into Lifelong Learning
• Local Government takes evidence on issues including allotments and special grants for asylum seekers and Kosovan Evacuees
• Rural Development continues to consider the draft stage 1 report on the Wild Mammals Bill

For more details, see tomorrow’s Committee Brief.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

PARLIAMENT APPROVES £18 BILLION BUDGET

The Scottish Parliament have approved a £18 billion budget for next year, marking the end of the first full budget process to pass through Holyrood.

Finance minister Angus MacKay says the money will allow the Parliament to deliver social justice in Scotland.

He says the money will let the Executive fund NHS Direct to provide access for all to 24-hour medical advice. He added that Internet and e-mail access for all schools would also be possible, as would improvement of the major road network.

The minister says the Bill, which passed its final stages without attracting any opposition amendments, would "affect the lives of all Scots for the better".

He was keen to stress the role which Best Value played in drawing up the budget, which gives the Executive the authority to spend money out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund for the financial year 2001-02.

"The Best Value Review will look across the whole range of Executive spending and scrutinise what we are spending while we are spending it and what the spending delivers."

The Scottish Consolidated Fund is the money which Westminster allocates to the Scottish Parliament each year. The Executive carries out a process to determine how that money will be spent culminating in the passage of a Bill which as an Act approves the expenditure proposals.

ALASDAIR MORRISON DRIVES GOLF STRATEGY AT FIRST GOLF TOURISM SEMINAR

Minister for Tourism, Alasdair Morrison has called on Scotland's tourist industry to seize the opportunities presented by the Strategy for Scottish Golf Tourism.

Mr Morrison was speaking at the first Scottish Golf Tourism Seminar. The strategy focuses on targeted marketing for golfing visitors, raising awareness of the richness of Scotland's golfing facilities and attracting high profile golfing events.

Mr Morrison sought the views of 130 delegates in further action to maximise the value that golf offers to tourism in Scotland.

Mr Morrison said:

"Golf tourism is worth almost £100 million to the Scottish economy and golfers spend more on average than other holiday makers. Golf has a key role to play in creating a vibrant and dynamic tourist industry.

"The economic benefits of hosting the Ryder Cup are estimated at some £67 million. This is one of the key reasons why the Executive has bid for the 2009 event."

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

Wednesday begins with a Ministerial Statement. At the time of writing, the subject remains unconfirmed. As soon the Executive announces the topic, however, it will be available in the Business Bulletin. Alternatively, the transcript of the proceedings will be available from 08:00 on Thursday morning in the Official Report.

This is followed by a debate from the Health & Community Care Committee on their report into the Delivery of Community Care in Scotland.

The report, published on 28^th November last year, was the product of a marathon 10 month inquiry and concludes that personal care services for the elderly, incapacitated and infirm should be free at the point of delivery.

The report also calls for fairness and equality in the delivery of services, and an end to means testing.

The report includes a number of additional recommendations, including:

• There should be a commitment to raising both NHS and local authority expenditure on community care services in real terms. Expenditure should be accountable, transparent and ensure best value;
• The Executive should take immediate steps to establish a simple and transparent guide to the funding of community care services; and
• A single body should be given the role of budget holding, planning and commissioning of community care services.

Click here to read the full report.

Members Business focuses on debt advice and debate awareness day, with a from the SNP’s Fiona Hyslop.

Thursday is another opposition day. This week, the SNP have chosen to debate education. Once again, however, the motion has not yet been published and no further information is currently available.

The full text of the motion will appear in Section F of the Business Bulletin in due course. Alternatively, the full transcript of the debate will be available in the Official Report from 08:00 on Friday.

After Question Time, there will be an Executive debate on Children’s Issues which will set out the Executive’s policies in areas such as looked after children.

Click here to request further information

The formal moving of a Sewel Motion on the UK Culture and Recreation Bill follows this.

Member’s Business will discuss a motion from Trish Godman (LAB) on Hospices.

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