Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 90, 12^th November 2001

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE

This week's likely highlights are:

• Transport and Environment meets in Aberdeen to take evidence on integrated transport issues in the Aberdeen area, as well as stage 1 of the Water Industry Bill.
• Equal Opportunities prepares for the chamber debate on its Gypsy / Travellers report.
• Finance takes evidence from the Corporate Body on its Budget Submission and the current quarterly report on the Holyrood Project.
• Justice 1 continues taking witnesses for its prisons inquiry and stage 1 of the Freedom of Information Bill.
• Audit considers a further response to its report "Scottish Further Education Colleges: Managing Costs."
• Rural Development continues with Stage 2 of the Protection of Wild Mammals Bill.
• Local Government takes evidence from CBI Scotland, the Scottish Chamber of Commerce and Prof. Arthur Midwinter for its local government finance inquiry.
• Education makes progress with its Children’s Commission Inquiry and discusses a draft report into Scottish Ballet.
• Social Justice takes evidence from SCVO for its Voluntary Sector Inquiry and has a panel session to take evidence on the licensing of houses in multiple occupation.
• Health considers a paper on the Health Boards' appointment process, before moving into private session.
• Enterprise hears from Universities Scotland and the Association of Scottish Colleges for its Lifelong Learning Inquiry.

More detail will follow in tomorrow's Committee News.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

FULL TEXT OF HENRY McLEISH'S PERSONAL STATEMENT TO THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
In a Personal Statement, announcing his resignation as First Minister to the Scottish Parliament last Thursday, Henry McLeish said:

"Sir David, thank you. Colleagues, I would like to make a personal statement to the Parliament.

"I acknowledge again today my mistakes in the matter of constituency office sublets and in the way in which I handled that matter. There is no need to go over the details again. What is important is that I take full personal responsibility. Others who worked with and for me have been criticised, but the ultimate responsibility is mine and mine alone. I recognise the mistakes that I made.

"I have been surprised and dismayed over the past few weeks at how my family, friends, staff and colleagues have been brought into matters that are my responsibility alone and at how they have been made to suffer. That focus and attention has astonished them and me.

"I value this Parliament. At Westminster, I was the lead minister for devolution and chaired the consultative steering group, which established the very principles by which this Parliament operates. I am proud of my role in that, but I take even greater pride in the role of my party and in what it has done for Scotland. We led on devolution, we delivered devolution and, with our colleagues in a historic coalition, we are and remain determined to make devolution work.

"Scottish devolution, a Scottish Parliament, a Scottish Executive. I would be the last person to willingly or knowingly put the principles behind those new and great institutions at risk and in doing so put at risk everything that I have cherished in more than 25 years in politics, from becoming a councillor in Kirkcaldy district in 1974 to holding the highest office in Scotland over the past year. Even my harshest critics over the past few weeks have had to acknowledge that I made no personal gain from any of that.

"I did not come to Parliament simply as some kind of career choice. I did not enter Parliament because it was some kind of family tradition. I came to Parliament to work for the people I know and grew up with and to serve them. That has been my purpose since the day and the hour that I was elected. I came to Parliament, and eventually to the office of First Minister, to serve my constituents and, eventually, all the people of Scotland. If I have let them down in this matter, I hope that I have served them well in many others.

"It has been a privilege to do that through the work of government here in Scotland. I believe that that work over the past year has strengthened the roots of our devolved Government and secured it irreversibly in the life of our nation. It is now time for others to lead us as we take that work forward. The future of Scotland is the responsibility of every one of us here today. That is why this Parliament must now turn its energies once more to its real and pressing business: the concerns of the people of Scotland. I want us to be allowed to do that with a minimum of distraction. That is why I am resigning. I call on Scotland to give all of us, and my successor, the fair and reasonable circumstances that we need to allow that to happen.

"I am proud of what I achieved in Parliament, in the Executive and as First Minister. I will continue with my duties as MSP for Central Fife, serving the people I know and grew up with. That in itself is and remains an enormous privilege for me.

"Thank you, Sir David and colleagues, for the courtesy."

GOLDEN HELLOS FOR FAMILY DOCTORS
"Golden Hello" packages of up to £14,500 will be available to new GPs in a new package to improve recruitment and retention among family doctors.

The additional £2 million per year Executive package includes:

• A payment of £5,000 to every GP who joins NHSScotland. More than 150 GPs in Scotland are expected to benefit this year; and
• Help with relocation costs of up to £2000 for all GPs - new and transferring - who move to a remote and rural practice.

Plus one of either:

• An extra payment averaging £5,000 where the new GP joins the NHS in a remote and rural area; or
• An extra payment ranging from £2,500 to £7,500 to GPs who join particularly deprived practices.

About half of all new GPs are expected to benefit from the extra "Golden Hellos" available in remote and rural areas and deprived practices. In addition there will be help with recruitment costs of up to £2,000 for practices in remote and rural areas, and payments of £1,000 each year for GPs aged 55 and over to reduce workload pressures or to free up time to spend on clinical or organisational activities.

Full Story

ELECTION PROCESS FOR NEW FIRST MINISTER
Following Henry McLeish's resignation as First Minister on Thursday 8th November 2001, the process for his replacement at Holyrood will operate as follows.

After Mr McLeish had tendered his resignation to The Queen, the Cabinet of the Scottish Executive met and recommended to the Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel, that Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace should be designated as the person to carry out the duties of First Minister, under the provisions of Section 45(4) of the Scotland Act 1998, pending the appointment of a successor.

Sir David has so designated Mr Wallace to ensure that the functions of First Minister can be carried out until that arrangement is superseded by the formal election of a replacement.

The Parliament is now required to nominate one of its members for appointment as First Minister within a period of 28 days from the date of the vacancy. This means that the nomination of a new First Minister must be made on or before Wednesday, 5^th December.

The Parliament’s Standing Orders set out the procedures for the nomination and voting process.

Any member may nominate a candidate for appointment as First Minister by submitting a written nomination, which must be seconded by another member. If there is more than one candidate, the Presiding Officer will invite Members to vote for each of the candidates in turn. A simple majority is required for a Member to be nominated.

Once the Parliament has selected a nominee, the Presiding Officer is then required under the Scotland Act to recommend to Her Majesty the appointment of that person.

The new First Minister is appointed by Royal Warrant signed by The Queen, and once appointed requires to be sworn in as First Minister and as Keeper of the Great Seal by the Lord President of the Court of Session.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

As a result of the resignation of Henry McLeish as First Minister last Thursday, some Parliamentary Business was postponed. Stage 1 of the School Education (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill will now be taken this Thursday and the debate on John Home Robertson's Private Member's motion on the Regulation of Opencast Mining will be rescheduled for a later date.

The main business on WEDNESDAY is an Executive debate on Renewing Mental Health Law.

The debate will centre around the Executive's plans to reform this much neglected area of the law. While a number of recent steps have been taken on this subject - such as making mental health a clinical priority in the health plan and working to reduce the number of suicides - there is a long standing need for modernisation.

Should any policy annoucements be made in the course of the debate, these will be available in the Official Report at 08:00 on Thursday.

Member's Business comes from Labour's Johann Lamont and raises the issue of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

THURSDAY morning sees an Executive debate on its Vision for the Protection and Promotion of Scotland’s Natural Heritage.

This is likely to focus on the planned Natural Heritage Bill which will be introduced to protect rare Scottish wildlife (including the eggs of rare birds).

Recently announcing the Executive's commitment to draft legislation as soon as possible, then First Minister, Henry McLeish, said:

"The Executive now intends to come forward with legislative proposals at an early opportunity and a draft Bill will be published as soon as possible. … The reforms we now intend to introduce will offer greater protection and improved management of Scotland's most special, natural places and will ensure that communities and managers are involved effectively in decisions affecting their local area.

"The legislation will also provide for the effective deterrence, detection and punishment of wildlife crime, including increased police powers. In addition, I want Scottish Courts to have the discretion to impose custodial sentences for wildlife offences."

After Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, the rescheduled Stage 1 debate on the School Education (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill will take place.

See last week's e-Brief for details.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate the Rural Economy from the Conservative, Annabel Goldie.

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