Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 64, 30th April 2001
SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
THE CHAMBER
Wednesday 2nd May 2001
14:34 Executive Debate on Crime
17:00 Members' Business: Scotch Whiskey Opt-out from EU Directive (Mr Brian Monteith (CON)) [Ends 17:30]
Thursday 3rd May 2001
09:30 Procedures Committee Debate: Proposed Changes to the Bill Procedure
09:50 Transport and the Environment Committee Debate: Report on Genetically Modified Organisms
11:00 Rural Development Committee Debate: Report on the Changing Employment Patterns in Rural Scotland. [Ends 12:30]
14:30 Question Time
15:10 First Minister's Question Time
15:30 Executive Debate: Action on Child Health
17:00 Members' Business: McDermott UK Pension Plan - Ardersier Employees (Mrs Margaret Ewing (SNP))
IN COMMITTEE
The likely highlights in the Committee Corridor this week are:
More detail will be published in tomorrow's Committee News.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
Transport Minister Sarah Boyack says the Scottish Executive, in its efforts to fight poverty in urban Scotland, would work with local authorities and transport providers to make public transport accessible and realistic for all.
The Minister’s comments follow the publication of research: The Role of Transport in Social Exclusion in Urban Scotland.
The research was commissioned to understand better the relationship between transport and social exclusion in urban areas.
The Minister said:
"This research reveals transport has an important role to play in reducing social exclusion. One-in-ten workers have turned down a job because of transport difficulties while one in seven said transport issues had deterred them from looking for work.
"For pensioners and disabled people, travel choice can even be restricted because of basic problems just trying to get on board, often ruling out the option of using buses and trains.
"And nearly half of those questioned said personal safety fears limited their use of night-time public transport."
Main findings of the research include:
Ms Boyack continued:
"I am pleased that the research showed that in some of the areas studied the public transport network was good. However the research has raised important points about the lack of information and quality of provision available. I am making sure that the industry is fully aware of these problems and works with the Scottish Executive to improve access.
"The research also revealed the importance of local services, which many people in the areas studied could reach on foot, and community support, in particular the provision of lifts for those without cars of their own.
"Although transport is an important factor in tackling social exclusion, it is only one part of the work the Scottish Executive is doing to tackle the problem and we are working together to make sure everyone can play their full part in society."
New national guidance, which will aim to improve and develop Scotland’s Care and Repair Schemes, was outlined today by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, Malcolm Chisholm.
There are currently 33 Care and Repair projects in Scotland, operating in 24 local authority areas. These schemes are available to people aged 60 or over who are owner-occupiers, physically disabled or crofters. Assistance is targeted at those in greatest need, particularly those living alone or in unsatisfactory conditions, in poor health or with a physical disability. It provides advice and assistance, recommends reliable tradesmen and oversees major works.
Mr Chisholm said the guidance, which will be issued by the Executive next month, would make it clear that the absence of Care and Repair Schemes in certain areas is no longer acceptable. And that adequate funding must be put in place to ensure these schemes can carry out the necessary work to help frail and older people to remain in their own homes.
Mr Chisholm said:
"Care and Repair schemes have a vital role to play in helping people to maintain their homes and in enabling them to continue to live, independently at home for as long as possible. These schemes help transform damp, cold houses into warm, dry places, where people can continue to live out their lives in comfort and dignity, close to their friends, neighbours and family.
"These schemes also help prevent inappropriate admission to community or hospital care, and with the potential to reduce delayed discharges from hospital, they can make a major contribution to strategic community care planning.
"Next month we will publish national guidance which will make it very clear that the lack of a Care and Repair Schemes in some areas is simply not acceptable. It will also state that adequate funding must be in place to enable the schemes to carry out the necessary improvements.
"It will highlight what is help is available, how the schemes can be used to support shared community care objectives with health, social work, and housing agencies, how they can support occupation therapy services and how helping clients to retain their independence can help promote social inclusion.
"I am confident that Care and Repair will rise to these new challenges and will continue to improve the benefits it can offer to both services users and providers. We will now be looking to local authorities and their strategic partner agencies, to work together to support our hard working Care and Repair project staff and ensure these very worthwhile schemes fulfil their full potential. Together, we can all ensure that people who require a little help to live in warm, safe and secure housing, receive that support."
Capital funding for the works mainly comes from improvement and repair grants by local authorities, although clients also contribute. Around £9m in works were completed in 1999-2000, on around 3000 homes. Revenue funding for local project teams is generally provided on a 50-50 basis by local authorities and Scottish Homes at a cost of around £1.8m in 1999-2000.
SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY begins with an Executive debate on Crime. While this comes on the back of a fairly recent debate on Justice (29th March 2001, click here for the Official Report) there have been a number of recent announcements in this field - most notably the rise in police numbers and drop in recorded crime.
There are now 15,149 Police Officers in Scotland. This is 365 more than when the Scottish Parliament was established and exceeds the previous highest total of 15,050. On the 23rd April, the Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication, Recorded Crime in Scotland 2000 was published. This showed that the in 2000 the Scottish Police recorded 423,000 crimes, a decrease of 3% when compared with the 1999 figure. It also showed that in 2000, the police recorded 500,000 offences, a decrease of 1% compared with 1999.
Both topics are likely to feature prominently in the debate.
The day's business closes with a Members' Business debate on a Scotch Whiskey Opt-out from EU Directive from the Conservatives' Brian Monteith.
THURSDAY morning is taken up with debates from 3 of the Parliament's Committees.
The first, led by the Procedures Committee, discusses their report on Proposed Changes to Bill Procedure. As may be expected, this is a somewhat technical, dry report which recommends a number of changes to the timescales for lodging amendments to Bills, the minimum intervals between stages of Bills, Financial Resolutions, and a number of related, minor changes.
Click here to read the Committee's report in full
This is followed by a debate from the Transport and the Environment Committee on their Report on Genetically Modified Organisms. Published on 23rd January this year, the report found that farm scale crop trials do have a role to play in the development of GM technology. The committee called, however, on the Scottish Executive to provide better public information on the location of crop trials and to introduce new emergency procedures to deal with accidental GMO releases.
The Committee conducted its inquiry after Friends of the Earth (FoE) petitioned the Parliament calling for it to exercise its powers "not to permit the release of GM crops into the environment by way of trials or commercial planting." After much evidence taking and detailed discussion the committee reached the view that such a ban would be contrary to European Council Directives and, therefore, outwith the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
Click here for further information
Click here to read the Committee's report in full
This is followed by a Rural Development Committee Debate on their Report on the Changing Employment Patterns in Rural Scotland. The product of more than six months research and investigation, the report (published on 30th January 2001) argues that issues such as the decline of traditional industries is a threat to the sustainability of rural life in its present form.
The detailed study makes 21 recommendations for action, mainly in the areas of economic development and transport.
Click here to read the Committee's report in full
Click here for further information
After Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be an Executive debate on Child Health. An important issue for many in places with a poor health record, such as Inverclyde, the focus of the debate is not yet known. However, it is likely, that key document on public health, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, will feature as it contains a number of commitments on child health, including making healthy food easily available to children.
The week concludes with a Members' Business debate on the McDermott UK Pension Plan - Ardersier Employees (Margaret Ewing (SNP)).
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