Scottish Parliament e-Brief
Issue 67, 21st May 2001
SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
THE CHAMBER
Wednesday 23rd May 2001
14:34 Standards Committee Debate: Proposal for a Committee Bill to establish a Standards Commissioner
14:54 Members' Business Debate: Maternity Services in Gordon (Nora Radcliffe (LIB DEM))
15:39 Members' Business Debate: Local Newspaper Week, 14 to 20 May 2001 (Duncan McNeil (LAB)) [Ends approx. 16:30]
Thursday 24th May 2001
09:30 SNP Debate: Justice
11:00 SNP Debate: Education [Ends 12:30]
14:30 Question Time
15:10 First Minister's Question Time
15:30 Ministerial Statement (topic to be confirmed)
17:00 Members' Business Debate: School Swimming Lessons (Kay Ullrich (SNP))
IN COMMITTEE
The likely highlights in the Committee Chambers this week are:
A number of committees continue taking evidence on the budget for 2002/3.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
Freight Facilities Grants are helping to keep Scotland moving by transferring freight from road to rail, according to Scottish Executive Deputy Transport and Planning Minister Lewis Macdonald.
Speaking as he opened the seventh annual Scottish Rail Freight Conference in Perth’s City Hall, Mr Macdonald stressed the importance of rail freight to Scotland’s integrated transport system.
He told delegates that the Scottish Executive’s investment of over £23 million in Freight Facilities Grants would remove over 13 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads every year. The Executive’s target is to remove 18 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads by March 2002.
Mr Macdonald said:
"Rail freight is a vital link in Scotland’s logistics chain. There is huge potential for the development of rail freight, not simply as a straightforward replacement or substitute for other modes of transport, but as complementary to them.
‘We need to work together to meet the considerable challenges to maximise rail freight’s potential. I am confident that the industry will rise to those challenges.
"To keep the Freight Facilities Grant initiative moving and as a result of the number of good quality projects being developed in Scotland, we have increased funding available to £36 million over the next three years although even with this doubling of resources, demand for grant is now outstripping supply."
Organised by the Rail Freight Group, the conference brings together the main players in the rail freight industry. This year the event is focusing on delivering a freight strategy for Scotland.
Efforts to tackle the problems of gum disease in Scotland are being supported by more and better trained hygienists, Scottish Health Minister Susan Deacon has told a gathering of periodontics experts. Extra hygienists would, she said, join with dentists and other health professionals to step up efforts to tackle tooth and gum disease in Scotland.
Ms Deacon said:
"Although reducing tooth decay remains central, as people get older gum disease also becomes an increasing problem, often threatening otherwise healthy teeth.
"And not only does good oral health bring benefits in itself, but the promotion of healthy lifestyles can bring improvements in other areas. Research shows there could be links between gum disease and Scotland’s biggest killers - heart disease and strokes.
"Dentists have a vital role to play, but we need a team approach involving trained professionals across a wide area. That is why we are putting into practice last year’s Action Plan for Dental Services, including more and better trained professionals, to make a real difference in dental health for all age groups. We will be announcing further details shortly."
Figures on Children's Dental and Oral Health
Figures on Adult Dental and Oral Health
Dental hygienists work under the direction of the dentist, carrying out cleaning and polishing of the teeth, removing tartar and stains from the tooth surface. Hygienists may also apply a protective plastic coating (known as fissure sealing) to the teeth. Fluoride may also be applied to the surfaces of the teeth. The hygienist may work in any sector of dentistry.
SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
Although, in theory, Holyrood continues as normal during the Westminster General Election campaign, the restrictions on Ministers regarding making announcements means the Parliamentary timetable is largely dominated by non-Executive business. Motions for debate this week come from Committees, private members (including myself) and the SNP. As a consequence, this section of the brief is a little thin this week.
WEDNESDAY begins with a debate from the Standards Committee on their Proposal for a Committee Bill to establish a Standards Commissioner. The title of this very short (30 minute) debate essentially tells us everything we need to know about it. The Committee wishes to create an independent Standards Commissioner to whom all matters relating to standards of behaviour in the Scottish Parliament could be referred. This, however, requires primary legislation - hence the need for a Bill and this debate.
See Committee News passim for further information.
2 Members' Business debates follow this. The first is from the Lib Dems' Nora Radcliffe on Maternity Services in Gordon and the second is from myself on Local Newspaper Week, which runs from the 14th to the 20th of May 2001.
THURSDAY morning is taken up with debates from the SNP on Justice and Education. As tends to be the case with non-Executive business, neither motion has been published at the time of writing. Therefore no further information on the focus of the debates is currently available.
The text of the motions, when published, will be available from the Business Bulletin.
After Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be a Ministerial Statement. The topic will be confirmed in the Business Bulletin in the next few days.
The week concludes with a Members' Business debate on School Swimming Lessons from Kay Ullrich (SNP).
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