IOG: Parliament News, issue 19/june 2002

Scottish Affairs web site

Events

6 June: at a meeting of the Convention on the Future of Europe in Brussels, Jack McConnell, First Minister, proposed that a new Subsidiary Council be set up within the EU to ensure that European policy and legislation focuses on strategic issues of relevance to all Europeans. It would act so that national and regional parliaments are left free to frame legislation to meet their own needs.

10 June: Iain Gray, Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, launched e-Business Week 2002, stating that more businesses should turn "connectivity into competitiveness". e-business week is an annual series of events organised by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

12 June: Iain Gray, Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, appeared before the Parliament's Transport and Environment Committee to give evidence on the Executive's draft Directions and Guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise.

12 June: Ross Finnie, Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, commented after attending the European Fisheries Council in Luxembourg that the measures proposed for deep water species were disappointing. However, Mr Finnie welcomed constructive discussion on the common Fisheries Policy reform and also measures to promote the recovery of cod stocks crucial to the Scottish industry.

12 June: Allan Wilson, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, outlined tough new targets for cutting air pollution in Scotland. The Air Quality (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002 tighten objectives for three of the eight pollutants outlined in the air quality Strategy - benzene, carbon monoxide and particles.

13 June: Jim Wallace, Minister for Justice, participated in a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council alongside Home Secretary David Blunkett to discuss with other European Justice Ministers ways to improve co-operation in tackling international terrorism and organised crime. Mr Wallace also had talks with the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank about the impact of enlargement on the European institutions, about the current debate on the future of Europe and about Scottish ideas for improving governance within the EU.

14 June: Mike Watson, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, announced the formation of a Gaelic Development Agency (GDA) to help secure the future of the language. Mr Watson said the establishment of Bord na Gaidhlig was an initial response to the recently published report from the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic. Bord na Gaidhlig will be established later this year as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and will have responsibility for the strategic overview of Gaelic and for co-ordinating and funding the activities of the various Gaelic organisations.

14 June: Jack McConnell, First Minister, met the Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the Irish Taisoeach, Bertie Ahern, to discuss the Knowledge Economy and the Digital Divide at the third British-Irish Council in Jersey.

14 June: the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, gave his backing for the joint Scottish-Irish bid to host Euro 2008. UEFA will announce their decision in December 2002.

17 June: Jack McConnell, First Minister, met with council tenants during a visit to Dumfries which coincided with the launch of the ballot of 12,300 households who were asked to decide if the council should transfer its housing stock to the not-for-profit Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP).

20 June: The First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, David Trimble and Mark Durkan, met with Jack McConnell, First Minister, and Jim Wallace, Deputy First Minister, in Edinburgh to discuss the practical experience of devolution in Scotland and Northern Ireland. They agreed they should meet once or twice a year for government devolution talks. The talks would include the leaders of the Welsh Assembly.

21 June: David Steel, Presiding Officer, reported on behalf of the Parliamentary Corporate Body that they still expect the new Holyrood building to be completed by May 1, 2003.

24 June: Jim Wallace, Justice Minister and Deputy First Minister, met with his Bavarian counterpart, Justice Minister Dr Manfred Weiss, during a two-day visit to Munich. They discussed further co-operation and policy areas of mutual interest and explored how devolved administrations can play a full part in European matters.

25 June: Chris Patten, EU Commissioner, addressed a meeting of MSPs in the Parliament with the question "Should there be a European Foreign Policy?". This was the first time a European Commissioner addressed a meeting of MSPs.

26 June: at a reception for the Joint Committee on Human Rights in Edinburgh Jim Wallace, Deputy First Minister, announced a package of measures by the Executive on human rights in Scotland.

Appointments

12 June: Dr Harold Mills CB was re-appointed as Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne Limited for a further three year term to July 2005.

13 June: Mr Fernando Diniz was appointed as a member of Lothian NHS Board for the next four years.

27 June: Parliament approved the nomination of Professor Alice Brown as the first ever Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Professor Brown is currently a Vice-principal and Co-director of the Institute of Governance at the University of Edinburgh. The appointment reinforces the independence of the Ombudsman's post from both the Parliament and the Executive.

Bills

7 June: the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Parliament. The aim of the bill is to ensure the law relating to conditions and burdens on land contained in the title deeds will be modernised and simplified and will clarify the existing law to make it more accessible and reform the law where it is uncertain or unsatisfactory.

12 June: the principles of the University of St Andrews (Postgraduate Medical Degrees) Bill: Stage 1 were agreed in Parliament. The purpose of the bill is to allow the University of St Andrews to award postgraduate research degrees in medical sciences. On 26 June Stages 2 and 3 of the Bill were also passed by Parliament.

19 June: the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill was unveiled. The Bill will provide for the introduction of a comprehensive river basin management plan, with better environmental standards and more public participation.

20 June: the School Meals (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1, introduced by Tommy Sheridan, was defeated in Parliament. The Bill proposed to deliver a free, healthy and nutritious meal, including milk and water, to every child attending a local authority-managed school in Scotland.

26 June: the Parliament endorsed the principle of including in the UK legislation Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc.) Bill a power for Scottish Ministers to regulate for the carriage of guide and other assistance dogs in private hire cars in Scotland and agreed that the relevant provisions to achieve this end in the Bill should be considered by the UK Parliament.

27 June: the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Bill: Stage 3 was passed by Parliament. The Bill creates the post of Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner with the function of investigating whether a Member of the Parliament has breached a provision of the Code of Conduct, the Members' Interests Order, any provision in an Act of the Scottish Parliament that replaces that Order or any provision of the standing orders of the Parliament.

28 June: a draft Mental Health Bill was published. The draft bill includes the following areas of law concerning people with mental disorders: compulsory care and treatment; creation of a Mental Health Tribunal; powers and duties of Mental Welfare Commission; arrangements for mentally disordered offenders; patient representation; and medical treatment safeguards.

Committees

10 June: the Parliament Justice 1 Committee issued a call seeking views on the general principles of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill, which aims to achieve greater clarity in property law and reduce the number of outdated conditions on land by making it easier to discharge or vary them.

14 June: the Education Committee recommended that the Parliament should not agree the general principles of Tommy Sheridan's School Meals (Scotland) Bill when it meets to debate the issue on June 20. The Committee accepted that the Bill would provide a school meal for all children in local authority schools but was not convinced that it is capable of addressing all of the complex issues of uptake, nutritional standards and child poverty as stated.

18 June: the Finance Committee published its Stage 1 budget report into the Scottish Executive's £22 billion spending plans for 2003-4.

21 June: the Transport Committee recommended in a letter to the Minister for Transport, that a new formal concordat be drawn up between the Executive and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) to provide greater clarity on issues such as future rail projects.

26 June: the Danish Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Tom Risdahl Jensen, addressed MSPs at a public meeting in the Parliament. The Ambassador made a presentation on the programme and priorities for the six-month Presidency of the European Union, held by Denmark from 1 July, 2002. The event was hosted by the European Committee.

27 June: the Environment Committee published a report on Scotland's aquaculture which makes a range of recommendations aimed at ensuring that the full potential of the industry can be realised without jeopardising the marine environment.

Research opportunities

The Scottish Parliament has a budget for commissioning research for Parliamentary committees and holds a database of researchers interested in tendering for committee research. Anyone wishing to be included in the database should complete the on-line form on the Parliament website at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/whats_happening/research/ext-res-form.html

Publications

Scottish Executive publications can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/recent.asp

Please note particularly the following research publication:

Scottish Executive Education Department Research Priorities 2002-2004:
details of research priorities covering education, children and young people, and arts, culture, sport and architecture, with invitation to researchers to express interest. 20.6.02

Some of those published in the last month include:

Good Practice Guidance Consultation with Equalities Groups: booklet providing basic guidance about how to ensure that 'equalities groups' are not excluded from public consultation exercises. 10.06.02

Consultation on review of the common fisheries policy: Scottish Executive consultation of interested parties on the EC Common fisheries policy. 14.6.02

Homelessness Bill - Consultation Paper: consultation paper on possible content of forthcoming Homelessness Bill. 18.6.02

Scottish Economic Report: 6th edition of the twice-yearly Scottish Economic Report. 26.6.02

Mental Health (Scotland) Bill: draft copy of the forthcoming Mental Health (Scotland) Bill to be introduced in the Parliament in September. 27.06.02

Links to other issues of Parliament News

Contact

Should you have any comments or enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Margaret MacPherson at the Institute of Governance.

Institute of Governance > Parliament News, issue 19 / june 2002	Enter keyword(s) to search the site