IOG: Parliament News, issue 27/april-may 2003

Scottish Affairs web site

Events

1 May: Scottish Parliament election for the new parliamentary session which will run until 2007.

2 May: Labour won the largest number of seats, less, however, than in the 1999 election. There are 26 new MSPs out of the total 129.

The results were:

Labour	50 seats	6 less than 1999
SNP	27 seats	8 less than 1999
Scottish Conservatives	18 seats	same as 1999
Lib Dems	17 seats	same as 1999
SSP	6 seats	5 more than 1999
Scottish Green Party	7 seats	6 more than 1999
Dennis Canavan - Independent	1 seat	same as 1999
Scottish Senior Citizens Party	1 seat	no seat in 1999
Jean Turner - Independent	1 seat	no seat in 1999
Margo MacDonald - Independent	1 seat	seat held previously as SNP member

7 May: the 129 newly-elected MSPs were sworn in at the first meeting of the Parliamentary session. After taking the Oath of Allegiance MSPs elected George Reid, SNP, MSP for Ochil, as the new Presiding Officer. Trish Godman, Labour, MSP for West Renfrewshire, and Murray Tosh, Conservative, MSP for West of Scotland, were elected deputy Presiding Officers.

9 May: Jack McConnell, First Minister, wrote to George Reid, the new Presiding Officer, congratulating him on his appointment and indicating that performance of Parliament would be enhanced through greater spontaneity, more time for backbench speeches and some flexibity in the working hours of the parliament.

15 May: Jack McConnell, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, was nominated as First Minister, to lead the Executive for the next four years. Mr McConnell received 67 votes out of the 127 cast (he has been First Minister since Nov 2001).

15 May: the partnership agreement 'A Partnership for a Better Scotland' between Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs was published, proposing policies for the Executive and coalition government over the next four years.

16 May: the Executive published research findings on Modern Apprenticeships stating they are successful and are achieving positive outcomes for employers and apprentices. This was the Executiveçs response to ESRC funded research which concluded that Modern Apprenticeships are fundamentally flawed.

20 May: Jack McConnell, First Minister, announced his new Cabinet team. The Ministerial team has been reduced from 20 to 18, including a reduction of one in the number of fully salaried Cabinet members (see Appointments, below).

22 May: Jack McConnell, First Minister, together with newly appointed Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson and Communities Minister Margaret Curran, visited Easterhouse to see at first hand the extent of vandalism and graffiti in the area. Mr McConnell said that delivering a new Anti-Social Behaviour Bill will be one of the new Executiveçs highest priorities.

28 May: Margaret Curran, Minister for Communities, made a statement to Parliament on plans to create an Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Ms Curran said that the OSCR would take over from the present Scottish Charities Office and would provide a central authority to 'monitor, supervise, and investigate'. Ms Curran said that the new regulator would be an Agency of the Executive, and legislation would not be required for setting it up.

28 May: Jack McConnell, First Minister, announced the Executiveçs legislative programme. The priorities of the legislation are aimed at tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, reforming health and education services, and improving the environment and local democracy. Mr McConnell said the Executive planned 14 Bills in total for the 2003-04 parliamentary session, four of which will be introduced before the end of June 2003 (see Bills, below).

30 May: Margaret Curran, Minister for Communities, announced that over 200 libraries and learndirect Scotland centres will offer free Internet starter lessons and an ‚Internet Made Easyç CD Rom to encourage Scotland to get online. For anyone wishing to find their nearest participating online centre there is a freephone number 0800 771 234 (textphone 0800 085 0853 for people with hearing difficulties).

Appointments

20 May: the First Minister, Jack McConnell, announced his new Ministerial Team:

Jim Wallace	Deputy First Minister and Minster for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
Lewis Macdonald	Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
Cathy Jamieson	Minister for Justice
Hugh Henry	Deputy
Peter Peacock	Minister for Education and Young People
Euan Robson	Deputy
Malcolm Chisholm	Minister for Health and Community Care
Tom McCabe	Deputy
Ross Finnie	Minister for Environment and Rural Development
Allan Wilson	Deputy
Andy Kerr	Minister for Finance and Public Services
Tavish Scott	Deputy
Margaret Curran	Minister for Communities
Mary Mulligan	Deputy
Patricia Ferguson	Minister for Parliamentary Business
Tavish Scott	Deputy
Ministers attending the Cabinet but receiving Deputy Ministers Salaries:
Frank McAveety	Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport
Nicol Stephen	Minister for Transport
Law Officers:
Colin Boyd QC	Lord Advocate
Elish Angiolini	Solicitor General

System Three poll (for The Herald)

No poll in May.

Bills

28 May: Jack McConnell, First Minister, announced the legislative programme for the 2003-04 parliamentary session.

Four Bills to be introduced before the end of June 2003:

Vulnerable Witnesses: To improve the way that vulnerable witnesses are treated by the justice system and assist them to give their best evidence.

NHS Reform: To improve the effectiveness of health services, legislate for NHS reform, abolish NHS Trusts and establish Community Health Partnerships.

Primary Medical Services (GP Contracts): To implement the new contract for providers of General Medical Services.

Education (School Meals): To make a technical amendment to section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, to ensure that entitlement to free school meals is not adversely affected by changes to the benefits system.

Ten Bills to be introduced in the 2003-04 Parliamentary session:

Court Reform: Modernising Justice: To improve the efficiency with which justice is delivered through the High Court.

Anti-Social Behaviour: To introduce ASBOs for under-16s; Parenting Orders requiring parents to fulfil their responsibilities in respect of children; tagging for under 16s; and ban the sale of spray paint to under-16s.

Education (Additional Support for Learning): To reform provision for special educational needs. To end bureaucratic hurdles; provide mediation and tribunal services; give parents and carers a greater say; introduce flexibility to make sure childrençs education best meets their needs.

Education (Ministerial Powers of Direction): Where the established steps of professional support and development do not secure the improvements identified for the local authority, to extend Ministerial powers to intervene, as a last resort and on the recommendations of the Inspectorate, to ensure that the action identified by the Inspectorate as necessary is taken by the local authority.

Nature Conservation: To deal with the conservation of biodiversity, reform of the SSSI (site of special scientific interest) system and build upon the successful delivery of custodial sentences and other wildlife crime measures in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.

Water Services: To establish a regulatory framework for public water and sewerage services that enables public health, environment protection and social policy objectives to be safeguarded as competition in the industry develops.

Strategic Environmental Assessment: To ensure that the full environmental impacts of all new strategies, programmes and plans developed by the public sector are properly considered.

Local Governance: To renew local democracy and widen the range of people who become involved in local government.

Fire Services: Subject to the outcome of the current dispute, to legislate for a modern Fire Service updating the current legislation which dates back to 1947.

Budget: Annual Bill to give statutory authority to the Scottish Executive to spend out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund in the financial year 2004-05.

A summary of the Bills passed by the Parliament in the 1999-03 session can be downloaded (pdf file) from on the Parliament website at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parl_bus/bills/bill%20summaries.pdf

Committees

All the Committees of the Parliament ceased existence at the dissolution of the Parliament. New committees will be established by the Parliament in June 2003.

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 online form on the Parliament website at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/whats_happening/contracts/contract02-01.htm

Scottish Executive Publications

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

Some of those published in the last two months include:

Think Global, Act Local: International Education in Communities: a guide to playing a more active role in the global community for those working in Community Learning and Development in Scotland. 8.4.03

The World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002: Reports from the Scottish Civic Delegation: reports of the Scottish Civic Delegates, their impressions of the World Summit and their thoughts on what needs to be done in each of their sectors. 9.4.03

National Cultural Strategy: Draft Guidance for Scottish Local Authorities; Written Consultation Responses. 14.4.04

What support is available for mature Scottish students in higher education in 2003-04? leaflet detailing funding available for mature students in higher education. 22.4.03

Learning From Experience: Lessons In Mainstreaming Equal Opportunities Œ Research Findings: research findings addressing the issue of how mainstreaming equal opportunities can be instigated and sustained in the work of government and public bodies by drawing up on lessons from elsewhere. 12.5.03

A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement: document detailing the next 4 years of the work of the Scottish Executive. 15.5.03

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 27 / april-may 2003	Enter keyword(s) to search the site