IOG: Parliament News, issue 4/january 2001

Scottish Affairs web site

Events

The year started with a turbulent debate in Parliament when Henry McLeish used the phrase "Scottish Government" several times during Question Time, provoking criticism from Westminster MPs for using the word "Government' instead of 'Executive'.

On January 18 the Finance Minister Angus MacKay stated his intention to read a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on the review of quangos. The Presiding Officer took the decision to stop the Minister from reading his statement and to move directly to questions on the grounds that the information had already been released to the press. Angus MacKay had not been notified beforehand of the Presiding Officer's intentions and the confusion which followed in the Chamber resulted in business being suspended for the first time in the Scottish Parliament.

On January 24 Helen Liddell was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland to replace John Reid who had been appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to fill the post left vacant by Peter Mandelson following his resignation. George Foulkes was appointed as Minister of State for Scotland.

On 25 January following pressure from their Liberal Democrat coalition partners Labour acceded to personal long term care for the elderly as set out in the Sutherland Report. No timetable however for implementation of this commitment has been proposed as requested in a motion put forward by the SNP.

Parliamentary Committees

A number of changes to the maximum membership, titles and remits of various committees of the Parliament were made by a resolution of the Parliament on 14 December 2000 with effect from 8 January 2001

The Committees with a change of remit or maximum numbers are:

The European Committee
Remit: Unchanged
Maximum number of members: 9

Equal Opportunities Committee
Remit: Unchanged
Maximum number of members: 9

Finance Committee
Remit: Unchanged
Maximum number of members: 7

Audit Committee
Remit: Unchanged
Maximum number of members: 7

Health and Community Care Committee
Remit: Unchanged
Maximum number of members: 9

Justice and Home Affairs Committee be renamed Justice I Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to the administration of civil and criminal justice, the reform of the civil and criminal law and such other matters as fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Justice
Maximum number of members: 7

New Committee to be established and named Justice II Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to the administration of civil and criminal justice, the reform of the civil and criminal law and such other matters as fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Justice
Maximum number of members: 7

Education, Culture and Sport Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to school and pre-school education which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs; and on matters relating to the arts, culture and sport which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture
Maximum number of members: 7

Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector be renamed Social Justice Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to housing and the voluntary sector and such other related matters as fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Social Justice
Maximum number of members: 7

Transport and the Environment Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to transport which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Transport; and matters relating to environment and natural heritage which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture
Maximum number of members: 9

Rural Affairs to be renamed Rural Development Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to rural development, agriculture and fisheries and such other related matters as fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Rural Development
Maximum number of members: 11

Local Government Committee
Remit: to consider and report on matters relating to local government and which fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Maximum number of members: 7

The Committees remaining unchanged are:

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee
Procedures Committee
Public Petitions Committee
Standards Committee
Subordinate Legislation Committee

Committee Reports

On 23 January the Parliament Committee published a GMO report stating that farm scale crop trials have a legitimate role to play in the development of GM technology. By a majority decision the committee turned down proposals from Friends of the Earth for a complete ban on trials and creation of a new, separate Scottish GM advisory body.

On 25 January the Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee published its Stage 1 report on the Education Graduate Endowment Bill which implements parts of the Scottish Executive's response to the Cubie Committee recommendations.

On 30 January the Rural Development Committee published a report stating that the combination of poverty and the decline of traditional industries is a threat to the sustainability of rural life in its present form. The report lists 21 recommendations for action.

Publications

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

Some of those published in the last month include:

Without Prejudice: A Thematic Inspection of Police Race Relations in Scotland: to examine the policing of multi-racial society by the Scottish police service. 11.1.01

What Support is Available for Young Scottish Students in Higher Education in 2001-02? leaflet describing support that may be available. 15.1.01.

Care Forward: News from the Regulation of Care Project: newsletter providing information on latest developments. 15.1.01.

A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century: Agreement reached following recommendations made in the McCrone Report: document outlining the agreement reached to improve the professional conditions of service and pay for teachers. 15.1.01.

Our National Health: a plan for Action, a plan for change: Action Summary. 18.1.01

Scottish Economic Report: this third report relates The Priorities for Action identified in the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland. 19.1.01.

The Goal of Full Employment: providing a long term perspective on the current position of the Scottish labour market. 22.1.01.

Survey of the use of the Euro by Enterprises in Scotland: findings of a survey of enterprises on the use of the Euro in Scotland. 23.1.01

Inquiry into the Delivery of Community Care in Scotland: Response by the Scottish Executive. 25.1.01.

Working together in Scotland: A Programme for Government: a document reviewing targets and making new commitments to change the lives of the people of Scotland for the better. 29.1.01.

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.

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