IOG: Parliament News, issue 5/february 2001

Scottish Affairs web site

Events

The month of February included a week's recess of Parliament from 19 to 23 February and the following significant events:

At the beginning of February the Transport Minister Sarah Boyack was criticised by some MSPs for awarding trunk road maintenance contracts to private companies. Up until now these contracts, worth approximately £350 million, have been held mainly by local authorities and it was argued by critics that the loss of them could result in large numbers of council workers being laid off. The SNP called for a motion of no-confidence in the Transport Minister as well as requesting that the tendering process be restarted. The SNP's no-confidence motion was subsequently defeated by 33 votes to 70 with 14 abstentions.

The Motherwell and Wishaw Labour MP Frank Roy provoked controversy when he asked the Irish government to cancel Bertie Ahern's visit to Scotland on 11 February. Mr Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister, had planned to attend the unveiling ceremony of the Carfin grotto memorial to Irish people who came to Scotland after the potato famine. Mr Roy justified his actions as being necessary to avoid any possibility that Mr Ahern's presence at the ceremony might provoke sectarian disturbances following the Rangers-Celtic football match taking place in Glasgow earlier the same day.

On February 12 Tommy Sheridan MSP, George Galloway MP and several members of the clergy were among 379 people arrested for anti nuclear protests at the entrance to Britain's Trident nuclear submarine base at Faslane. Several other MSPs took part in the protest but were not arrested.

On 19 February George Foulkes, Minister of State for Scotland, maintained that the Scotland Act should be amended to keep the current number of MSPs. Under the Scotland Act the number of MPs for Scotland was to be reduced from 72 to about 56 which could consequently affect the number of MSPs as constituencies are based on existing Westminster seats. MSPs have claimed that the loss of about 20 seats would make the Committee work impossible.

On 22 February the Scottish Executive launched its draft for the Land Reform Bill. The bill will open up access to Scotland's countryside for everyone and give rural and crofting communities the chance to buy their land when put up for sale. The draft Bill however has been criticised by all sides, ramblers as well as landowners and farmers.

Regarding the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease Ross Finnie, the Minister for Rural Development agreed on 21 February to the UK Government's order that implemented an earlier EC decision to prohibit temporarily the export from the UK of live animals, meat, fresh milk and other animal products. On 23 February an order banning livestock movement for seven days was also brought into force and Mr Finnie issued a Ministerial Statement on 28 February on the status of the outbreak informing of further measures to control its spread (preventing access to footpaths and other land, extending the restriction in movement of livestock, compensation to farmers to the market value of animals slaughtered).

Committee Reports

On 6 February the Parliament Committee published an inquiry report on special education needs stating that education within mainstream schools can become a realistic option for the majority of children with special educational needs. The Committee made 19 detailed recommendations.

On 7 February the European Committee published a report stating that EU member states, including the UK 'considerably diluted' the proposed EU charter of Fundamental Rights. Other countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France and Belgium signed up in full to the agreement while others, including the UK, decided that the Charter should not be a legally binding document.

On 9 February the Rural Development Committee and the Transport and Environment Committee sent a joint letter to Ross Finnie the Rural Development Minister 'strongly recommending' that the Executive establish an independent inquiry into the environmental impacts of sea cage fish farming.

On 27 February the Justice Minister Jim Wallace, the Lord Advocate Colin Boyd and Solicitor General Neil Davidson appeared before the Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee to give evidence on the Crown Office Inquiry into Relations with the Chhokar Family.

Publications

Placing Requests in Education Authority Schools in Scotland: 1989-90 to 1999-2000: results of the latest annual survey. 14.2.01

Students in Higher Education Institution in Scotland: 1990-00: Scottish Executive statistics. 15.2.01

Exclusions from Schools, 1999/200: Scottish Executive statistics. 15.02.01

Women and Transport: Moving Forward: study to identify key issues which affect women in relation to the policy or service and to ensure that developments address these. 16.2.01

The Supply of Teachers: paper providing detailed statistics and background to the current position on the collection of information relevant to the supply of teachers. 19.2.01

Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department review of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland: interim report. 20.2.01

New deal for unemployed people in Scotland: statistics to end December 2000. 20.2.01

Draft Land Report (Scotland) Bill: Consultation Paper. 22.2.01

Working Group on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant sales: discussion papers in order to agree the basic principles upon which to proceed. 23.2.01

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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