Issue 20 - September 2002
Parliament resumed after its summer recess on September 2.
Events
1 July: legislation came into force for free personal and nursing care for older people.
2 July: Jack McConnell, First Minister, made a speech at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Mr McConnell conceded that Scotland had to do more to improve its performance towards sustainable development and condemned the injustice of the gap between developed and developing worlds.
2 July: Ross Finnie, Minister for Environment and Rural Development, launched a five week-long advertising campaign to highlight measures that can be taken to improve the country's poor recycling record and help reduce Scotland's growing waste problem.
3 July: Andy Kerr, Minister for Finance and Public Services announced the publication of A Guide to Public Bodies in Scotland containing information for the general public on the 148 public bodies in Scotland. The handbook and associated website aim to promote a clearer understanding of the role of Scottish public bodies and the framework of accountability within which they must operate.
4 July: Jack McConnell, First Minister, made a statement in Parliament after his three-day visit to South Africa saying he was encouraged by the agreement to halve the number of people without access to clean water and sanitation by 2015 but disappointed with the lack of clear targets for the use of sustainable energy.
9 July: Dumfries and Galloway council tenants voted yes to the transfer of their homes to the not-for-profit Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership.
9 July: at a meeting of the Commission for Constitutional Affairs and European Governance of the Committee of Regions in Brussels Jack McConnell, First Minister, outlined a proposed series of measures to open up EU decision-making, including:
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greater involvement for public bodies closest to the citizens, including devolved governments;
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more systematic, early dialogue between the commission and implementing bodies;
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that the Council of Ministers meet in public when agreeing EU legislation;
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greater use of framework legislation, leaving the detail to implementing authorities such as Member States and devolved Governments.
13 August: Elaine Murray, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, launched an exchange programme which will allow budding Scottish players to study for six weeks at some of Europe's top clubs. The programme plans to see approximately 50 players sent abroad each year between now and 2006.
5 September: Jim Wallace, Justice Minister, told the Parliament that over the next three years £110 million will be spent on prisons, including those at Edinburgh, Polmont, Glenochil, Perth and Barlinnie. The plans include a modernisation programme for providing 2500 new and refurbished prisoner places.
11 September: Jack McConnell, First Minister, and other Scottish Ministers attended a special service at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh to mark the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America on September 11.
12 September: Ross Finnie, Minister for the Environment, announced that £170 million has been allocated to waste management to increase the proportion of waste recycled and composted.
12 September: Jack McConnell, First Minister, announced the Spending Review in Parliament, detailing how all Executive resources will be allocated over the next three years. This Spending Review represents the mid-point between the Annual Expenditure Report published in April and the Budget Bill the Executive will present in Parliament by January 20023 seeking Parliamentary authority for the budget for 2003-04.
18 September: Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Transport Minister, launched a new nationwide travel information service Traveline Scotland. This service will provide a one-stop shop for passengers and will give access to information about all rail, coach, bus, ferry and internal air services in Scotland. The number 0870-608 2 608 can also be used from abroad by those wishing to make holiday or business travel arrangements while staying in Scotland.
24 September: the Executive confirmed it will publish a Local Governance Bill before the end of this Parliamentary Session that will include the Single Transferable Vote (STV) as the alternative choice to First Past the Post electoral system. The Executive will ensure that, if the Bill was to be passed through Parliament, it would be possible to introduce those changes in time for the 2007 local elections.
26 September: Andy Kerr, the Minister for Finance and Public Services visited the Czech Republic for a series of meetings with businesses and senior politicians, and said that the relationship has the potential to deliver benefits for Scotland and the Czech Republic, including contracts for Scottish businesses.
30 September: the results from Scotland's Census in 2001 were released showing that the resident population on Census Day, 29 April 2001, is estimated at 5,062,011, indicating a marked decline in Scotland's population compared with previous estimates.
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to topAppointments
15 July: the Honourable Lord Eassie was appointed Chairman of the Scottish Law Commission. The appointment is for a period of three years and is part-time. Lord Eassie succeeds Lord Gill who has resigned his post to take the post of Lord Justice Clerk.
22 July: the Rev Dr Andrew McLellan was appointed Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland. Dr McLellan succeeds Mr Clive Fairweather whose appointment comes to an end in October.
14 August: Sir Muir Russell, Permanent Secretary at the Scottish Office, accepted an invitation from the Court of the University of Glasgow to be their next Principal and Vice-Chancellor. Sir Muir said he intended to leave the Executive in the summer or early autumn of 2003.
5 September: William Rae, Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police Force, has been appointed the new Chair of the Community Planning Task Force. Mr Rae succeeds Prof Alice Brown, recently appointed to the post of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
5 September: Four new members have been appointed to the board of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC): Ian Ritchie, Keith Robson, Salma Siddique, Ian Adam. The Council Chair and one board member have also been re-appointed: Dr Chris Masters (Chair) and Prof Georgina Follett. Three members retired from the Council on May 31: Prof Sir Graeme Catto, James McColl, and Prof Alice Brown.
System Three poll (for The Herald)
(955 people in 42 constituencies surveyed between Sept 26 and Oct 3, 2002)
The System Three poll, carried out at the end of September, noted voting intentions for both the Scottish Parliament (two votes) and the House of Commons.
|
Holyrood |
Holyrood |
Westminster |
|
|
Lab |
38% |
28% |
47% |
|
SNP |
28% |
29% |
21% |
|
LibDem |
16% |
16% |
15% |
|
Con |
10% |
10% |
11% |
|
SSP |
4% |
9% |
3% |
|
Green |
3% |
6% |
} 3% |
|
Others |
2% |
4% |
Bills
18 September: the general principles of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1, were agreed by Parliament. The broad policy objectives of the Bill are to improve public protection, including victims' rights, promote effective sentencing, maintain an efficient criminal justice system, keep the law up to date and make certain changes in the law relating to young people.
19 September: the general principles of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1 were agreed by Parliament. The main objective of the Bill is to create a national statutory debt arrangement scheme and establish a humane and workable alternative to the diligence of poinding and warrant sales, which is to be abolished not later than 31 December 2002.
Committees
2 July: the Justice 1 Committee published its report on the Prison Estates Review. The Report has all-party agreement and sets out the unanimous conclusions reached by the Committee. The report made several recommendations, including that the sex offenders' prison at Peterhead be retained, that slopping out be eradicated as soon as possible and that the Executive should have considered the Prison Estates Review in the context of wider penal reform, and in particular should provide adequate resources and support for schemes aimed at reducing offending and re-offending.
3 July: the Transport and the Environment Committee called for evidence on the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill. The overall aim of the Bill is to promote the sustainable management and protection of the water environment in Scotland and to change the arrangements for funding new connections to the public water and sewerage infrastructure.
4 July: the European Committee published a report calling for protection of the regional development fund structure and warned that any major reduction in the scheme could hit Scotland's most deprived areas. The report highlights the possible impacts on Scotland with the planned entry to the EU of a number of underdeveloped countries from central and eastern Europe.
4 July: the Local Government Committee issued a call seeking views from all interested parties on the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Bill. The main purpose of the Bill is to establish a Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland, to abolish six non-departmental public bodies and to create a new national body to be known as the National Survey of Archaeology and Buildings of Scotland.
4 July: the Education, Culture and Sport committee published a report proposing the establishment of an office for a Commissioner for Children and Young People.
5 July: the Health and Community Care Committee has agreed to consider whether the Executive's decision to approve the testing of genetically modified crops at a number of specified sits in Scotland may have negative public health consequences.
5 July: the Parliament's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee announced an open call for evidence for its inquiry into tourism to examine the effectiveness of the Executive's current tourism strategy.
11 July: the European Committee announced its inquiry remit and call for evidence on 'Who do we have in Brussels and how do they represent Scotland's interests?'
24 July: the Justice 1 Committee published a report putting forward the public's views on sentencing and alternatives to imprisonment. Evidence emerged to suggest strongly that widely held harsh attitudes towards sentencing change significantly in favour of non-custodial sentences when better background information is provided to the public.
24 July: the Justice 1 Committee issued a call seeking views from interested parties on its alternatives to custody inquiry.
29 July: the Local Government Committee issued a call for views from interested parties on the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Bill.
9 September: the Education, Culture and Sport committee issued a call for evidence seeking views on the Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to establish a list of adults deemed unsuitable to work with children and to prohibit these people from working with children.
9 September: the Justice 1 Committee issued a call seeking views from interested parties on the Council of the Law Society of Scotland Bill, which makes provision about the discharge of functions of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland, the appointment of sub-committees and the appointment of lay members as members of committees and sub-committees of the Council.
10 September: the Audit Committee has been chosen to contribute to an international study seeking to identify factors that can improve the success of Public Accountability Committees. The study, which is being run by the World Bank Institute, will examine how the financial accountability of government is monitored through such Committees.
13 September: the Justice 2 Committee endorsed the general principles of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill. However, specific proposals within the bill to ban the smacking of children under three years of age have not been supported.
16 September: the European Committee hosted a Convention on the Future of Europe. The Convention debated the direction of the European Union and future reports and brought together MSPs, MPS, MEPs, representatives from public bodies, education establishments, youth organisation and members of the public.
16 September: the Parliament's 17 Committees published their annual reports, covering their activities from 12 May 2001 to 11 May 2002. Last year MSPs spent 896 hours in Committee scrutinising legislation, engaging in wide-ranging investigation, and working in partnership with the people, compared to 338 hours in the Chamber.
18 September: the Rural Development Committee issued a call for evidence on the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill. The Bill provides for new forms of tenancies, and makes provision for certain agricultural tenants to buy land.
19 September: the Transport and the Environment Committee issued a call for evidence on the Building (Scotland) Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to set out the framework for a new building standards (formerly building control) system in Scotland.
20 September: the Social Justice Committee issued a call for evidence on the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Bill. The Bill covers the following areas: priority need; intentionally homeless; restriction of power of referral; homeless persons with dependent children; persons at risk of domestic abuse; notices to local authorities; and assured tenancies - recovery of possession.
20 September: the Health and Community Care Committee issued a call for evidence on the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill. The main aim of the Bill is to update the law on the compulsory care and treatment of people with mental disorders and to make provision for the care and treatment of offenders with mental disorders.
25 September: the Audit Committee published a report recommending that the Scottish Further Education Funding Council must start to produce tangible results from its current initiatives.
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
Some of those published in the last month include:
New Deal in Scotland - Advice on Suitable Qualifications: deails of those qualifications which can be undertaken by clients on New Deal programmes. 3.07.02.
A Guide to Public Bodies in Scotland: a guide (from a commitment from Public Bodies Review 2001) to explain Public Bodies' roles. 3.07.02
Crofting Reform Proposal for Legislation: White Paper on crofting reform. 4.07.02
Regulating the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Organsims (GMOs): second public consultation on how the revised European Directive on the Deliberate Release of GM Organisms is to be transposed into Scottish legislation. 24.7.02
Scottish Household Survey Bulletin No 8: latest findings of the Scottish Household Survey. 29.7.02
International Opportunities within Scottish Education and Training 2003: booklet providing a basic information resource on a range of international exchange, study, and training opportunities available to the education, training, youth and community sectors in Scotland. 12.08.02
UN Convention on The Rights of The Child (Information Booklet): a guide to help young people understand their rights under the UN Convention. 13.08.02.
Environment Group Research Programme 2002-2003: programme providing brief details of new Environment Group research projects for 02-03 and an update of ongoing projects. 6.09.02
Land Reform Action Plan - 10th Progress Report: August 2002 edition. 10.09.02
Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys: publication showing the outcome of the Scottish spending Review 2002 . 12.09.02
Implementation of the National Cultural Strategy: Draft Guidance for Scottish Local Authorities: advisory guidance for local authorities of good practice for implementing the National Cultural Strategy. 13.09.02
National Care Standards - A Guide: public information leaflet covering the range of National Care Standards published by Scottish Ministers. 17.09.02
Teaching in Scotland: IT'S THE MAKING OF US: information for those interested in teaching as a career. 25.09.02
Contact
Should you have any comments or enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Margaret MacPherson at the Institute of Governance.
This page was published on 29 October 2008