Issue 69 - November 2007

Events

2 November: Linda Fabiani, Minister for External Affairs announced funding of £68,000 for a project to promote enterprise and economic development in Malawi.

2 November: Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary, announced an increase in legal aid fees for solemn criminal cases from April 2008.  The increase is the equivalent of a 7% increase against the current fee levels.

6 November: Bruce Crawford, Minister for Parliamentary Business, commented on the Queen's speech, saying that it reflected the focus and priorities of the Westminster Government and that there are additional important steps, beyond primary legislation, that the UK should be taking this year.  He said that the Scottish Government would continue to press UK Ministers and explore ways to take forward issues of importance to Scotland, such as ship-to-ship oil transfers and firearms. 
He said that within the UK Government's new legislative programme just published the Government has identified and agreed a number of specific opportunities to legislate for the benefit of Scotland on matters that are within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and on matters which relate to the executive competence of Scottish Ministers.
The Bills are:

• Health and Social Care: to include Scotland in improvements and changes to the UK regulatory regime for the healthcare professions

• Climate Change: to provide a statutory UK framework for actions to mitigate climate change by reducing emissions, including setting a statutory target for the reduction of carbon emissions

• Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts: to allow access to funds in dormant accounts to invest back into society in Scotland; and confer additional functions on Scottish Ministers to make orders directing the distribution of these funds

8 November: John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, announced that a new dedicated database of information, the Climate Change Tools Database, to help councils co-ordinate their efforts to reduce emissions and combat climate change is now available. 

9 November: Glasgow was selected as the host city for 2014 Commonwealth Games.  The final vote in Sri Lanka was 47 for Glasgow and 24 for Abuja in Nigeria.

12 November: it was announced that an inquiry is to be carried out by Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee regarding the spoilt ballot papers during the Scottish Parliament and local government elections in May.  The Committee will look at the role of the Scotland Office in administering the elections.

13 November: Alex Salmond, First Minister, launched the Government's new Economic Strategy with the aim of creating a more successful country through increasing sustainable economic growth.
The strategy identifies five Strategic Priorities:

• Learning, Skills and Well-being

• Supportive Business Environment

• Infrastructure Development and Place

• Effective Government

• Equity

The development of the Economic Strategy has been informed by the work of the Council of Economic Advisers.

14 November: John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, outlined the Scottish Government's spending plans for the next three years.  The key commitments are:

• reduction, and for many the removal, of business rates affecting 150,000 small business premises

• reduced rail journey times between major cities

• an ambitious programme to tackle climate change

• resources to freeze the Council Tax

15 November: Stewart Stevenson, Planning Minister, announced the publication of a new planning policy Open Space and Physical Activity which states that councils will be required to prepare an open space strategy to protect and improve open space.  The term open space includes parks, playing fields, foot and cycle paths, woodland, allotments and civic spaces.  The policy states that local authorities should use their open space strategy and local development plan to make it clear to developers what open space is required to serve new developments, and to ensure that this is appropriate for community needs.

16 November: the British-Spanish Forum was held at the Scottish Parliament over the weekend, bringing together influential decision-makers from the fields of politics, academia and business from Spain and across the UK.  Sir David King, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government lead a debate on "How important is scientific development to political debate?"

16 November: Dr Andrew Goudie, the Government's Chief Economic Adviser, announced that both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland will be published in June 2008.  Dr Goudie said that all subsequent GERS publications would be published each June, six months earlier than the previous schedule.

22 November: Fiona Hyslop, Education Secretary, met with university principals to discuss the budget settlement for Scotland's Higher Education Institutions and how the Government and the sector can work together on the future of the sector.  Universities Scotland, represented by Sir Muir Russell, Tim O'Shea, Bernard King and David Caldwell, presented an overview of the pressures the sector will face across the Spending Review period.  Ms Hyslop highlighted the Government's track record in directing additional funding into the sector with £50 million of additional capital funding invested in universities in 2007-08.

22 November: MSPs from across the political spectrum met with more than 100 young people from around Scotland at an event Young People and Your Democracy at the Parliament.  The event was organised by the British Youth Council.

24 November: Stewart Maxwell, Minister for Communities and Sport, announced a Weekend of Action (November 24-25) against bigotry in football. Alex Salmond, First Minister, and other cabinet colleagues stood together with supporters of Scottish Premier League clubs to oppose prejudice and hatred of all kinds, but particularly religious sectarianism.

26 November: Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary, met with Europol's Director and members of the UK Liaison Bureau in The Hague to hear how the organisation is working with Scotland's crime-fighters.  Europol is the European Union's response to the threat of organised crime and aims to improve the effectiveness and co-operation of law enforcement across all Member States in preventing and combating terrorism, unlawful drug trafficking and other forms of international organised crime.

26 November: publication of two research reports focusing on public attitudes to public services and government in Scotland.  The independent reports form part of the Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey.   The reports show that the top priorities for the people of Scotland in 2006 were improving health and cutting crime.

26 November: start of the Parliament's first Equality and Diversity Week.  The aim of the week is to develop a greater understanding among members and staff of discrimination and the barriers people face to participating equally in society.

27 November: publication the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service's report on departmental performance and progress from April 2006 to March 2007.  The report is available in all Procurator Fiscal offices and on the department's website.

27 November: Jim Mather, Energy Minister, announced a new target to generate 50% of Scotland's electricity from renewables by 2020, with an interim target of 31% by 2011.  Mr Mather said that the Scottish Government is encouraging the development of low carbon technologies such as renewable energy, micro-generation, combined heat and power, carbon capture and storage.

27 November: Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary, announced the outcome of the Government's review of community penalties.  Mr MacAskill said that punishment should include reparation whenever possible, providing some form of positive payback to the community suffering damage.  He also unveiled the Scottish Government's action plan, a programme of change to ensure that community penalties are used to their full potential in future.

29 November: Dr Pierre-Alain Schieb, senior advisor to the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, addressed an audience at the Parliament made up of academic and business leaders.  Scotland Futures Forum Director Robert Rae said that Dr Schieb's visit was a rare opportunity to hear a considered and provocative view on the future development of the Scottish economy within the global context.

29 November: the Scottish Parliament announced a draft plan to strengthen the Parliament's use and recognition of the Gaelic language and is asking the public to provide their views on the plan.

30 November: Alex Salmond, First Minister, recorded a special St Andrew's Day Message for the country's National Day and flew the banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland outside the Scottish Government headquarters in Edinburgh.

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Appointments

27 November: Professor John Baillie was appointed as new Chair to the Accounts Commission for Scotland.

29 November: Parliament approved the nomination of Professor Alan Miller as the Chair of the Scottish Commission for Human Rights. 

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Bills

A summary of the Bills passed by the Parliament in the 1999-2003 and 2003-2007 sessions can be found on the Parliament website at

www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsPassed/billsum-s1.htm

www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsnotInProgress-s2/index.htm

 

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Committees

2 November: the European and External Relations Committee launched an inquiry into the transposition of EU directives into Scottish Law. 

5 November: the Europe and External Relations Committee called for evidence on its inquiry into international development in Scotland. The Committee will consider the role of a Scottish Government international development policy and how value can be added to the existing international development work in Scotland.

7 November: publication of a report by the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee endorsing proposals to abolish the tolls on the Forth and Tay Road Bridges.

7 November: the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee called for evidence on the feasibility of the Scottish Government's ambition for a 50% increase in revenue from tourism by 2015.  The Committee's inquiry will focus upon the key challenges to meeting this ambition and effective measures to overcome these.

21 November: Ron Gould, the Canadian elections expert, gave evidence via a video link to the Parliament's Local Government and Communities Committee.  Mr Gould was appointed by the Electoral Commission to carry out an independent assessment of the Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections that took place on 3 May.

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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
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/corporate/recruitment/extResearcher/index.htm

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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 November 2007 include:

8 November: Review of Scotland's Colleges: Promoting Excellence: The Scottish Government's Response to the Review.

13 November: The Government Economic Strategy: the Government Economic Strategy supports the delivery of the Purpose, that is, to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth.

14 November: Scottish Budget Spending Review 2007.

26 November: Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2006: Core Module: Report 2 - Perceptions of Government in Scotland: report presenting the findings from questions covering trust and involvement in the governance of Scotland included in the 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, funded by the Office of the Chief Researcher in order to inform policy development and evaluation.

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Links to other issues of Parliament News

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Contact

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