Events
3 November: John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, announced that the Scottish Government was granting outline planning permission for the application by Trump International Golf Links Scotland to develop a golf resort at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, subject to satisfactory conclusion of legal agreements between the applicant and Aberdeenshire Council. The decision follows a Report from the public local inquiry stating that there was significant economic and social benefit to be gained from the project.
4 November: launch of a consultation Climate Change and the National Forest Estate in Scotland. Proposals include developing renewable energy projects to help the Scottish Government meet its greener energy targets as well as planting more trees, to increase the area of Scotland covered in woodland by the second half of this century.
4 November: Richard Lochhead, Environment Secretary said that a total of £1,165,761 had been allocated to eighteen community projects across Scotland as part of the next round of investment from the Climate Challenge Fund. The Climate Challenge Fund provides £27.4 million to communities over three years to cut their carbon emissions at local level.
5 November: Alex Salmond, First Minister, sent his congratulations to the President-elect of the United States, Barack Obama. Mr Salmond included in his message an invitation to Mr Obama to visit Scotland during the 2009 Year of Homecoming.
6 November: John Swinney, Finance Secretary, announced the Government’s intention to simplify the public sector landscape and improve public services:
• A new health scrutiny body will bring together the functions of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Mental Welfare Commission, and the scrutiny of independent healthcare currently undertaken by the Care Commission.
• a single body will look at care and social work, taking on the functions the of Social Work Inspectorate Agency, the Care Commission and HMIE's current responsibilities for child protection.
• The Scottish Charity Appeals Panel will be abolished once the Government has publicly consulted and agreed where its functions will sit in future.
• Complaints handling will be simplified. The Government will discuss with the Parliament whether complaints about the water industry and from prisoners could be handled by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). This would lead to the abolition of Waterwatch; water customers would be represented by Consumer Focus (formerly the Scottish Consumer Council).
• The Government will also discuss with the Parliament whether the Scottish Prisoner Complaints Commission should become part of the revised functions of the SPSO.
• The Prison Visiting Committee will be more integrated with HM Inspector of Prisons.
7 November: Lindsay Roy of the Labour Party was elected as the new MP for Glenrothes after winning the by-election. Mr Roy won with a majority of 6,737 over Peter Grant of the SNP, who had increased their vote by almost 4,500. The by-election for the Glenrothes seat was held after the death of sitting Labour MP John MacDougall.
10 November: launch of the Scottish Parliament Community Partnerships Project which will work with blind and partially sighted young people, difficult-to-reach young people, and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to help them get involved with and influence the activities of the Parliament.
10 November: the UK Government submitted evidence to the Calman Commission on the future of Scottish devolution, claiming that Westminster's policy on energy, including nuclear, risks being undermined by powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The submission was prepared by UK government departments, none of which recommend any significant new powers.
14 November: Stewart Stevenson, Climate Change Minister, welcomed the publication of three reports about energy and climate change:
• Mitigating Against Climate Change in Scotland: Identification and Initial Assessment of Policy Options - (AEA report)
• Scottish Energy Study - Volume 5: Energy and Carbon Dioxide Projections for Scotland - (AEA report)
• Grid Issues arising from Changes to the Generation Background in Scotland - (SKM report
The reports cover options to mitigate future climate change, trends in future energy supply and demand, and an assessment of the impact of increasing renewable electricity upon the grid network. They present views upon future changes in Scotland and offer suggestions on what measures could be taken by individuals and government to help the environment.
14 November: publication of the European Commission’s Strategic Energy Review which identifies a North Sea Offshore Grid as an infrastructure priority. Alex Salmond, First Minister, said he was delighted that Scotland’s clear strengths in renewable energy, and its massive renewables potential, has been recognised as contributing to European energy security.
17 November: Fiona Hyslop, Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary, said that Scotland’s universities will play a key role in helping the country recover from the current economic downturn. Ms Hyslop, co-chair of the Taskforce, was speaking after endorsement of the New Horizons report. She also confirmed the Scottish Cabinet supported the Taskforce’s recommendation that universities should be a key economic sector in their own right. New Horizons will also modernise the way in which three parties to the Taskforce, the Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland and Scottish Government, will work together in the future and on how universities will be funded. This new relationship will be embodied in the Tripartite Advisory Group with its remit to advise the Cabinet Secretary on:
• how effectively the new funding arrangements should be and are operating;
• how effectively the SFC's 'lighter touch' approach is working;
• the level of public investment required in learning and teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities to maintain broad overall comparability with the rest of the UK;
• the strategic outputs and outcomes that should be monitored by the SFC.
20 November: launch of the Parliament's five-year Gaelic Language Plan which will ensure that the Parliament continues to look for ways to engage with the Gaelic community and do all they can to promote the Gaelic language and strengthen access for the public.
24 November: publication of an analysis of responses to the consultation on replacing council tax with a local income tax. John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said that of the individuals who responded to the consultation, 55% thought a local income tax, based on the ability to pay, was the fairest way to raise money to pay for local services.
24 November: the Scottish Government launched Achieving Our Potential, a new framework aimed at tackling poverty and income inequality in Scotland. The framework is supported by funding of £7.5 million and sets out the joint approach of the Scottish Government and COSLA in the fight against poverty. The framework outlines the key actions required by Government and its partners such as the strengthening of income maximisation work, launching a campaign to raise awareness of statutory workers' rights and supporting people who find it hardest to get into jobs or use public services.
It also calls for the UK government to transfer responsibility for personal taxation and benefits to Scotland, simplify the tax credits scheme and promote the greater availability of childcare vouchers.
25 November: the launch in Brussels by Jim Mather, Energy Minister, of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC). Mr Mather said the Centre will play a pivotal role in putting Scotland at the centre of European research, development and deployment of clean energy technologies, such as carbon capture and renewable heat.
25 November: Stewart Maxwell, Minister for Communities and Sport, announced that Scottish local authorities are being invited to apply for a share of £25 million to help start a new phase of council house building. The Scottish Government and COSLA have pledged to ensure that support is focused on councils that are best placed to deliver much-needed homes quickly. Mr Maxwell said that only six new Council houses were completed under the previous administration.
27 November: Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced the creation of the new Scottish Language Baccalaureate and Scottish Science Baccalaureate. These Baccalaureates will include two courses from the eligible list relating to science or languages, as well as a mathematics or an English/Gaidhlig course, and an interdisciplinary project to be taken in S6. Two out of the three courses must be at Advanced Higher with the remaining course at Higher level.
27 November: Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, announced that the Scottish Government has agreed with the UK Government, through the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC), that planned marine bills from both administrations should be joined up. Scotland will get new executively devolved responsibility for planning and nature conservation out to 200 nm. The agreement also includes:
• the administrations working together to deliver joined-up marine management;
• a UK Marine Policy Statement to be part of an integrated marine management system.
27 November: publication on the Parliament’s website of a new register detailing the employment by MSPs of close family members. This move follows an independent review and parliamentary debate earlier in the year.
28 November: launch of a promotional video for the Year of Homecoming 2009 to be screened on television to encourage Scots to invite friends and family to return home for the celebrations. Ten famous Scots combine to present the anthem Caledonia against a backdrop of Scottish scenery.
Appointments
3 November: Ewan Brown was named Chair of Creative Scotland, the new single body which will be established for Scotland’s arts and culture sector. The Government intends to establish Creative Scotland as a statutory Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) through the Public Services Reform Bill to be introduced to Parliament in 2009.
28 November: Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, was re-appointed to the Scottish Enterprise Board.
Bills
No Bills were passed by Parliament in November.
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
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsPassed/billsum-s1.htm
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsnotInProgress-s2/index.htm
Committees
18 November: the Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee visited Longannet Power Station near Alloa in the first of a series of fact-finding visits to gather evidence for an inquiry into the future of energy consumption and production in Scotland.
27 November: the Parliament’s Standards, Procedure and Public Appointments Committee published a report of its review of Section 8 of the Code of Conduct for MSPs of the Scottish Parliament. The Committee's report proposes clarifying the rules which MSPs must abide by when approached to take on a constituency case by a member of the public.
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
Publications
Scottish Executive publications can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/recent.aspx
Some of those published in the last month include:
4 November: Scottish Climate Bill – Forestry provision: consultation on forestry provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill.
5 November: Preparing Scotland: Scottish Guidance on Preparing for Emergencies: Responding to Emergencies in Scotland.
5 November: Making Scotland a leader in green energy: Draft framework for the development and deployment of renewables in Scotland: consultation document.
13 November: Marine Bill – Consultation Responses: non confidential responses.
14 November: Mitigating Against Climate Change in Scotland: publication containing identification and initial assessment of policy options.
This page was published on 6 August 2009