BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 103/2015 Thursday 18 June 2015 Summary of Today’s Business Meetings of Committees 9.00 am Rural Affairs, Climate Change and the Robert Burns Environment Committee Room (CR1) 9.30 am Standards, Procedures and Public the David Livingstone Appointments Committee Room (CR6) 10.00 am Devolution (Further Powers) Committee the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2) 10.00 am Equal Opportunities Committee the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4) ___________________________________________________________________ Meeting of the Parliament 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions followed by Members’ Business – S4M-13293 Claire Baker: Promoting Responsible Off-road Motorbike and Quad Bike Ownership 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Ministerial Statement: Scottish Government Response to the Vale of Leven Inquiry followed by Ministerial Statement: Provisional Outturn 2014-15 followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Bill followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time 1 For full details of today’s business, see Section A. For full details of the future business, see sections B and C. ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Contents The sections which appear in today’s Business Bulletin are in bold Section A: Today’s Business - Meetings of Committees - Meeting of the Parliament Section B: Future Meetings of the Parliament Section C: Future Meetings of Committees Section D: Oral Questions - Questions selected for First Minister’s Questions - Questions selected for response by Ministers and junior Scottish Ministers at Question Time Section E: Written Questions – new questions for written answer Section F: Motions and Amendments Section G: Bills - New Bills introduced - New amendments to Bills - Members’ Bills proposals Section H: New Documents – new documents laid before the Parliament and committee reports published Section I: Petitions – new public petitions Section J: Progress of Legislation – progress of Bills and subordinate legislation Section K: Corrections to the Official Report 3 Business Bulletin: Thursday 18 June 2015 Section A – Today’s Business Meetings of Committees All meetings take place in the Scottish Parliament, unless otherwise specified. Contact details for Committee Clerks are provided at the end of the Bulletin. Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee 23rd Meeting, 2015 The Committee will meet at 9.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1) 1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether its consideration of its work programme should be taken in private at its next meeting. 2. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development: The Committee will take evidence from— Phil Hogan, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission. Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee 11th Meeting, 2015 The Committee will meet at 9.30 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6) 1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 3 in private. 2. Inquiry into lobbying: The Committee will consider correspondence received from the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Scottish Government. 3. Scotland Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the scrutiny of the Scotland Bill. 4. Inquiry into the election of Committee Conveners (in private): The Committee will consider a draft report. 5. Code of Conduct (in private): The Committee will consider the rules in section 7 of the Code of Conduct on confidentiality. 6. Scottish Law Commission Bills (in private): The Committee will consider its approach to a review of the procedures for implementing Scottish Law Commission bills. 5 Devolution (Further Powers) Committee 18th Meeting, 2015 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2) 1. BBC Memorandum of Understanding (UK Government Proposals): The Committee will consider the contents of a Memorandum of Understanding on the BBC, in line with the UK Government’s proposals following the Smith Commission. 2. Scotland Bill (in private): The Committee will consider its approach to its consideration of the Scotland Bill. 3. Scotland Bill (in private): The Committee will consider a briefing note on the progress of the Scotland Bill in the UK Parliament at Committee Stage. 4. Scotland Bill (in private): The Committee will consider a list of candidates for the posts of adviser in connection with its consideration of the Scotland Bill. 5. Scotland Bill (in private): The Committee will consider a specification for the commissioning of external research on parliamentary oversight of intergovernmental relations. Equal Opportunities Committee 12th Meeting, 2015 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4) 1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether its consideration of a draft report on its inquiry into Age and Social Isolation should be taken in private at this and future meetings. 2. Tackling sectarianism: The Committee will take evidence from— Margaret Lynch, Member of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, Dr Duncan Morrow, Chair of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, and Dr Michael Rosie, Member of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, Scottish Government. 3. Age and Social Isolation: The Committee will consider a draft report. 6 Meeting of the Parliament 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 1. Roderick Campbell: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Fostering Network Scotland’s survey that found children to be moving too many times while in care. (S4O-04478) 2. Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve care services for adults with cerebral palsy. (S4O-04479) 3. James Dornan: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of people who are homeless in Glasgow. (S4O-04480) 4. Kenneth Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on jobs, investment and services of the additional £107 million reduction in the Scottish Budget recently announced by the Chancellor. (S4O-04481) 5. Iain Gray: [Withdrawn] 6. Jim Eadie: To ask the Scottish Government when the Commission on Local Tax Reform last met and what matters were discussed. (S4O-04483) 7. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government how much land and forest has been bought and sold by Forestry Commission Scotland since 2010 and at what cost. (S4O-04484) 8. Willie Coffey: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to prevent taxi drivers with a series of complaints against them in one local authority area from obtaining a taxi driver’s licence in another area. (S4O-04485) 9. Linda Fabiani: To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it has introduced to increase the supply of social housing. (S4O-04486) 10. Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is a comprehensive strategy for GP recruitment in the NHS Grampian area. (S4O-04487) 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions 1. Iain Gray: To ask the First Minister what engagements she has planned for the rest of the day (S4F-02885) 2. Ruth Davidson: To ask the First Minister when she will next meet the Prime Minister. (S4F-02886) 3. Willie Rennie: To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-02881) 7 4. Roderick Campbell: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to Diabetes Scotland’s finding that diabetes levels are ―at an all-time high‖. (S4F-02890) 5. Jackie Baillie: [Withdrawn] 6. Christine Grahame: To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will introduce cervical screening for women over 60. (S4F-02883) followed by Members’ Business Debate on the subject of— S4M-13293 Claire Baker: Promoting Responsible Off-road Motorbike and Quad Bike Ownership—That the Parliament understands that there is increasing popularity and affordability of off-road motorbikes and quad bikes; is concerned at reports from communities across Scotland, including Mid-Scotland and Fife, of antisocial behaviour on off-road motorbikes and quad bikes, which causes noise pollution, can be threatening to pedestrians and too often causes distress in public parks and public footpaths; also notes reports of damage to farm land, leading to financial loss for farmers, as well as damage to coastal and woodland paths resulting in repair costs for local authorities and others; notes the local police initiative to tackle antisocial behaviour in Fife, Operation Ducati; notes the view that that consideration should be given to any additional tools for Police Scotland to address such antisocial behaviour; acknowledges that the responsible use of quad bikes and off- road motorcycles is a legitimate recreational activity that is enjoyed by many people both as individuals and through off-road motorcycle clubs; believes in the importance of education to encourage responsible off-road activity and raise awareness among owners; notes encouragement for owners to register bikes through the DVLA’s voluntary registration scheme and, given the increasing popularity of off-road activity, notes the view that mandatory registration should be considered for introduction across the UK. 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions S4M-13550 Joe FitzPatrick: