Ag/S3/08/11 PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
AGENDA FOR MEETING ON TUESDAY 25 MARCH 2008 2.00pm: Room Q1.03
1. Minutes (a) Draft minutes of 18 March 2008 (b) Matters arising
2. Future Business Programme (PB/S3/08/40)
3. Procedural motions Approval of instruments (PB/S3/08/41)
Legislation 4. Creative Scotland Bill – Stage 1 completion date (PB/S3/08/42)
5. Proposed Apprenticeship Rights (Scotland) Bill: Referral of Draft Proposal (PB/S3/08/43)
6. Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee – travel outwith the UK (PB/S3/08/44)
7. Justice Committee – travel outwith the UK (PB/S3/08/44A)
8. Justice Committee – appointment of adviser (PB/S3/08/45)
9. Publication scheme – consideration of any exempt papers
10. Date of next meeting – Tuesday 15 April 2008
PB/S3/08/40
PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
POSSIBLE MOTIONS FOR MEMBERS BUSINESS
1. Bureau Members will be aware that under Rule 5.6.1(c) the Bureau has a duty to ensure that there is a period of time available for Members’ Business following Decision Time.
2. Motions submitted for Members’ Business are shown below.
S3M-1611# Johann Lamont: Congratulations to the Bullwood Project—That the Parliament applauds the ambition, energy, tenacity and vision of the Bullwood Project, a self- help group based in the Pollok parliamentary constituency; notes the creativity and environmental benefits of its work and that it is working towards being a self-sustaining social enterprise; supports social enterprises which make a real difference in our communities; applauds particularly the Bullwood Project’s contribution to Scotland Week in New York in producing the largest caber in the world; congratulates the project on being invited by the Tartan Day Parade Committee to march in the parade on 5 April 2008, and believes that this caber is an imaginative way of communicating Scotland’s message of friendship and humanity to all those who will participate in the Scotland Week celebration and will see the caber as it is exhibited in the USA.
Supported by: Alex Neil*, Mr Frank McAveety*, Sandra White*, Bob Doris*, Bill Kidd*, Trish Godman*, Hugh Henry*, Cathy Peattie*, Mary Mulligan*, Patricia Ferguson*, Hugh O’Donnell*, Elaine Smith*, Iain Gray*, Gil Paterson*, Marilyn Livingstone*, Jack McConnell*, Patrick Harvie*
S3M-1610# Alison McInnes: Young Drivers - Reducing the Death Toll—That the Parliament notes with concern that one in three fatal road accidents in Scotland last year involved young people under the age of 25 and that three quarters of those crashes happened on rural roads; notes that this is particularly true in the Grampian region where 40% of fatalities were young drivers and so welcomes The Press and Journal’s Young Driver of the Year competition; further welcomes the competition entrants’ innovative recommendations on how the death toll on the roads could be reduced, and considers that all these recommendations should be examined in detail to see which proposals could be taken forward to improve the safety of young drivers in Scotland.
Supported by: Nanette Milne, Mike Pringle, Jim Tolson, Kenneth Gibson, Elizabeth Smith, Mike Rumbles, Sandra White, Jim Hume, Bill Kidd, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn*, Des McNulty*, Elaine Smith*, Cathy Peattie*, Gil Paterson*, Marlyn Glen*, Bob Doris*, Trish Godman*, Hugh O’Donnell*, Robin Harper*, Claire Baker*, Hugh Henry*
S3M-1596# Mary Mulligan: Yes to Bathgate Business Improvement District—That the Parliament notes the hugely successful outcome of the ballot to establish the first Business Improvement District (BID) in Scotland in Bathgate, West Lothian; further notes that out of 205 votes cast by local businesses, 190 were in support of the BID proposals and congratulates the BID steering group chairperson, Sam Crawford, his implementation group colleagues, Amanda Finlayson and Pat Kerr, and all others involved in developing the Bathgate BID on their amazing success; acknowledges that the ballot result is an overwhelming endorsement by the business community of the BID concept, and hopes other Scottish towns may follow in Bathgate’s footsteps.
Supported by: John Lamont*, Patricia Ferguson*, Kenneth Gibson*, Jim Tolson*, Cathy Peattie*, Iain Gray*, Hugh Henry*, Dr Richard Simpson*, Hugh O’Donnell*
S3M-1567# Hugh O’Donnell: A Call for Better Epilepsy Care—That the Parliament welcomes the forthcoming More specialist nurses, better epilepsy care campaign being run by Epilepsy Scotland for National Epilepsy Week 2008; commends the outstanding support that
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Epilepsy Scotland gives to the estimated 40,000 people in Scotland with this condition; acknowledges the valuable contribution specialist epilepsy nurses make to patient-centred treatment and epilepsy management; recognises the cost savings that these nurse posts make by reducing hospital stays, decreasing consultants’ workload and uncovering misdiagnosis and overtreatment; encourages NHS Scotland to address the shortfall in posts which means access to an epilepsy specialist nurse is a postcode lottery; notes that five NHS boards are without either paediatric, adult or learning disability nurses; believes that funding should be provided for additional epilepsy specialist nurses; advises that the recommendation of the Joint Epilepsy Council of the UK and Ireland for one specialist nurse for adult, paediatric and learning disability, per 100,000 of the population be followed in Scotland; acknowledges that resources for medical and administrative support must be available for specialist nurses to allow them to work effectively; suggests that increased specialist nurse provision will contribute towards related HEAT targets for an improved healthcare experience and rates of attendance at accident and emergency departments, and believes that the requests in this motion relate directly to plans contained in the Scottish Government’s Better Health, Better Care strategy for a healthier Scotland, launched on 12 December 2007.
Supported by: Christine Grahame, Jackson Carlaw, Mary Mulligan, Alex Neil, Hugh Henry, Jim Hume, Trish Godman, Alison McInnes, Mike Pringle, Robert Brown, Jackie Baillie, Liam McArthur, Ross Finnie, Robin Harper, Nanette Milne, Karen Whitefield, George Foulkes*, Elaine Smith*
S3M-1539# Tricia Marwick: Leven to Thornton Rail Link—That the Parliament notes that the South-East Scotland Transport Partnership commissioned a feasibility study into the reopening of the Leven to Thornton rail link; believes that the reopening of this line to passengers and freight is vital to the regeneration of the Levenmouth area; notes that the reopening of the Leven to Thornton rail link is one of Fife Council’s top transport priorities, and believes that those most interested in the regeneration of Levenmouth should contribute to the feasibility study now being carried out.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Sandra White, Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Brian Adam, Robin Harper, Bill Kidd, Gil Paterson, Joe FitzPatrick, John Park, Ted Brocklebank, Claire Baker, Christopher Harvie
S3M-1535# Margaret Mitchell: Medtech—That the Parliament welcomes the contribution of the medical technology (medtech) sector to Scotland which is worth around £8.7 million and accounts for around 7,000 jobs; notes that the medical devices sector has been identified as one of the six key technology areas for the following five years by the Council for Science and Technology and that the market is worth $200 billion globally; welcomes the work of Lanarkshire-based Medical Devices in Scotland (MDIS) in providing advice and support for medtech businesses with issues such as regulation, procurement, trade shows and product development, as well as facilitating research and development projects worth over £8 million; further welcomes the fact that MDIS has generated an approximate nine-fold return on an investment of £949,064 provided by Scottish Enterprise since 2001; is therefore concerned that Scottish Enterprise’s funding for MDIS is due to cease as of 31 March 2008; considers that this may lead to a weakening of the sector’s position in Scotland at a time when other UK regions and the Republic of Ireland are aggressively targeting the sector, and therefore considers that all interested parties should work together to provide a solution guaranteeing the long-term financial support that the sector requires.
Supported by: Jackson Carlaw, Murdo Fraser, Mary Scanlon, Jamie McGrigor, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, John Lamont, Ted Brocklebank, Hugh O’Donnell, John Scott
S3M-1529# Mary Scanlon: Elgin Bypass—That the Parliament supports the need for a bypass for the city of Elgin; recognises the efforts of Moray Council, Elgin Community Council, the Elgin Bypass Steering Group and many other individuals and groups who have campaigned for this bypass for many years; notes that 26,000 vehicles pass through Elgin on a daily basis; further notes that four successive ministers with responsibility for transport have visited Elgin since the formation of the Parliament, all of whom have been supportive of the proposal; notes that Moray is the base of many world-renowned companies that distribute
2 PB/S3/08/40 their produce globally but feel restricted in Elgin where traffic slows considerably; also notes that the Moray 2020 strategy recognised that local transport links needed to be transformed in order to enhance the area and to attract inward investment, government dispersals and growing businesses, and notes the need for bypasses for other towns along the A96 corridor.
Supported by: Murdo Fraser, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Jamie McGrigor, John Lamont, Margaret Mitchell, Bill Aitken, Rhoda Grant, David Stewart, Dave Thompson, Peter Peacock, Alison McInnes
S3M-1453# Bill Kidd: European Park of the Year—That the Parliament congratulates Pollok Country Park on being named European Park of the Year 2008; notes that this land was gifted to the people of Glasgow by the Maxwell family to be used freely by all for their recreation, and enjoyment and hopes that this jewel in the crown of Glasgow parks will continue to flourish unspoiled for future generations.
Supported by: Patrick Harvie, Elaine Smith, Robin Harper, Joe FitzPatrick, Robert Brown, Sandra White, Stuart McMillan, Bashir Ahmad, Gil Paterson, Rob Gibson, Jackson Carlaw, Alex Neil, Keith Brown, Ted Brocklebank, Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris
S3M-1452# Jeremy Purvis: Choices for People Coming to the End of Terminal Illness— That the Parliament recognises and commends the committed work of all health professionals and carers who support patients with terminal illness; welcomes the advances in the palliative care movement over recent years that have benefited patients who are coming towards the end of terminal illness*, specifically in the Borders*; further welcomes national campaigns to allow patients to be aware of choices that they can make about their treatment and facilitate more patients to make the choice of dying at home, but believes, however, that there remain patients who wish to have greater control of their treatment and that it is right to debate allowing greater legal support for the choices that some patients may make to ask for assistance to die as they come towards the end of their terminal illnesses.
Supported by: Ian McKee
S3M-1451# Pauline McNeill: Scotland’s Aerospace, Defence and Naval Sector - World Class—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of Scottish Aerospace, Defence and Naval Industry - A Vision for the Future by SBAC Scotland; recognises the value of the industry to Scotland; notes that there are 170 companies involved in the aerospace, defence and naval sector in Scotland, employing over 16,000 people and generating orders of £2.31 billion in 2006; further recognises the success of shipbuilding on the Clyde, the thousands of jobs associated with the Scotstoun and Govan yards within BAE Systems and the establishment of one of the largest apprenticeship schemes in Scotland; supports SBAC Scotland’s aim of doubling the Scottish sector’s annual sales over the next 15 years and further developing an already world-class industry, and considers that there should be positive engagement by government with SBAC Scotland and its member firms.
Supported by: Iain Gray, Sandra White, Murdo Fraser, Elaine Murray, Trish Godman, Bill Butler, Karen Gillon, Kenneth Gibson, Marilyn Livingstone, Des McNulty, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Hugh Henry, Andy Kerr, Brian Adam, Rhona Brankin, Jackie Baillie, Mary Mulligan, Helen Eadie, Patricia Ferguson, David Whitton, Malcolm Chisholm, Ken Macintosh, Jack McConnell, Karen Whitefield
S3M-1353# Margaret Curran: British Heart Foundation—That the Parliament congratulates British Heart Foundation Scotland for the third phase of its Food 4Thought campaign encouraging children to eat more healthily; notes that 34% of Scottish Primary 7s are overweight or obese, and that radical action is required to tackle the rising tide of obesity; welcomes the campaign’s focus on the marketing tricks that manufacturers of foods high in fat, sugar and salt use to target children; is concerned that current regulations on broadcast advertising are insufficient as they do not offer a complete pre watershed ban on advertising unhealthy food, meaning that some of the most popular shows with children, such as The X Factor, are not covered; notes that non broadcast marketing of unhealthy food on the internet, via text messages, on cinema advertisements and on packaging remains unregulated;
3 PB/S3/08/40 believes that young people deserve to be protected from advertising of this kind, which undermines the fight against obesity in Scotland, and considers that decisive action, involving the Scottish Government working with the UK Government, should be taken to protect children from insidious junk food marketing in all settings as ill health due to heart problems is a huge issue in the East End of Glasgow.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Malcolm Chisholm, Marlyn Glen, Hugh O’Donnell, Robin Harper, Karen Whitefield, Dave Thompson
S3M-1352# Murdo Fraser: New Energy Strategy for Scotland—That the Parliament believes that it is time for a new approach to national energy strategy giving due regard to Scotland’s landscape; notes that a new renewable energy policy should incorporate criteria which define the type of landscape within which modern wind turbines can be accommodated and new guidelines setting out where it is appropriate and not appropriate to site a wind farm; understands that such guidelines are needed to end the numerous and speculative applications being submitted and threatening scenic areas and local economies in mid- Scotland and Fife and throughout Scotland; believes that large-scale wind farm projects which face local opposition should not be approved until a new energy strategy is put in place; further understands that Scotland’s landscape is a resource of outstanding value to outdoor recreation, tourism and the wider economy, and welcomes the John Muir Trust, the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, the Scottish Wild Land Group, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and the Ramblers’ Association Scotland calling for a new energy strategy.
Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, David McLetchie, John Lamont, Ted Brocklebank, Margaret Mitchell, Nanette Milne, Elizabeth Smith, Derek Brownlee, Jackson Carlaw, Mary Scanlon, Bill Aitken
S3M-1349# Patricia Ferguson: Evening Times Campaign - Fighting for a Fairer Deal from Property Managers—That the Parliament notes the problems faced by many home owners living in factored properties; considers that there is a clear requirement for legislation which will ensure that all property managers are registered and that access is available to a recognised form of mediation, and congratulates Glasgow’s Evening Times newspaper on its initiative in highlighting the issue and in pressing for reform of the system.
Supported by: Cathy Peattie, Elaine Murray, Pauline McNeill, Bill Butler, Ken Macintosh, Charlie Gordon, John Park, Dr Richard Simpson, Elaine Smith, Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Margaret Curran, Paul Martin, Mary Mulligan, Andy Kerr, Robin Harper, Robert Brown, Cathie Craigie, Karen Whitefield, Jim Tolson, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell, Patrick Harvie, Mr Frank McAveety, Claire Baker
S3M-1343# Sandra White: Domestic Violence and Alcohol—That the Parliament notes with grave concern the link between the over-consumption of alcohol and a rise in domestic violence, illustrated by figures showing that 60% of all domestic abuse cases reported to Strathclyde Police between April and December 2007 were alcohol related; welcomes the important work to tackle domestic abuse undertaken by the present and previous administrations; further welcomes the commitment by Strathclyde’s new chief constable, Stephen House, to promote a more rigorous approach to ending domestic violence, such as removing the offender rather than the victim from the family unit, and hopes that these achievements can be strengthened and built on to bring an end to the terrible suffering of the victims of domestic abuse.
Supported by: Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Brian Adam, Joe FitzPatrick, Bill Wilson, Patrick Harvie, Hugh O’Donnell, Bob Doris, Christine Grahame, Stuart McMillan, Alasdair Allan, Kenneth Gibson, Ken Macintosh, Alex Neil, Bashir Ahmad, Christina McKelvie, Robin Harper, Elaine Smith, Cathy Peattie, Gil Paterson, Tom McCabe
S3M-1334# Bill Butler: Happy Birthday Glasgow Old People’s Welfare Association— That the Parliament congratulates Glasgow Old People’s Welfare Association (GOPWA) on the occasion of its 60th anniversary; notes that since its foundation on 23 February 1948 it
4 PB/S3/08/40 has grown into an organisation which currently has over 2,000 volunteers assisting with its activities; acknowledges its provision of an unparalleled level of support to an estimated 75% of Glasgow’s 120,000 senior citizens, support which includes entertainment, new skills training, advocacy and income maximisation services, letter writing facilities and residential care and which, over the last five years, has helped Glasgow’s senior citizens claim over £10 million in benefits; salutes the contribution made to society by Scotland’s senior citizens, and wishes both the director, Sheena Glass, and all those involved continued success in making GOPWA such a unique and significant organisation.
Supported by: George Foulkes, Marilyn Livingstone, Jackie Baillie, Charlie Gordon, Christine Grahame, Jamie McGrigor, James Kelly, Robert Brown, Kenneth Gibson, Des McNulty, Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Kidd, Alasdair Allan, Mary Scanlon, Sandra White, Patricia Ferguson, Bob Doris, Karen Whitefield, David Whitton, Trish Godman, Mr Frank McAveety
S3M-1324# Cathy Peattie: 2008: Women and the Vote—That the Parliament notes that 6 February 2008 is the 90th anniversary of women winning the right to vote and be elected to parliament under the 1918 Representation of the People Act; further notes that this year is also the 80th anniversary of women being granted equal voting rights; believes that much still remains to be done to achieve full equality for women, and therefore welcomes the formation of 2008: Women and the Vote, bringing together organisations to celebrate, assess the current situation, and ask all political parties and central and local government to put this issue at the top of their political agendas.
Supported by: Patricia Ferguson, Marlyn Glen, Cathie Craigie, Mary Scanlon, Dr Richard Simpson, Jim Tolson, Sarah Boyack, Jackie Baillie, Robin Harper, Ken Macintosh, Hugh Henry, Trish Godman, John Park, Claire Baker, George Foulkes, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Patrick Harvie, Alison McInnes, Karen Whitefield, Elaine Smith, Jamie Hepburn, Rob Gibson, Ross Finnie, Christine Grahame, Rhona Brankin, Bob Doris, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Malcolm Chisholm, Alasdair Allan, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson, David Whitton, Kenneth Gibson, Jack McConnell, Joe FitzPatrick, Margaret Curran, Helen Eadie, Marilyn Livingstone, Pauline McNeill, Paul Martin, Elizabeth Smith, Nanette Milne, Johann Lamont, Elaine Murray, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Liam McArthur, Cathy Jamieson, Andy Kerr, Bashir Ahmad, Michael McMahon, Bill Butler, Des McNulty, Hugh O’Donnell, Stuart McMillan, Karen Gillon, Iain Gray, Margaret Mitchell
S3M-1323# David Stewart: Increasing Access to Insulin Pumps—That the Parliament notes the considerable benefits that insulin pumps have for diabetics to help them to manage their condition; notes with concern the current restrictive criteria for eligibility for use of insulin pumps which have contributed to insulin pump usage in Scotland being among the lowest in Western Europe, with only around 0.75% of people with Type 1 diabetes using pumps in Scotland compared with 15 to 20% in the United States of America and Germany; is concerned at the extreme regional disparity in uptake of insulin pumps across NHS boards, with only two patients receiving insulin pump therapy in NHS Ayrshire and Arran compared with 42 in NHS Tayside in the most recent figures, despite all NHS boards having received funding for access to insulin pumps; supports the campaign of Diabetes UK to increase access to insulin pumps and welcomes the review being undertaken currently by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of the eligibility for use of pumps in the NHS, and believes that further steps should be taken to ensure that new NICE guidance that seeks to relax access criteria is adopted swiftly in Scotland, to support all NHS boards to increase access to insulin pumps for patients with diabetes and to enable more training for health practitioners to support patients in moving to the use of pumps where it is clearly of benefit in the management of their diabetes.
Supported by: Mary Scanlon, Rhoda Grant, Peter Peacock, Marilyn Livingstone, Cathy Jamieson, Sarah Boyack, Karen Whitefield, Hugh O’Donnell, Mr Frank McAveety, Hugh Henry, Jackie Baillie, George Foulkes, Jackson Carlaw, Mike Pringle, Rob Gibson, Bill Butler, Elaine Murray, Patricia Ferguson, Elaine Smith, James Kelly, Ken Macintosh, Cathy Peattie, Sandra White, Marlyn Glen, John Park, Dr Richard Simpson, Trish Godman, Angela Constance, David Whitton, Andy Kerr, Mary Mulligan, Tom McCabe, Claire Baker, Christine Grahame, Ian McKee, Ross Finnie, Patrick Harvie, Michael McMahon, Irene Oldfather
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S3M-1313# John Scott: Strengthening Services in the Community for Families Living with Huntington’s Disease—That the Parliament applauds the valuable work done by the Scottish Huntington’s Association in Ayrshire and across Scotland in providing support to families living with Huntington’s disease; welcomes the ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Huntington’s Association when considering the health and social care needs of those with single gene complex disability disorders, and believes that further steps should be taken to strengthen the partnership between the NHS and the third sector to enhance the provision of services in the community to families living with Huntington’s disease.
Supported by: Mary Scanlon, Nanette Milne, Jackson Carlaw, Bill Aitken, David McLetchie, Kenneth Gibson, Irene Oldfather, Jamie Hepburn
S3M-1310# Sandra White: Glasgow Task Force—That the Parliament notes with serious concern the report by the Centre of Social Justice, published on 5 February 2008, showing that Glasgow has 170 teenage gangs, the same as London, with a population one-sixth of the size; acknowledges the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland’s FSB Index of Success 2007 which showed that Glasgow had the poorest rating for education, health, employment and inequality of all the 32 local authority areas in Scotland and the policy recommendations of the report highlighting the need for cross-party support at national and local level in order to take forward crucial policies and address the serious problems facing Glasgow, and hopes that this new report will serve as a catalyst for all parties to support the establishment of a special task force for Glasgow to tackle such inequality.
Supported by: Robert Brown, Stuart McMillan, Alasdair Allan, Rob Gibson, Kenneth Gibson, Alex Neil, Bob Doris, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie, Joe FitzPatrick, Aileen Campbell, Roseanna Cunningham, Dave Thompson, Christine Grahame, Bashir Ahmad
S3M-1297# John Park: Upper Forth Crossing—That the Parliament welcomes the progress being made in constructing the Upper Forth crossing; looks forward to its planned opening in 2008; recognises that when both crossings are operational this will greatly improve the road infrastructure and cut journey times around Kincardine; is concerned that increasingly the Forth Road Bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles, placing a burden on the A985, A907 and A997; accepts that the existing Kincardine crossing is planned to close for a maintenance period following the opening of the Upper Forth crossing; is concerned that Kincardine will suffer severe traffic congestion as vehicles are diverted through and around the village to the new crossing, and is further concerned that the villages situated on the A907, such as Oakley, Blairhall, Carnock, Saline and Gowkhall will also be subjected to unprecedented levels of traffic congestion.
Supported by: Jackie Baillie, David Whitton, Des McNulty, Mary Mulligan, Rhona Brankin, Iain Gray, Paul Martin, Trish Godman, Claire Baker, Christopher Harvie, George Foulkes, Keith Brown, Cathy Peattie, Marilyn Livingstone
S3M-1276# Bill Kidd: Borderline Homelessness Charity—That the Parliament applauds the great work done by the Borderline charity in supporting homeless Scots in London, which despite having only five staff members has helped many homeless Scots in London to find accommodation, return to Scotland, begin work or training and support them in the many other difficulties facing those who find themselves on the streets, and hopes that as we approach Poverty Action Sunday, the culmination of Poverty Action and Homelessness Week 2008, everyone will take the opportunity to reflect on the plight of the poor and homeless in Scotland and help work towards a fairer and more prosperous Scotland.
Supported by: Alasdair Allan, Aileen Campbell, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Stuart McMillan, Roseanna Cunningham, Sandra White, Patrick Harvie, John Lamont, Christina McKelvie, Kenneth Gibson, Jim Hume, Christine Grahame, Hugh Henry, Bill Wilson, Angela Constance, Dave Thompson, Jamie Hepburn, Ken Macintosh, Robin Harper, Michael Matheson, Trish Godman, Johann Lamont, Gil Paterson
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S3M-1271# Elaine Murray: Hunting of Wild Boar with Dogs—That the Parliament is very concerned by reports in the Sunday Times of 27 January 2008 that commercial hunting of wild boar with dogs is being organised on an estate in Dumfries and Galloway; is further concerned that such activity may cause suffering to both the boar and dogs concerned, and believes that the legality of such activity should be investigated and that, if the hunting of wild boar with dogs is permitted under current legislation, legislation should be introduced to ban such activity.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Trish Godman, Rob Gibson, Patrick Harvie, David Stewart, Ken Macintosh, Helen Eadie, Mary Mulligan, John Scott, Elaine Smith, Marilyn Livingstone, Christine Grahame, Kenneth Gibson, Irene Oldfather, Cathy Peattie, Marlyn Glen
S3M-1251# Bill Butler: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Report on Glasgow Crossrail—That the Parliament notes the final report, Glasgow Crossrail Appraisal and Economic Case, endorsed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on 25 January 2008; recognises that the Glasgow Crossrail project is strategically one of the most significant rail projects in Scotland; acknowledges the wide-ranging and cross-party support for the proposed Crossrail project as highlighted on www.crossrailglasgow.com; supports the submission of SPT’s appraisal of the Crossrail project to Transport Scotland for inclusion in the Strategic Transport Projects Review and the National Planning Framework, and anticipates a positive decision from the Scottish Executive on the early implementation of Glasgow Crossrail.
Supported by: James Kelly, Ken Macintosh, Des McNulty, John Park, Helen Eadie, Robert Brown, Rhona Brankin, Hugh O’Donnell, Iain Gray, Patricia Ferguson, Patrick Harvie, Jamie Hepburn, Trish Godman, Jackie Baillie, Bill Aitken, Mr Frank McAveety, Marilyn Livingstone, Hugh Henry, Elaine Smith, Charlie Gordon, Cathie Craigie, David Whitton, Tom McCabe, Johann Lamont, Jack McConnell, Robin Harper
S3M-1239# Aileen Campbell: Penguin Publishers and the Future of Scottish Publishing—That the Parliament regrets the decision made by leading publishers, Penguin, to end its presence in Scotland and its reported comments that “it made more business sense” to commission Scottish writers from London; considers that this is an ironic decision, given that Penguin will be leaving Edinburgh, a UNESCO City of Literature, and at a time when Scotland celebrates its most famous writer and bard, Robert Burns; believes that the decision could have a significant impact on both publishing in Scotland and the effective nurturing of Scottish literary talent in the south of Scotland and throughout the country, and further believes that Penguin’s decision should be reconsidered.
Supported by: Bashir Ahmad, Rob Gibson, Bob Doris, Alasdair Allan, Christine Grahame, Robert Brown, Joe FitzPatrick, Ian McKee, Alex Neil, Stuart McMillan, Christopher Harvie, Kenneth Gibson, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Brian Adam, Mike Pringle, Bill Wilson, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Angela Constance, Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson
S3M-1232# Ian McKee: National Association of Youth Orchestras—That the Parliament applauds the objectives of the National Association of Youth Orchestras in supporting, encouraging and facilitating young musicians by giving them the opportunity to perform orchestral works at the highest level; recognises the association’s vital contribution to the cultural life both of the capital city and all of Scotland, and would like to see it remain based in Edinburgh.
Supported by: Aileen Campbell, Bob Doris, Elizabeth Smith, Rob Gibson, Jamie Stone, Alex Neil, Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Mike Pringle, Bill Kidd, Bill Wilson, Roseanna Cunningham, Robin Harper, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson, Michael Matheson
S3M-1225# Christine Grahame: Heart at Risk Screening for Young Sportsmen and Women—That the Parliament notes that cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscles, grows undetected at the body’s fastest growing time, the teenage years; further notes that apparently healthy teenagers can suffer from this condition and that the condition kills a large
7 PB/S3/08/40 number of teenagers annually; commends the work of Scottish HART (Heart at Risk Testing), a Borders-based national charity which researches into all heart diseases, especially cardiomyopathy, raises funds for a mobile screening unit which, with trained staff, will test the health of all young Scottish athletes, campaigns for defibrillators, researches all forms of heart disease, raises funds for mobile screening of young people and families at risk and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to put monitoring equipment into sports centres, swimming pools and youth facilities across Scotland, and considers that the advantages and practicalities of providing screening for young people who, because of family history or the nature of their activities such as strenuous competitive sport, may be at risk of an early, sudden and preventable death, should be investigated through a pilot scheme, possibly in the Scottish Borders. R
Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Joe FitzPatrick, David Stewart, Christina McKelvie, Bashir Ahmad, Willie Coffey, Angela Constance, Bill Kidd, John Lamont, Cathy Jamieson, Stuart McMillan, Rob Gibson, Sandra White, Alex Neil, Bob Doris, Michael Matheson, Aileen Campbell, Bill Wilson, Ken Macintosh, Alasdair Allan, Roseanna Cunningham, Margo MacDonald, Trish Godman
S3M-1213# Elaine Murray: Marketing and Communications Sector in Scotland—That the Parliament notes that the marketing and communications sector in Scotland is worth £350 million a year and employs around 40,000 people, making the industry an important service sector for Scotland, including in rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway; welcomes the presence of the Scottish Marketing Communications Action Group in the Parliament on 19 February 2008; notes that the group is requesting the Scottish Government to enter into a partnership to work with the industry to build on its strengths and agrees that work should continue between the government and the industry to increase the income retained by businesses in Scotland and to increase the skills within the sector, generating a potential increase in income of over £100 million; furthermore recognises that marketing and communications, as part of Scotland’s service sector, is an essential element in driving Scotland’s business growth and attractiveness to inward investors, and therefore pledges to do what it can to assist in this initiative.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Hugh Henry, George Foulkes, Karen Whitefield, John Park, Trish Godman, Kenneth Gibson, Jackie Baillie, Jim Hume, Sarah Boyack, Marilyn Livingstone, David Whitton, Robin Harper, Mary Mulligan
Record of Members’ Business Taken by the Parliament from 6 June 2007
Date MSP Party Subject 06.06.07 Roseanna Cunningham SNP Rescue from Moving Water 07.06.07 Des McNulty LAB Alimta for Mesothelioma Sufferers 13.06.07 Karen Whitefield LAB Education is a Human Right 14.06.07 Rob Gibson SNP Scottish Norwegian Commercial Co- operation 20.06.07 Margaret Mitchell CON Motor Neurone Disease 21.06.07 Jim Hume LD Local Food 27.06.07 Andrew Welsh SNP Tartan Day Celebrations 28.06.07 David Stewart LAB National Diabetes Week 05.09.07 Sandra White SNP Asylum Seekers in Scotland 06.09.07 Trish Godman LAB Maintenance of Common Land on Scottish Housing Estates 12.09.07 Sarah Boyack LAB Save the Land Reform Act and Restore the Will of Parliament 13.09.07 Brian Adam SNP MacMillan Cancer Support’s Recovered but not Covered Campaign 19.09.07 Murdo Fraser CON Beauly Denny Public Inquiry 20.09.07 Patricia Ferguson LAB ICL Factory Explosion – Call For Public Inquiry
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26.09.07 Mike Rumbles LD Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route 2709.07 Kenneth Gibson SNP Warm Zones 03.10.07 Cathie Craigie LAB NDCS Change Your World Consultation 04.10.07 Bob Doris SNP Glasgow Milton and Chirnsyde Community Initiative 24.10.07 Christine Grahame SNP Can't Afford to Foster 25.10.07 Michael McMahon LAB Public-Social Partnership Pilot in North Lanarkshire 31.10.07 Elaine Murray LAB Further Job Losses at Young’s Seafood, Annan 01.11.07 Tavish Scott LD Crown Estate Taxation on Harbour Developments 07.11.07 Stuart McMillan SNP House of Lords Ruling on Pleural Plaques 08.11.07 Nanette Milne CON Autism Parliamentary Network 14.11.07 Paul Martin LAB Car Parking Charges at Stobhill Hospital 15.11.07 Bill Wilson SNP Perceived Norms of Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption - Pilot Studies in Scottish Educational Institutions 21.11.07 Bill Kidd SNP Recycling Waste Wood 22.11.07 Mary Scanlon CON Bog Myrtle (Sweet Gale) Industry 28.11.07 Des McNulty LAB Science and the Parliament, Wednesday 28 November 2007 29.11.07 Cathy Jamieson LAB Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland 5.12.07 Christine Grahame SNP Lancastria 6.12.07 Robert Brown LD 100 Years of Scouting 12.12.07 Liam McArthur LD Air Ambulance Service in Orkney 13.12.07 Bashir Ahmad SNP Standing United with Glasgow's Pakistani Community 19.12.07 John Lamont CON Support for Border News 20.12.07 Bill Butler LAB Support Project Scotland 9.01.08 Keith Brown SNP Government Powers to Ensure Terrestrial Broadcast of Sport 10.01.08 Des McNulty LAB The St Margaret of Scotland Hospice 16.01.08 Cathy Peattie LAB Young People in the Workplace 17.01.08 Roseanna Cunnigham SNP Defence Aviation and Repair Agency Almondbank - No To Privatisation 23.01.08 Patrick Harvie GRN Scottish Campuses Can Go Greener 24.01.08 George Foulkes LAB Time for Fresh Debate on Organ Donation 30.01.08 Margo MacDonald IND Maximising Migrants' Opportunities 31.01.08 Elizabeth Smith CON Extra-curricular Outdoor Education for Every School Pupil 06.02.08 Rob Gibson SNP Congratulations to the Fifth Annual Scots Trad Music Awards 07.02.08 Margaret Smith LD Edinburgh Park Railway Station 20.02.08 Marilyn Livingstone LAB Supporters Direct in Scotland 21.02.08 Jamie Hepburn SNP Central Scotland Rail Improvements 27.02.08 John Scott CON Recreational Sea Angling 28.02.08 Cathy Jamieson LAB Proposed Closure of Rural Schools 05.03.08 Trish Godman LAB Scottish Wheelchair Users and their Human Rights 06.03.08 Kenneth Gibson SNP Anorexia and Bulimia 12.03.08 David Thompson SNP Make Scotland's Roads Safer -
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Reduce the Drinking Limits 13.03.08 Aileen Campbell SNP No End in Sight to the War in Iraq 19.03.08 Patricia Feruson LAB Celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight 20.03.08 Gil Paterson SNP Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings 26.03.08 Jeremy Purvis LD Choices for People Coming to the End of Terminal Illness 27.03.08 Mary Scanlon CON Elgin Bypass
Record of Members’ Business Taken by the Parliament in Session 3
Party SNP LAB CON LD GRN IND TOTAL
Frequency (no.) 21 21 8 6 1 1 58 Frequency % 36.2 36.2 13.8 10.4 1.7 1.7 100
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BUSINESS MOTION
Date of Lodging:
Wednesday 26 March 2008
2.30 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions insert followed by Ministerial Statement: Scottish Prison Service Report on Robert Foye
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BUSINESS MOTION
Date of Lodging:
Wednesday 16 April 2008
2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Ministerial Statement: Scotland Week followed by Justice Committee Debate: 4th Report 2008 - Report on Inquiry into the Effective Use of Police Resources followed by Business Motion followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
Thursday 17 April 2008
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Scottish Labour Party Business
11.40 am General Question Time
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.15 pm Themed Question Time Finance and Sustainable Growth
2.55 pm Stage 1 Debate: Public Health etc. (Scotland) Bill followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 23 April 2008
2.30 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Scottish Government Business followed by Business Motion followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
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5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
Thursday 24 April 2008
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Scottish Government Business
11.40 am General Question Time
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.15 pm Themed Question Time Europe, External Affairs and Culture; Education and Lifelong Learning
2.55 pm Scottish Government Business followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
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BUSINESS MOTION
Date of Lodging:
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BUSINESS FOR WEEK COMMENCING 24 MARCH
DAY MORNING AFTERNOON Monday 24 Constituency 1430-1700 Constituency Tuesday 25 0930-1230 Committees 1430-1700 Committees 1430 Time for Reflection Wednesday 26 Followed by Business Motion
Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1435-1505 Ministerial Statement on the Scottish Prison Service Report on Robert Foye 1505-1700 Scottish Government Debate on Healthcare Associated Infection Taskforce Action Plan Followed by Business Motion Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1700 Decision Time followed by Members’ Business (LD) S3M-1452 Jeremy Purvis: Choices for People Coming to the End of Terminal Illness
Thursday 27 0915 Parliamentary 1415-1455 Themed Question Time: Bureau Motions (if Justice and Law Officers; Rural Affairs required) and the Environment 0915-1015 Home 1455-1700 Scottish Government Debate Detention Curfew on Fatal Accident Inquiries Licence (Prescribed Standard Conditions) Followed by Parliamentary Bureau (Scotland) (No.2) Order Motions (if required) 2008 1700 Decision Time followed by 1015-1140 Scottish Members’ Business (Con) S3M-1529 Government Debate on Mary Scanlon: Elgin Bypass the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Amendment Order 2008 1140 – 1200 General Question Time 1200 - 1230 First Minister’s Question Time Friday 28 Constituency Constituency
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BUSINESS FOR WEEK COMMENCING 14 APRIL
DAY MORNING AFTERNOON Monday 14 Constituency 1430-1700 Constituency Tuesday 15 0930-1230 Committees 1430-1700 Committees
Wednesday 16 1400 Time for Reflection
Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1405-1450 First Minister Statement on Scotland Week 1450-1700 Justice Committee Debate on Police Resources Inquiry Followed by Business Motion Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1700 Decision Time followed by Members’ Business (LD) S3M -1567 Hugh O'Donnell: A Call for Better Epilepsy Care
Thursday 17 0915 Parliamentary 1415-1455 Themed Question Time: Bureau Motions (if Finance and Sustainable Growth required) 1455-1700 Stage 1 Debate: Public 0915-1140 Labour Party Health etc. (Scotland) Bill Business Followed by Parliamentary Bureau 1140 – 1200 General Motions (if required) Question Time 1700 Decision Time followed by 1200 - 1230 First Members’ Business (Lab) S3M-01251 Minister’s Question Bill Butler: Strathclyde Partnership for Time Transport Report on Glasgow Crossrail
Friday 18 Constituency Constituency
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BUSINESS FOR WEEK COMMENCING 21 APRIL
DAY MORNING AFTERNOON Monday 21 Constituency 1430-1700 Constituency Tuesday 22 0930-1230 Committees 1430-1700 Committees
Wednesday 23 1430 Time for Reflection
Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1435-1700 Scottish Government Business Followed by Business Motion Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions (if required) 1700 Decision Time followed by Members’ Business (Lab)
Thursday 24 0915 Parliamentary 1415-1455 Themed Question Time: Bureau Motions (if Europe, External Affairs and Culture; required) Education and Lifelong Learning 0915-1140 Scottish 1455-1700 Scottish Government Government Business Business 1140 – 1200 General Followed by Parliamentary Bureau Question Time Motions (if required) 1200 - 1230 First 1700 Decision Time followed by Minister’s Question Members’ Business (SNP) S3M-1539 Time Tricia Marwick: Leven to Thornton Rail Link
Friday 25 Constituency Constituency
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PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
APPROVAL OF STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
Introduction
1. The Bureau is invited to agree the following motions—
Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: That the Parliament agrees that the following instruments be approved: the draft Civil Legal Aid (Financial Conditions) (Scotland) Regulations 2008; the draft Advice and Assistance (Financial Conditions) (Scotland) Regulations 2008; the draft Protected Trust Deeds (Scotland) Regulations 2008.
Purpose and consideration by Committee
The draft Civil Legal Aid (Financial Conditions) (Scotland) Regulations 2008
2. The Regulations increase certain financial limits of eligibility for civil legal aid under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986.
3. The Justice Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 18 March 2008. The motion to approve the instrument was agreed to without division.
The draft Advice and Assistance (Financial Conditions) (Scotland) Regulations 2008
4. The Regulations (a) increase the disposable income limit for eligibility for advice and assistance under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 from £215 per week to £223 per week (regulation 3); (b) increase the disposable capital limit for advice and assistance from £1,502 to £1,561 (regulation 4); (c) increase the weekly disposable income above which a person is required to pay a contribution from £91 to £95 (regulation 5); and (d) prescribe the scale of contributions to be paid where the weekly disposable income exceeds £95 but does not exceed £223 (regulation 6).
5. The Justice Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 18 March 2008. The motion to approve the instrument was agreed to without division.
The draft Protected Trust Deeds (Scotland) Regulations 2008
6. The instrument largely reproduces the current conditions for determining when a trust deed will be protected. It replaces the current rules on Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs) and introduces changes to support the effective administration of PTDs, including clarification of the date of protection and new rules to provide for the discharge of debtors. It contains provisions to support the supervisory role of
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the Accountant in Bankruptcy and contains a provision to carry across new rules on student loan debts in bankruptcies to PTDs.
7. The Justice Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 18 March 2008. The motion to approve the instrument was agreed to without division.
Parliamentary Business Team March 2008
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PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
Creative Scotland Bill – Stage 1 timetable
1. At its meeting on 18 March, the Bureau agreed to refer the Creative Scotland Bill to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee for consideration at Stage 1.
2. The Bureau is invited to recommend to the Parliament that consideration of the Bill at Stage 1 be completed by 20 June 2008.
Parliamentary Business Team March 2008 PB/S3/08/43
PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
Proposed Apprenticeship Rights (Scotland) Bill: Referral of Draft proposal
Lead committee
1. The above draft proposal was lodged on 17 March 2008. The proposal falls within the remit of the following committees for the following reasons:
Education, Lifelong Learning and The Bill proposes to establish a right Culture for 16-18 year olds to undertake an apprenticeship. The Committee considers and reports on matters relating to training and skills Economy, Energy and Tourism The consultation claims longer term economic benefits to the economy arising from the proposal. The Committee considers and reports on the Scottish economy.
2. The draft proposal is accompanied by a consultation document which runs for 12 weeks.
3. In terms of standing orders (9.14.5) the Bureau is required to refer the proposal to a committee within whose remit the subject matters falls.
4. The Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee has the main interest in the proposal and it should be referred to them.
Non-Executive Bills Unit 17 March 2008
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PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
ECONOMY, ENERGY AND TOURISM COMMITTEE: REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FOR TRAVEL OUTWITH THE UNITED KINGDOM
Nature of request
1. The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee seeks the Parliamentary Bureau’s approval of its request for two fact-finding visits involving travel outwith the United Kingdom as part of its inquiry into the tourism industry. The Bureau may wish to note that a third visit, to England, is also being organised but this does not need the approval of the Bureau under Rule 12.10.
Number of Participants
2. The intention is to send one member from each party represented on the Committee for each of the two overseas visits, as well as one clerk (i.e. 4 MSPs and 1 clerk per visit). It is suggested that a cross-party mix of four members of the Committee in the delegations will reduce the prospect of difficulties arising in terms of members’ absence from parliamentary business should the visits coincide with business in the Chamber. Efforts will, however, be made to avoid clashes if possible.
Justification/Benefit
3. As part of its inquiry into the tourism industry, the Committee is investigating how feasible it is to increase the revenue from the industry by 50% by 2015. As part of this inquiry, the Committee wishes to look at the models used by some of Scotland’s competitors to develop their tourism industry. Key aspects to consider include the public policy framework, resourcing levels for the industry, use of private-sector led destination management organisations (DMOs), relative ease of investment and planning processes etc.
Why Iceland?
4. Iceland has been suggested by our adviser (Professor John Lennon, Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism) as an example of a rapidly expanding tourist destination that is has some similarities to the Scottish market, some contrasts and has many examples of best practice to observe, such as its marketing campaigns, its use of flight stopovers, the spa/health/etc market etc. The proportional growth of tourism (as opposed to overall tourism volumes) in Iceland is most remarkable given the climate / operating environment and worth studying in more detail.
5. Travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in Iceland. It is estimated that it provides 6,900 jobs and accounted for about 6.3% of GDP in 2006. Iceland is largely dependent on air for its travel and tourism arrivals although cruise ship arrivals are increasing, something of increasing interest to Scotland. The country’s dominant airline, Icelandair, has been critical in boosting tourism numbers by using Iceland as a link between Europe and the US. Direct
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transport links are also a key issue for Scotland, especially with the loss of the route development fund.
6. Iceland is Europe's second-largest island and the top attraction for most tourists is the untouched nature in the form of the dramatic landscape and natural phenomena as well as hot springs and swimming holes found throughout the country. Adventure tourism and farm holidays are important components of the travel and tourism industry. Iceland is also a popular destination for nature lovers with special interests, such as bird watching. Its range of cultural and heritage experiences creates a strong complementary product. Price offers, stopover opportunities and friends and relatives in Iceland also attract a good number of visitors. These markets overlap with obvious interests within Scotland.
7. Iceland suffers from extreme seasonality in its tourism, with summer the most popular time to visit. It has managed to curtail this somewhat in the past few years with strategies to attract convention and incentive travellers as well as those looking for a city break. There are many aspects of Iceland’s approach to tackling seasonality that are worth studying as part of the committee’s inquiry.
Austria
8. Austria has also been suggested by our adviser as it offers some similarities to Scotland from both a winter sports and outdoor activities perspective, and because the country has only a few major city destinations and a large rural hinterland; again not unlike Scotland. It is also home to some of the world’s leading examples of destination management organisations and marketing groups, which are issues central to the Committee’s inquiry. As a country, it has also focused heavily on events (cultural and sporting) based tourism, which is worth looking into given Scotland’s interests in these opportunities.
9. For example, in 2006, many thousands of events commemorated the 250th anniversary of the birth of Austria's most influential classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Mozartjahr" attracted citizens from Austria and the world with an enormous tourism success.
10. Recent year’s results from Austria have shown that foreign and national tourists appreciate Austria more and more as a destination for relatively short but high- quality holidays or business stays. The newly introduced hotel quality label "Superior" appears to be appreciated by visitors, just like the short and intensive city breaks or relaxing and healing spa days. With the country appreciated for its natural beauty and modern facilities, all Austrian tourism services place the unifying emphasis on "quality". The “quality” agenda is, of course, critical to the success of the Scottish tourist industry and is the centrepoint of the public policy framework here. Increasing tourism revenue by 50% by 2015 will not be achieved without driving up the quality of the product. Austria provides good examples of how this can be achieved.
11. In the case of Austria, it is also the successful transition from a winter destination to a four season destination that the Committee wishes to explore. Additionally,
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the relative cost of the destination and the quality emphasis seems to have helped grow volumes and value.
12. On-line sales and services in Austria have boomed in recent years and showed strong share growth in almost all areas of tourism. On-line platforms such as Tiscover.at or Austria.com are very popular due to their expanded product ranges, which make them attractive for use by both hotels and individual consumers. Transferring the lessons about the use of technology is a key part of the Committee’s inquiry.
13. Finally, in view of its hosting of the European football championship, Euro 2008, together with Switzerland, Austria and its population are looking forward to welcoming many European tourists to the four tournament cities of Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Klagenfurt. Expectations are also high from a tourism perspective, as many Austrians hope that the fans will not only come to watch football but also to see the beauty and diversity of their country. In any case, the marketing machinery by the national tourist board and organisers is running at full speed. It will be interesting to observe preparations given the cross-over for Scotland’s interests in sporting events in 2014 (Commonwealth Games) etc.
Conveners Group 14. The Conveners Group meeting of 20 March approved this request. The costs associated with these two overseas visits are as follows.
EXPENSES - Account Code: SP 414035 Accommodation 3 nights x 5 people in £1,800 Reykjavik (@ £120/night)
3 nights x 5 people in £1,950 Vienna (@ £130/night) Other Expenses Meals, based on 5 £1,050 people for 3 days during Iceland visit
Meals, based on 5 £1,050 people for 3 days during Vienna visit Sub Total £5,850 TRAVEL – Account Code: SP 414030 Travel 5 flights from Scotland £2,900 to Iceland with Icelandic Air (economy class)
5 flights from Scotland £1,200 to Vienna with KLM (economy class)
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Local transport costs in £240 Iceland
Local transport costs in £240 Vienna Sub Total £4,580 TOTAL £10,430 NB. Costs associated with the visit to England (Newcastle and Manchester) are £1,450. The costs of all the visits is £11,880.
Further observations
15. It should be noted that the Committee did consider a range of other suggestions from the adviser, such as New Zealand, the USA and United Arab Emirates, but these were discarded mostly on cost grounds.
16. The Committee has already organised a videoconference with tourism operatives in Dubai as an alternative to a visit and to reduce costs and environmental impact. The estimated cost saving from the videoconference is approximately £4,000, based on the costs of flying four members (on a cross-party basis) to Dubai for a meeting.
Recommendation
17. In accordance with Rule 12.10, the Parliamentary Bureau is asked to approve the request of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee for fact-finding visits to Iceland and Austria as part of its inquiry into the tourism industry.
Stephen Imrie Clerk to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee March 2007
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PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
Justice Committee: Request to travel to Brussels
1. Nature of request
The Justice Committee requests the approval of the Parliamentary Bureau to its request to travel to Brussels leaving Monday 12 May, staying overnight and returning late evening Tuesday 13 May. The visit will involve a series of familiarisation meetings with Commission officials, UKRep, MEPs and stakeholders and the Committee plans to host, jointly with the Law Society of Scotland, a roundtable discussion on Justice matters in Scotland.
2. Number of Participants
It is intended that, if possible, all eight Committee members, one Clerk and one researcher would be involved in the visit.
3. Justification/Benefit
The primary purpose of the visit is to provide an opportunity for members of the Justice Committee to familiarise themselves with the European institutions and to open channels of regular communication.
The second purpose is to commence specific working dialogues on relevant dossiers and more generally on the importance of continued recognition of the distinct nature of the Scottish legal system. The Justice Committee, and no doubt the Parliament as a whole, is keen to ensure that the distinct nature of the Scottish Judicial system is fully taken account of by the European institutions and equally that the scope in Scotland for taking a different approach, where appropriate, remains.
The Justice event convened jointly with the Law Society of Scotland will be held in the European Parliament under the heading “Scottish Justice Matters in Europe” and will include a roundtable discussion hosted by a Scottish MEP. There will be a number of guest speakers still be to confirmed but they are expected to include Jonathan Faull, Director General for Justice, Freedom and Security, a Scottish MP to present the view from Westminster, an MEP or other experts to discuss the implications of the Treaty of Lisbon for justice in Scotland, Scottish Government officials, representatives of the Slovenian Presidency in JHA and Scottish Practitioners.
Looking more widely, justice reform is always a major part of a Government’s programme and it is important that any proposals and initiatives coming from Europe are considered in the context of what is being proposed domestically. It is vital for the Committee to have a good working knowledge of how the Justice and Home Affairs dossiers are being developed in the EU context particularly given the changes proposed by the new Treaty.
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The expected outcome of the visit will be better lines of communication with European counterparts and the Committee being better placed to scrutinise the work of the Government and to contribute to policy formation at an earlier stage.
The Committee is of the view that the same benefits would not be achieved by, for example, undertaking video-conferences which do not lend themselves well to informal discussions and would not easily allow the flexibility to accommodate any changes to plans or attendance at a committee meeting.
The Committee has not undertaken any previous non UK travel.
Conveners’ Group The Conveners’ Group approved the costs associated with this visit on 20 March 2008 (the minutes of that meeting are not yet available).
4. Cost
The costs are shown in Annex A.
5. Recommendation The Parliamentary Bureau is asked to approve in principle the request of the Justice Committee to travel to Brussels for the purposes given.
Anne Peat Senior Assistant Clerk Justice Committee
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Annex A
The costs for the joint event are expected to be split between the Law Society and the Committee Office. Assuming a maximum of 40 attendees for a buffet lunch, and to close the event, a drinks reception, the total costs in this respect are estimated at around £850 of which £425 would fall to be met by the Committee.
The costs arising could be charged during the financial year 2007 / 08, otherwise they will be charged during 2008/09. An estimate of the costs for travel and accommodation is provided below based on 8 members and one clerk travelling.
Estimated Travel and Accommodation Costs
Committee Travel (code SP414030)
Flights 9 x £250 (based on economy non- flexible flight) Taxis 9 x £20 (to and from airport)
Committee Expenses (code SP414035)
Accommodation (to include the evening meal) 9 x £120 (max)
Total £ 3510
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PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
JUSTICE COMMITTEE – REQUEST TO APPOINT AN ADVISER
Inquiry into community policing
Background
1. At its meeting on 11 March 2008, the Justice Committee agreed the remit for an inquiry into community policing. The inquiry was prompted by the findings of the Committee’s recently completed inquiry into the effective use of police resources.
2. The Committee agreed to seek the Bureau’s approval to appoint an adviser to assist it with this inquiry.
Appointment of adviser
3. The Bureau is requested to agree to the appointment of an adviser to assist the Justice Committee with this inquiry.
4. It is proposed that an adviser be appointed at the standard day rate, for a period not exceeding 15 days in total.
Adviser specification
5. The role of the adviser will be to assist the Committee in all aspects of its consideration of the inquiry and, in particular, to provide expert advice on selection of witnesses, lines of questions, findings and to assist in the preparation of draft and final reports in conjunction with the Committee as required.
6. The adviser will be expected to attend evidence-taking sessions where possible and, in particular, those meetings held to discuss draft reports. The adviser will report to the Committee through the Clerk and may be asked to submit papers to the Committee.
Proposed appointment
7. In October 2007, the Committee appointed an adviser for its inquiry into the effective use of police resources. A full selection process was followed at that time, culminating in the appointment of Professor Nick Fyfe as adviser to the Committee.
8. Professor Fyfe is Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) and a professor at the School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee.
9. Through his involvement as adviser to the Committee on its previous inquiry, Professor Fyfe has developed a clear understanding of the issues in relation to
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community policing which the Committee now wishes to pursue in greater depth. As Director of SIPR, Professor Fyfe also has access to an extended network of research contacts in Scotland, the UK and abroad.
10. For these reasons, the Committee wishes to appoint Professor Fyfe as adviser for its inquiry into community policing.
Time commitment
11. It is envisaged that the adviser will spend a maximum equivalent of 15 days supporting the Committee. The following provides an indicative division of the immediate time commitment:
• Overview of relevant documentation and evidence 3 days • Reviewing written submissions and preparation of lines of questioning 3 days • Attending meetings/ informal briefings 6 days • Assisting the Committee in drafting its report 3 days
Workplan
12. It is estimated that the role and workload of the adviser should be completed within 15 days during a 12-month period (financial year 2008/09). It can, therefore, be encompassed within the 15 days allowed for by the fast-track procedure.
13. It is requested that the Bureau approve the appointment of an adviser to assist the Justice Committee with its inquiry into community policing.
Dougie Wands Clerk to the Justice Committee