BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 181/2012 Friday 27 January 2012 1 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 Other Future Meetings Section D: Oral Questions - Questions selected for First Minister’s Question Time - 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 2 Business Bulletin: Friday 27 January 2012 Section B – Future Meetings of the Parliament Business Programme agreed by the Parliament on 25 January 2012 Wednesday 1 February 2012 2.30 pm Time for Reflection – Shaykh Amer Jamil, teacher, Solas Foundation, and Family Support Consultant, Unity Family Services followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Ministerial Statement: Higher Education and Further Education Governance Reports followed by Scottish Government Debate: The Year of Creative Scotland 2012 followed by Appointment of the Scottish Information Commissioner followed by Business Motion followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business – S4M-01644 Colin Keir: Drum Brae Library and Community Hub Project (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Friday 23 December 2011) Thursday 2 February 2012 9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business 11.40 am General Question Time (for text of General Questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 26 January 2012) 12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time 2.15 pm Themed Question Time 3 Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth (for text of Themed Questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 26 January 2012) 2.55 pm Scottish Government Debate: Scotland’s Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure Plan followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business – S4M-01655 Linda Fabiani: Assistance Dogs are Working Dogs Too (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Monday 9 January 2012) Wednesday 8 February 2012 2.30 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Budget (Scotland) Bill followed by Business Motion followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business Thursday 9 February 2012 9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Scottish Government Business 11.40 am General Question Time (for names of those Members selected for General Questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 26 January 2012) 12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time 2.15 pm Themed Question Time Justice and the Law Officers; Rural Affairs and the Environment (for names of those Members selected for Themed Questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 26 January 2012) 4 2.55 pm Scottish Government Business followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business 5 Business Bulletin: Friday 27 January 2012 Section C – Future Committee Meetings This section includes the agendas of the forthcoming committee meetings and outlines proposed future business, which may be subject to change. Committees have the right to take items in private and this will be notified as far in advance as possible. Many committees include details of their future business on their webpages, which can be accessed at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/index.htm Education and Culture Committee 31 January 2012 4th Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 2 1. Work programme (in private): The Committee will consider its work programme. Proposed future business At its next meeting, on 7 February, the Committee will take evidence on the National Library of Scotland Bill. For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, whose details are provided at the end of the Bulletin. Health and Sport Committee 31 January 2012 5th Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 1 1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instrument— The National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission Charges) (Scotland) (No.2) Amendment Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/449). 2. Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from— Alan McCreadie, Deputy Director of Law Reform, and Jim McLean, Consultant at Balfour-Manson, The Law Society of Scotland; and then from— 7 Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Donald Henderson, Head of Public Health Division, Marjorie Marshall, Economic Adviser, Public Health, and Edythe Murie, Principal Legal Officer, Health and Community Care, Scottish Government. 3. Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee will consider the evidence heard earlier in the meeting . Proposed future business At its next meeting, on 7 February, the Committee expects to consider the Scottish Government’s European Union priorities. The Committee expects to consider a draft report on the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill at subsequent meetings. The Committee is also planning to carry out a short inquiry into the Scottish Government’s plan to integrate adult health and social care later in the year. For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, whose details are provided at the end of the Bulletin. Justice Committee 31 January 2012 4th Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 6 1. Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from— Brian Simpson, Law Reform Officer, and Michael Meehan, Member of the Criminal Law Committee, Law Society of Scotland; James Wolffe QC and Joanna Cherry QC, Faculty of Advocates; and then from— Gerard Sinclair, Chief Executive, and Michael Walker, Senior Legal Officer, Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Proposed future business At its next meeting, on 7 February, the Committee expects to continue taking evidence on the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1. For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, whose details are provided at the end of the Bulletin. European and External Relations Committee 31 January 2012 2nd Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 2.00 pm in Committee Room 1 1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 5 and 6 in private. 8 2. Scottish representation abroad and Scottish Government’s Country Plans: The Committee will take evidence in a round-table discussion from— Denise Hill, Head of International Marketing, VisitScotland; Anne MacColl, Chief Executive, Scottish Development International (SDI); Amanda Catto, Portfolio Manager, Creative Scotland; Dr Lloyd Anderson, Director, British Council Scotland; Dr Katherine Trebeck, Policy Committee member, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Research and Policy Advisor - UK Poverty Programme (Scotland), Oxfam Scotland; Gillian Wilson, Policy Committee member, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Co-ordinator, Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS); Serafin Pazos-Vidal, Head of Brussels Office, COSLA. 3. Brussels Bulletin: The Committee will consider the latest edition of the Brussels Bulletin. 4. European Chairs – UK meeting: The Committee Convener will report on a recent meeting of the European Chairs – UK (EC-UK). 5. Horizon 2020: The Committee will consider a proposal for a conference on Horizon 2020. 6. Scottish representation abroad and Scottish Government’s Country Plans: The Committee will consider the evidence taken earlier in the meeting. Proposed future business For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, whose details are provided at the end of the Bulletin. Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee 31 January 2012 2nd Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 2.15 pm in Committee Room 2 1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 4, 5 and 6 in private. 2. Cross-Party Groups: The Committee will consider applications for recognition from two Cross-Party Groups. 3. Review of Cross-Party Groups: The Committee will consider its approach to the inquiry. 4. Public Standards Commissioner for Scotland: The Committee will consider draft revised directions to the Public Standards Commissioner for Scotland. 5. Section 7 of the Code of Conduct: The Committee will consider a draft consultation paper. 6. Register of Interests: The Committee will consider a note by the Clerk on the publication of past register of interests. Proposed future business The next meeting of the Committee will be 28 February. For further information, contact the Clerk to the Committee, whose details are provided at the end of the Bulletin. 9 Public Audit Committee 1 February 2012 2nd Meeting, 2012 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee