BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 40/2014 Thursday 6 March 2014 Summary of Today’s Business Meetings of Committees 10.00 am Equal Opportunities Committee Committee Room 1 10.15 am European and External Relations Committee Room 6 Committee 1.00 pm Justice Sub-Committee on Policing Committee Room 6 __________________________________________________________________ Meeting of the Parliament 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions 12.30 pm Members’ Business – S4M-09000 George Adam: Scotland’s First Year as a Fair Trade Nation 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Scottish Government Debate: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time For full details of today’s business, see Section A. For full details of the future business, see sections B and C. ___________________________________________________________________ 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 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 2 Business Bulletin: Thursday 6 March 2014 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. Equal Opportunities Committee 4th Meeting, 2014 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 1 1. Fathers and parenting: The Committee will take evidence from— Kenny Drysdale; Norman Fraser; David Keogh; Allan Kidd; Peter McGhee; Robert Pearson; Victor Quested; Allan Reddick. European and External Relations Committee 7th Meeting, 2014 The Committee will meet at 10.15 am in Committee Room 6 1. Brussels Bulletin: The Committee will consider the latest issue of the Brussels Bulletin. 2. Greek Ambassador to the UK: The Committee will take evidence from— HE Mr Konstantinos Bikas, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the United Kingdom. Justice Sub-Committee on Policing 3rd Meeting, 2014 The Sub-Committee will meet at 1.00 pm in Committee Room 6 1. ICT provision: The Sub-Committee will take evidence from— Deputy Chief Constable Neil Richardson, Designated Deputy for Chief Constable, Chief Superintendent Alec Hippman, Programme Manager, i6, and Martin Leven, Director, ICT, Police Scotland. 3 Meeting of the Parliament 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 1. Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the procurement process and construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. (S4O-02977) 2. Malcolm Chisholm: To ask the Scottish Government what support it can give to the campaign for a Leith museum. (S4O-02978) 3. Sandra White: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the inquiry by the UK Parliament’s Public Administration Select Committee on the impartiality of civil servants in relation to the independence referendum. (S4O-02979) 4. Christian Allard: To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to meet elected representatives from France and, if so, when. (S4O-02980) 5. Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent further closures of the A83 because of landslips. (S4O-02981) 6. Duncan McNeil: To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what was discussed. (S4O-02982) 7. Jackie Baillie: [Not Lodged] 8. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on reducing the transmission and access charges to the grid for marine and islands renewable energy. (S4O-02984) 9. Linda Fabiani: To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of its review of the guidance on the administration of the Educational Maintenance Allowance. (S4O-02985) 10. Graeme Dey: To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government on defence in an independent Scotland. (S4O-02986) 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions 1. Johann Lamont: To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day. (S4F-01927) 2. Ruth Davidson: To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Secretary of State for Scotland. (S4F-01924) 3. Willie Rennie: To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-01925) 4 4. Linda Fabiani: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to encourage more women to start their own businesses. (S4F-01940) 5. Neil Findlay: To ask the First Minister when the waiting time standard of 98% of patients being seen and admitted, transferred or discharged from accident and emergency departments within four hours was last met across the whole country. (S4F-01938) 6. Liz Smith: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on the calls from Transform Scotland to upgrade the rail network. (S4F-01928) 12.30 pm Members’ Business S4M-09000 George Adam: Scotland’s First Year as a Fair Trade Nation—That the Parliament notes that 25 February 2014 marks the first anniversary of Scotland achieving fair trade nation status; congratulates everyone who has continued their commitment to fair trade in the last year and who will be holding events during Fairtrade Fortnight 2014 from 24 February to 9 March in Paisley and across the country; supports the work of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum in promoting the deepening and widening of awareness and purchasing of fairly traded goods and who will be hosting fair trade visitors to Scotland from Nicaragua, Nepal and Colombia during this Fairtrade Fortnight; considers that Scotland needs to continue to lead the global campaign to make trade fair to honour its fair trade nation status; celebrates the achievements of fair trade businesses here in Scotland in leading the way in showing that trade can be mutually beneficial for producers and consumers, and welcomes moves to encourage public bodies and private business to procure fairly traded products. 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Scottish Government Debate: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System S4M-09239 Fergus Ewing: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System—That the Parliament notes the publication on 4 March 2014 of the Draft Heat Generation Policy Statement for public consultation; agrees with the statement’s ambition to deliver an affordable low-carbon heating and cooling framework for Scotland through to 2050; recognises that the policy statement establishes a strong foundation for decarbonising the heat system, helping underpin climate change targets, while offering real economic opportunities for business and industry along with affordable warmth for households; recognises the success of 5 projects such as Aberdeen Heat & Power, Shetland Heat Energy & Power, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Village, Fife Council’s Dunfermline District Heating Network, Ignis Wick and the many small-scale renewable district heating schemes in rural Scotland, and encourages all interested parties to respond to the consultation. The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments S4M-09239.2 Iain Gray: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System—As an amendment to motion S4M- 09239 in the name of Fergus Ewing (Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System), insert at end ―; further recognises that, if Scotland is to meet its climate change targets, it must acknowledge climate justice commitments and should ensure that communities and households that are financially challenged are supported and not left in fuel poverty as heat is decarbonised; understands the necessity of the active involvement of local authorities and all public bodies in the process of decarbonising heating in domestic and non-domestic buildings, and agrees that there must be robust energy efficiency measures to support heat and decarbonisation, along with awareness raising of the ways in which demand reduction can be addressed‖. S4M-09239.1 Liam McArthur: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System—As an amendment to motion S4M-09239 in the name of Fergus Ewing (Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System), insert at end ―; believes that reducing energy demand at a domestic level is key to cutting carbon emissions; notes the importance that insulation plays in the heat hierarchy; considers that well-funded energy efficiency and insulation