EVOLUTION ONITORING ROGRAMME 2006-08 Scotland Devolution Monitoring Report September 2008 Charlie Jeffery (ed.) Institute of Governance, University of Edinburgh www.institute-of-governance.org ISSN 1751-3855 The Devolution Monitoring Programme From 1999 to 2005 the Constitution Unit at University College London managed a major research project monitoring devolution across the UK through a network of research teams. 103 reports were produced during this project, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number L 219 252 016) and the Leverhulme Nations and Regions Programme. Now, with further funding from the Economic and social research council and support from several government departments, the monitoring programme is continuing for a further three years from 2006 until the end of 2008. Three times per year, the research network produces detailed reports covering developments in devolution in five areas: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Englsh Regions, and Devolution and the Centre. The overall monitoring project is managed by Professor Robert Hazell at The Constitution Unit, UCL and the team leaders are as follows: Scotland: Prof Charlie Jeffery & Dr Nicola McEwen Institute of Governance, University of Edinburgh Wales: Prof Richard Wyn Jones & Prof Roger Scully Institute of Welsh Politics, Aberystwyth University Northern Ireland: Professor Rick Wilford & Robin Wilson Queen’s University, Belfast English Regions: Prof Martin Burch, Prof Alan Harding & Dr James Rees IPEG, University of Manchester The Centre: Prof Robert Hazell, The Constitution Unit, UCL The Constitution Unit and the rest of the research network is grateful to all the funders of the devolution monitoring programme. All devolution monitoring reports are published at: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution- unit/research/devolution. Scotland Devolution Monitoring Report September 2008 Charlie Jeffery (ed.) Scotland Devolution Monitoring Report September 2008 Introduction 4 1. The Scottish Government 6 1.1 The New Scottish Ministerial Code ..................................................................6 1.2 Quangos, Relocation and Regulation...............................................................9 1.3 The Lord Advocate ........................................................................................10 1.4 C. Difficile ......................................................................................................11 1.5 Civil service: terms, conditions and roles .......................................................11 1.6 Freedom of Information and Fiscal Fines .......................................................12 1.7 Peripatetic Cabinet ........................................................................................13 2. The Scottish Parliament 14 2.1 Wendy Alexander’s Standards.......................................................................14 2.2 Creative Scotland Bill.....................................................................................15 2.3 Members’ Expenses ......................................................................................16 2.4 Scottish Parliament Committees ....................................................................17 2.5 Committee Reports and Inquiries (7 May – 5 September 2008).....................19 2.6 Parliamentary Bills (7 May 2008 – 5 September 2008) ..................................21 2.7 Sewel (Legislative Consent) Motions passed (7 May 2008 – 5 September 2008) 23 3. The Media 24 3.1 Resignation of Wendy Alexander...................................................................24 3.2 Nicol Stephen’s Resignation ..........................................................................26 3.3 Glasgow East By-Election..............................................................................28 3.4 Labour Leadership Contest............................................................................32 3.5 SNP Flagship Policies Under Fire..................................................................35 3.6 Glenrothes By-Election ..................................................................................38 3.7 BBC, Gaelic Channel, Scottish Digital Channel..............................................39 4. Public Attitudes 42 4.1 Attitudes towards devolution ..........................................................................42 4.1.1 Constitutional Preferences .....................................................................42 Figure 4.1: TNS System Three – Constitutional Preferences ...............................42 Figure 4.2: YouGov – Constitutional Preferences.................................................43 4.1.2 Scottish Social Attitudes Core Report.....................................................44 Figure 4.3: Scottish Social Attitudes.....................................................................45 4.2 National Identity.............................................................................................48 4.3 Other Issues ..................................................................................................48 4.3.1 Broadcasting..........................................................................................48 Figure 4.4: Impact of the BBC in Scotland............................................................50 Figure 4.5: Impact of the media in Scotland .........................................................52 4.3.2 Happiness..............................................................................................54 4.4 Party Fortunes ...............................................................................................55 4.4.1 Holyrood Voting Intentions .....................................................................55 Figure 4.6: Scottish Parliament Voting Intentions .................................................55 4.4.2 Westminster Vote Intentions ..................................................................56 Figure 4.7: Westminster Voting Intentions............................................................56 4.4.3 Westminster by-election.........................................................................56 Figure 4.8: Glasgow East By-Election Results .....................................................58 4.4.3 Local Government By-Elections .............................................................58 Figure 4.9: Aberdeenshire, Troup By-Election Results .........................................59 1 Scotland Devolution Monitoring Report September 2008 Figure 4.10: Dumfries and Galloway, Abbey By-Election Results...........................59 4.5 Attitudes towards Parties and Leaders...........................................................59 4.5.1 Parties....................................................................................................59 4.5.2 Leaders..................................................................................................59 Figure 4.11: Party Leader Popularity Poll ...............................................................60 Figure 4.12: Government responsiveness to family needs .....................................61 5. Intergovernmental Relations 62 5.1 General..........................................................................................................62 5.2 Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee.....................................................62 5.3 British-Irish Council sectoral meeting .............................................................63 5.4 Bilateral issues...............................................................................................63 5.5 Adjusting the devolution settlement................................................................64 5.6 UK Government’s ‘Draft Legislative Programme’ ...........................................64 6. European and External Relations 66 6.1 The Scottish Government’s International Strategy .........................................66 6.2 The Scottish Government’s European Strategy .............................................67 6.3 International Development .............................................................................68 6.4 The European and External Relations Committee of the Scottish Parliament 68 6.5 Homecoming 2009.........................................................................................69 7. Relations with Local Government 70 7.1 Local Income Tax ..........................................................................................70 7.2 Cabinet Talks.................................................................................................71 7.3 Scottish Futures Trust....................................................................................72 7.4 Council Housing.............................................................................................73 7.5 Scrutiny Bodies..............................................................................................75 7.6 Aberdeen City Council ...................................................................................76 7.7 Council dispute ..............................................................................................77 8. Finance 78 8.1 General..........................................................................................................78 8.2 Publication of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland.................79 8.3 Scottish Futures Trust....................................................................................80 8.4 The proposed local