BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 121/2014
Today’s Business
Summary of Today’s Business Meetings of Committees
10.00 am Education and Culture Committee the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4) 10.00 am Justice Committee the Mary Fairfax
Somerville Room (CR2)
10.00 am Welfare Reform Committee the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
11.00 am Health and Sport Committee the Robert Burns Room (CR1) 11.30 am Delegated Powers and Law Reform
Committee
the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
___________________________________________________________________ Meeting of the Parliament
2.00 pm Time for Reflection – Ms Nandi Mandela, businesswoman, grand-daughter of Nelson Mandela and speaker at the 2014 Edinburgh International Culture Summit
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Topical Questions
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Economic Opportunities of Independence followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-10675 Drew Smith: Gaza
For full details of today’s business, see Section A. For full details of the future business, see sections B and C.
Business Bulletin: Tuesday 12 August 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.
Education and Culture Committee 20th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4)
1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Public
Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels as Specified Authority) Order 2014 [draft] from—
Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Janet Gardner, Policy Officer, and John Paterson, Divisional Solicitor, Scottish Government.
2. Subordinate legislation: Michael Russell (Cabinet Secretary for Education and
Lifelong Learning) to move—
S4M-10645—That the Education and Culture Committee recommends that the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels as Specified Authority) Order 2014 [draft] be approved.
3. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Lanarkshire
Colleges Order 2014 [draft] from—
Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Melanie Weldon, Head of College Regionalisation, Colin Baird, Policy Executive, and Ailsa Heine, Senior Principal Legal Officer, Scottish Government.
4. Subordinate legislation: Michael Russell (Cabinet Secretary for Education and
Lifelong Learning) to move—
S4M-10643—That the Education and Culture Committee recommends that the Lanarkshire Colleges Order 2014 [draft] be approved.
5. Inquiry into decision making on whether to take children into care: The Committee will receive an update on the inquiry from—
Justice Committee 22nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 4 in private.
2. Brain injury and the criminal justice system: The Committee will take
evidence, in round-table format, from—
Dr Brian O’Neill, Consultant in Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust, Graham Anderson House;
Dr Oliver Aldridge, Committee Member, Howard League Scotland;
Dr Jean McFarlane, Joint Chair of Division of Neuropsychology Scotland, British Psychological Society;
Superintendent Andrew Allan, Criminal Justice, Police Scotland;
Douglas Gentleman, Clinical Director in Neurorehabilitation and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon, Royal Victoria Hospital, Dundee;
Dr Alan Carson, Scottish Acquired Brain Injury Network;
Ruth Parker, Assistant Director of Health and Care, Scottish Prison Service;
Professor Huw Williams, Centre for Clinical Neuropsychology Research, University of Exeter;
Professor Tom McMillan, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Glasgow.
3. Environmental crime and its connections to serious organised crime and
money laundering: The Committee will take evidence, in round-table format, from—
Calum MacDonald, National Operations Director, and William Wilson, National Waste and Enforcement Manager, Scottish Environment Protection Agency;
Assistant Chief Constable Ruaridh Nicolson, and Detective Chief Inspector Garry Mitchell, Police Scotland;
Catriona Dalrymple, Head of Policy Division, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service;
Linda Ovens, Chair of the Scottish Centre, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management;
Stephen Freeland, Policy Executive, Scottish Environmental Services Association;
John Mundell, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives Scotland.
4. Review of evidence: The Committee will review the evidence heard earlier in
the meeting.
Welfare Reform Committee 12th Meeting, 2014
2. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2014 [draft] from—
Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minster and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Owen Griffiths, Policy Officer, Housing Support & Homelessness Unit, and Jackie Pantony, Principal Legal Officer, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government.
3. Subordinate legislation: Nicola Sturgeon (The Deputy First Minister and
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities) to move—S4M-10739—
That the Welfare Reform Committee recommends that the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order be approved.
4. Scottish Government’s response to Expert Working Group on Welfare and
Constitutional Reform report: The Committee will take evidence from—
Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minster and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Susan Anton, Economist, Welfare Analysis, and Edward Orr, Senior Policy Officer, Welfare Division, Scottish Government.
5. Work programme: The Committee will consider its response to the
appearance of Rt Hon David Mundell MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, UK Government.
Health and Sport Committee 22nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 2 and 3 in private and whether its consideration of NHS boards budget scrutiny draft report should be taken in private at future meetings.
2. Work programme: The Committee will consider its approach to the Health
Inequalities early years inquiry.
3. Food (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider a draft Stage 1 report.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee 24th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.30 am in the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
1. Instruments subject to negative procedure: The Committee will consider the
following—
Food Hygiene and Official Feed and Food Controls (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/213);
Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/214).
2. Instruments not subject to any parliamentary procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provisions) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/212 (C.18));
Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provision) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/210 (C.17)).
3. Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Bill: The Committee will consider the
Meeting of the Parliament
2.00 pm Time for Reflection – Ms Nandi Mandela, businesswoman, grand-daughter of Nelson Mandela and speaker at the 2014 Edinburgh International Culture Summit
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions
1. Jim Hume: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest reports on waiting times to access support services that allow older people to live independently at home. (S4T-00765)
2. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the economic impact will be of Royal Mail’s decision to bring forward rural post box collection times. (S4T-00764)
3. John Scott: To ask the Scottish Government what precautions it is taking to reduce the threat of the Ebola virus. (S4T-00763)
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Economic Opportunities of Independence
S4M-10769 John Swinney: Economic Opportunities of Independence—That the Parliament agrees that Scotland can
be a successful independent country and that, while Scotland is among the wealthiest nations in the world, levels of inequality are too high; recognises the improvements in Scotland’s economic performance that have resulted from transferring limited powers to the Scottish Parliament, and believes that this demonstrates that decisions about Scotland’s economy are best made in Scotland by the people of Scotland and that independence presents new opportunities to build a more secure economy because for the first time ever Scotland will have the job-creating powers and an economic policy that will put Scotland first.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments
S4M-10769.1 Iain Gray: Economic Opportunities of
Independence—As an amendment to motion S4M-10769
in the name of John Swinney (Economic Opportunities of Independence), leave out from ―can be‖ to end and insert ―benefits from being part of the UK currency union, which is one of the oldest, strongest and most successful in history; considers that keeping the pound and the current arrangement within the UK economic and political union is in the best interests of Scotland and that the only way to
keep the pound on present terms is to vote to stay in the UK; believes that Scotland benefits from being part of the deeply integrated UK economy, which is the third largest economy in Europe and the sixth largest in the world; considers that being part of the large and diverse UK economy provides strength and stability to Scotland’s finances; believes that, as part of the UK economic union, Scotland is afforded protection from unexpected economic and financial shocks; considers that Scottish businesses have unfettered access to a domestic market 10 times the size of Scotland’s population and that it is imperative that this remains the case; believes that Scotland benefits from being part of an integrated economic union and that the pooling of tax income ensures that public spending in one part of the UK is not exclusively dependent on the taxes raised in that area, meaning that, if one part of the UK is disproportionately impacted on by an economic downturn or slow growth, public services in that area are not forced to assume all of its impact, and considers that the best future for Scotland is for a Scottish Parliament with more powers and enhanced accountability within a strengthened union‖.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendment to amendment
S4M-10769.1.1 Gavin Brown: Economic
Opportunities of Independence—As an
amendment to amendment S4M-10769.1 in the name of Iain Gray (Economic Opportunities of Independence), insert at end ―; notes that, in May 2014, the Scottish Government published Outlook for Scotland’s Public Finances, in which it claimed that an independent Scotland could be £5 billion a year better off as a result of increases in productivity, employment rate and population, and calls on the Scottish Government to release the details of the modelling and workings on which this claim was based, particularly the detail of policies that would lead to increases in productivity, employment rate and population‖.
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Members’ Business
Debate on the subject of—
S4M-10675 Drew Smith: Gaza—That the Parliament regrets
and unreservedly repudiates the ongoing violence and loss of human life in Gaza and Israel, which, according to journalists running risks to their own safety to report from the area, stood, as at 28 July 2014, at more than 1,000 Palestinian deaths and 45 Israelis; considers that the continuation of violence will further escalate the already severe and enduring humanitarian catastrophe in the densely populated Gaza Strip; believes that the number of Palestinian civilian fatalities, including many women and children, indicates a disproportionate action by the Israeli military; condemns both indiscriminate rocket attacks and military bombardment of civilians and believes that hospitals and schools, in particular, should be places of safety and therefore also condemns attacks on them or their use to store or fire weapons; confirms its view that the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rooted in the continued failure to achieve a political solution to a problem that cannot be solved by violence; supports the comments made by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on 24 July, who has described the situation as an ―intolerable, unacceptable crisis‖ and agrees with him that it is imperative for the killing to stop; notes calls for the international community to fully use its influence to break the cycle of failed talks, continuing occupation and outbreaks of violence that threaten the prospect of a two-state solution by renewed and robust efforts to broker peace and justice in the region with the objectives, amongst others, of an immediate interim ceasefire, a long-term plan to prevent further violence, efforts to aid the necessary rebuilding of Palestinian civilian infrastructure, including the importation of vital humanitarian supplies into Gaza, and crucially a process that can finally lead to the creation of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel in accordance with previous UN resolutions, and notes calls for the UK Government to support these objectives and to prohibit the supply of equipment or parts of equipment that are likely to be used against civilians and for the Scottish Government to do all that it can in support of the same and to foster and maintain good community relations between all religious and ethnic groups who have their home in Glasgow and across Scotland and who, in common with people around the world, wish to see a settlement that respects the right of all human beings, irrespective of religion or race, to live in peace with both dignity and security.
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