Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 138, 11^th November 2002

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE
The likely highlights in the Committee Rooms this week include:

• Audit will consider a report with the intriguing title "How Scotland is governed."
• Justice 1 has an agenda which includes prostitution tolerance zones, the Carbeth Hutters, and alternatives to custody.
• Justice 2 begins the amendments stage of the Criminal Justice Bill.
• Education looks at a variety of bills, including a draft of the Children’s Commissioner Bill.
• Local Government takes evidence on the Dog Fouling Bill.
• Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm (Navigation and Fishing) (Scotland) Bill Committee (the first ever private bill committee) meets in Dumfries to consider a windfarm in the Solway.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

NEXT STEP FOR EXECUTIVE’S HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The next steps in the Executive's on-going health improvement drive have been outlined.

The key features of an improvement programme to be launched later this month are set to be:

• Improving the health of children from conception through childhood;
• Creating better life circumstances for teenagers;
• Accelerating health improvement through workplace-based initiatives; and
• Stepping up the work of community-based health projects.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:

"Building on the foundations laid by Towards a Healthier Scotland, and maintaining the effort to improve lifestyles, enhance life circumstances and target priority health areas, the Executive is now preparing launch proposals for the next phase of our national drive against the root causes of ill-health…

"Detailed proposals for this these developments will be announced within in the next few weeks. However, a start has already been made, with our announcement in the Scottish budget that we are doubling the money allocated specifically to health improvement, by providing additional resources of £173m during the three years of the 2002 Spending Review.

"We believe that by doubling our investment and redoubling of our commitment to health improvement, we can work with communities to lift Scotland from the bottom end of the European ‘health league’."

The Scottish Budget more than doubled the money allocated specifically to health improvement. Over the three years of the Spending Review, additional resources of £23 million, £50 million and £100 million across the Executive will be focused on improving health.

Full Story 

END TO TWO-TIER WORKFORCE FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS
The Executive and trades unions have agreed a protocol that will end the two-tier workforce in future Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts.

The agreement is intended to ensure fair pay and conditions for people working under such contracts on the public service front line.

It is also intended to ensure fair employment policies and practices are followed by PPP contractors in all new contracts.

It has been agreed by an Executive and STUC Working Group set up to examine staffing issues in PPPs.

Finance and Public Services Minister Andy Kerr said:

"When I spoke at the STUC conference in April, I promised to end the two-tier workforce in future PPP contracts. I am honouring that commitment…

"PPP is helping deliver the biggest school building programme Scotland has ever seen. PPP is helping deliver modern hospitals fit for purpose.

"If we are to achieve improvements in public services, we need to work with the staff at the frontline. Their support and hard work is crucial if we want to deliver the modernisation and improvements in public services that the people of Scotland expect and deserve."

The protocol has been produced jointly by the Scottish Executive, STUC and the key unions whose members are involved in staff transfers under PPPs. It is aimed at eliminating the two tier workforce and ensuring consistency of good practice in the handling of staff transfers under future PPPs. The working group was set up in April 2002.

It takes immediate effect. Public sector organisations will receive the protocol this week.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY is devoted to Stage 3 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment Bill.

As outlined in e-Brief 131, this Bill will bring into effect the new replacements for Poindings and Warrant Sales, scrapped by the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001. In effect, the Bill aims to implement the central recommendations of the Working Group, established by the Minister for Justice, on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant Sale, in its report Striking the Balance: a New Approach to Debt Management.

These include:

• A statutory national debt arrangement scheme to help people repay debts in a managed way free from the threat of enforcement action;
• New incentives for debtors and creditors to reach negotiated settlements out of court;
• A new, less intrusive enforcement procedure which will target only those who can pay but won’t; and
• Provision of money advice and information in court within the court process.

Click here to read the Bill in full as amended at Stage 2
Click here to read the Explanatory Notes
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

Note that, as a result of the later than normal finishing time, Member’s Business will be moved to 12:30 on Thursday.

THURSDAY is an opposition day and the morning sees 2 SNP debates - on Crime and Poverty.

As, at the time of writing, neither motion has been published, the focus of the debates is unclear. However, it is possible that the latter may raise the issue of the recent figures on child poverty in Scotland.

The full text of both motions will be published in the Business Bulletin in due course and a transcript of the debate will be available from the Official Report from 08:00 on Friday.

As mentioned above, these debates are followed by a Member’s Business debate on the Regulation of Private Security Firms from Labour's Johann Lamont.

In the afternoon, after Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be an Executive debate on the National Cultural Strategy.

The Strategy, launched in August 2000, aims to:

• Promote creativity, the arts, and other cultural activity;
• Celebrate Scotland’s cultural heritage in its full diversity;
• Realise culture’s potential contribution to education, promoting inclusion and enhancing people’s quality of life; and
• Assure an effective national support framework for culture.

Click here to read the strategy in full

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on a Licensing Scheme for Fireworks from the SNP’s Shona Robison.

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