Scottish Parliament e-Brief 

Issue 157, 2^nd June 2003

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE
Membership of Committees are likely to be agreed shortly, after which Committee business will resume.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

SCOTLAND ’S FIRST YOUTH COURT OPENS
Scotland 's first Youth Court, a two-year pilot based at Hamilton Sheriff Court , becomes operational from today.

It is designed to tackle the problem of persistent young offenders by providing a fast-track court procedure to deal with 16-17 year old offenders and in certain circumstances, and also some 15 year olds.

The Youth Court introduces:

• A fast-track process to deal with the young offenders;
• Four designated sheriffs for the youth court, sitting on a rotational basis; and
• Community disposals specifically designed for the young offender.

The Executive is providing the additional resources necessary to support the work of the Youth Court in Hamilton, covering police, social work, courts service, legal aid prosecution service and evaluation costs.

Under the fast track process, young offenders will make their first appearance before the Court within no more than ten days from the date of charge and, in most cases, by seven days.  The Youth Court will target all 16 and 17 year olds with a history of having offended three or more times within the previous six months. There will be some flexibility to deal with 15 year old offenders.

The pilot will be subject to a full and comprehensive evaluation by external researchers.

Full story

IMMUNISATION BOOSTER CAMPAIGN BEGINS
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mac Armstrong, today announced that a “Hib” immunisation catch-up campaign for young children will begin in Scotland this month.

GPs will be offering an immunisation booster to provide additional protection against Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) infection to around 200,000 children aged between 6 months and four years.

This is to counter the recent rise in the number of young children developing Hib disease, which causes a number of serious diseases including meningitis and septicaemia.

Around 60-80 cases were reported annually before Hib vaccination was introduced into the UK childhood vaccination programme in 1992. The figures for 2000, 2001 and 2002 (provisional) are four, 13 and 29 respectively.

The booster campaign has been recommended by the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and is also being undertaken in England and Wales . Prior to the current immunisation programme, infections due to Haemophilus influenzae used to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in young children below four years of age.

Parents will be sent appointment letters directly and posters, factsheets and information leaflets have been distributed to raise awareness of the campaign.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

The week’s Chamber Business begins a day early this week, with an Address from the Queen on Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday begins with a stage 1 debate on the Education (School Meals) ( Scotland ) Bill.

This is a technical measure which will plug a loophole which could have left thousands of children without their free school meal.

At present, children whose families receive Income Support, or an income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, are entitled to free meals. However, Westminster legislation, in the shape of the Tax Credits Act 2002, creates, among other things, a new tax credit (the Child Tax Credit (CTC)) which will replace the child-related elements of Income Support and income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The bill, therefore, will amend an existing Education Bill, ensuring that these changes to the benefits system do not mean any child’s right to free meals is lost.

Click here to read the Bill as introduced
Click here to read the Explanatory Note
Click here to read the Policy Memorandum

The day is rounded off by a Member's Business Debate on The Need for a New Secondary School in North East Fife and the Tay Bridgehead from newly elected Conservative MSP, Ted Brocklebank.

THURSDAY is dominated by a lengthy Executive debate on Young People.

From youth crime to more flexible childcare, there is much in the Partnership Agreement which relates directly to young people.  This debate, therefore, is an opportunity for the Parliament to discuss the plans, the main points of which can be summarised thus:

The Executive is committed to:

1. Providing opportunities for children and young people at all ages to grow and develop through the provision of:

·         More flexible and more available childcare;

·         Safe places to play and leisure activities that will excite and stretch young people; and

·         Increased access to sports and leisure facilities.

2. Encouraging the more active involvement of young people in the lives of their communities and wider society through the introduction of a scheme, alongside the existing Millennium Volunteers scheme, which recognises youth volunteering.

3.Protect the most vulnerable children through:

·         A tough new inspection system for child protection services;

·         A new Children’s Charter;

·         A review of the Children’s Hearings system; and

·         Improved services for children leaving care.

4.  Tackling anti-social behaviour and youth crime through:

·         Introducing Anti-Social Behaviour Orders for under-16 year olds;

·         Giving courts powers to make civil orders requiring parents to act in the best interest of their children;

·         Making failing to act in a child’s best interests in breach of a parental order a criminal offence;

·         Providing sufficient secure accommodation and allowing children who might otherwise be in secure accommodation to remain in the community through the use of electronic tagging;

·         Banning the sale of spray paint to under 16s;

·         Supporting the Children’s Hearings system, expanding fast track hearings, if these are evaluated as successful, and increasing the resources available to deal with persistent offenders;

·         Rolling out Youth Courts where they are needed, subject to successful evaluation as necessary;

·         Consulting on a national system of warnings for young offenders, with a restorative element where appropriate; and

·         Directing £10 million to provide additional support to localised action and initiatives to divert young people away from crime.

In the afternoon, following Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, the debate on the Young People concludes.

The week in the Chamber concludes with a Member’s Business Debate on Rural Rail Services from Jamie Stone (LD).

[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Report to the People ] [ Interact ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]

[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]

Previous Page