Table of contents
Points to Note
What’s new online?
Legislation
SPICe Briefings
Watch Parliament TV
This Week in the Debating Chamber
Committee Meetings
Useful Weblinks
Feedback
Points to Note
First time voters asked for views
Voters aged 16 and 17 who were eligible to vote in this year’s referendum on independence are being asked about their experiences to help inform a Parliament Committee’s work.
TTIP implications - The possible implications for Scotland of an EU trade agreement with the USA will be discussed at the Scottish Parliament following the announcement by the European and External Relations Committee that it is to host a series of public discussions on the subject.
Nicola Sturgeon MSP sworn in as Scotland’s First Minister - SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP was formally sworn in as Scotland's fifth First Minister in front of senior judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Thursday 20 November, following the vote in the Scottish Parliament on 19 November, when Ms Sturgeon was selected as the Parliament’s nominee for First Minister.
Gaelic Language Day – The Parliament is holding a Gaelic Language Day on 27 November, including a seminar on the use of Gaelic names and practical workshops on using Gaelic names and phrases within the workplace. Places are free but reply by 24 November. Call 0131 348 5395 or email [email protected]. For more details (in English and Gaelic) see the Scottish Parliament Gaelic blog.
Parliament Days set to travel across Scotland - The next series of Parliament Days have been announced, with three more locations across Scotland set to host the Scottish Parliament over the coming months.
Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee to visit Arran - Arran will be the focus for the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee as its members swap Holyrood’s committee rooms for Arran High School when the Committee continues its annual scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s budget.
What’s new online?
Editor’s picks
Get a flavour of recent SP business with the Editor’s picks. These highlights, selected by the editor of the Official Report, are updated on a regular basis.
Legislation
Legal Writings (Counterparts and Delivery) (Scotland) Bill – the stage 1 debate is scheduled for 25 November 2014.
SPICe Briefings
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) produced one new briefing this week:
SB 14-86 Why are taxes so hard to predict?
Watch Parliament TV
Catch up on parliamentary business.
This Week in the Debating Chamber
Tuesday 25 November 2014
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Ministerial Statement: Vale of Leven Inquiry
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Legal Writings (Counterparts and Delivery) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11537 Marco Biagi: Marking the Anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Friday 14 November 2014)
Wednesday 26 November 2014
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Culture and External Affairs;
Infrastructure, Investment and Cities (for text of questions see Section D)
followed by First Minister’s Statement on the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2014-15
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2014-15
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11340 Ken Macintosh: Even it Up: Time to End Extreme Inequality, Oxfam’s New Report and Campaign (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 30 October 2014)
Thursday 27 November 2014
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions (for text of questions see Section D)
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11550 Jim Hume: One Step Closer to Trains at Reston and East Linton (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Friday 14 November 2014)
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11565 Annabelle Ewing: St Andrew’s Day 2014 (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Tuesday 18 November 2014)
followed by Continuation of the Scottish Government Debate on the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2014-15
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Committee Meetings
Education and Culture Committee
25 November 2014
28th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4)
1. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16 (in private): The Committee will consider a draft report to the Finance Committee on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 16 December, the Committee will take oral evidence on the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill.
Health and Sport Committee
25 November 2014
31st Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Mental Health (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—
Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, Carol Sibbald, Mental Health (Scotland) Bill Team Leader, and Stephanie Virlogeux, Solicitor, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government.
2. Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee will consider its approach to the scrutiny of the Bill at Stage 1.
3. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16 (in private): The Committee will consider a draft report on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 2 December, the Committee expects to consider oral evidence on Health Inequalities; a draft report on the 2015-2016 budget and subordinate legislation.
Public Petitions Committee
25 November 2014
17th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Consideration of a new petition: The Committee will consider—
PE1538 by Dr Richard Burton, on behalf of Accountability Scotland, on transparency in SPSO investigations
and take evidence from—
Peter Stewart-Blacker, Chairman, Accountability Scotland.
2. Consideration of a current petition: The Committee will consider—
PE1463 by Lorraine Cleaver on effective thyroid and adrenal testing, diagnosis and treatment
and take evidence from—
John Kinsella, Chair, Sara Twaddle, Director, and Roberta James, Programme Lead, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
3. Consideration of a new petition: The Committee will consider—
PE1535 by Alexander Fraser on teaching sustainability and banning plastic bags
and take evidence from—
Alexander Fraser.
4. Consideration of current petitions: The Committee will consider—
PE1477 by Jamie Rae, on behalf of the Throat Cancer Foundation, on a gender neutral Human Papillomavirus vaccination;
PE1500 by Stuart Housden OBE, on behalf of RSPB Scotland, on the Golden Eagle as the national bird of Scotland;
PE1513 by Ron Park on equal rights for unmarried fathers and PE1528 by John Ronald on child court reform;
PE1529 by John Ronald on enforcement of child court orders;
PE1524 by James McFarlane on free Wi-Fi in Scottish public buildings;
PE1525 by Catherine Fraser on access to justice.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 9 December, the Committee expects to consider petitions on a register of interests for members of Scotland's judiciary. housing associations to come under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, the proposed energy park at Cockenzie, giving the Tinkers' Heart of Argyll back to the Travelling People and making sex and relationship education in Scotland statutory for all schools.
Justice Committee
25 November 2014
30th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.30 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 5 in private.
2. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16: The Committee will take evidence on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16 from—
Chief Constable Sir Stephen House, Deputy Chief Constable Neil Richardson, and Janet Murray, Director of Financial Services, Police Scotland;
and then from—
Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Rennick, Acting Director of Justice, Gillian Russell, Deputy Director, Police Division, Hilary Pearce, Police Division, and Richard Dennis, Deputy Director, Fire and Rescue Division, Scottish Government.
3. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Criminal Legal Aid (Fixed Payments and Assistance by Way of Representation) (Scotland) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2014 [draft] from—
Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Denise Swanson, Head of Access to Justice Unit, and Alastair Smith, Solicitor, Directorate for Legal Services, Scottish Government.
4. Subordinate legislation: Kenny MacAskill (Cabinet Secretary for Justice) to move—
S4M-11524—That the Justice Committee recommends that the Criminal Legal Aid (Fixed Payments and Assistance by Way of Representation) (Scotland) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2014 [draft] be approved.
5. Modern Slavery Bill (UK Parliament legislation): The Committee will consider its approach to the legislative consent memorandum lodged by Kenny MacAskill (LCM(S4)35.1).
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 2 December, the Committee expects to take evidence on the legislative consent memorandum on the Serious Crime Bill (UK Parliament legislation) and on the draft Public Services Reform (Inspection and Monitoring of Prisons) (Scotland) Order 2014.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
25 November 2014
33rd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.30 am in the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
1. Draft document subject to approval: The Committee will consider the following—
Scottish Regulators’ Strategic Code of Practice (SG 2014 236)
2. Instruments subject to negative procedure The Committee will consider the following—
Products Containing Meat etc. (Scotland)Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/289);
Charities Accounts (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/295);
Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/300);
Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/301);
Civil Partnership (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/303);
Same Sex Marriage (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/305);
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Prescribed Forms) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/306);
Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Health Professionals and Social Care Professionals) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/307);
Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Membership of Strategic Planning Group) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/308);
Looked After Children (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/310);
Notice of Potential Liability for Costs (Discharge Notice) (Scotland) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/313)
3. Instruments not subject to any parliamentary procedure The Committee will consider the following—
Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session and Sheriff Court Rules Amendment No. 2) (Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014) 2014 (SSI 2014/302)
4. Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the delegated powers provisions in this Bill at Stage 1.
5. Serious Crime Bill (UK Parliament legislation): The Committee will consider the powers to make subordinate legislation conferred on Scottish Ministers in the Serious Crime Bill(UK Parliament legislation).
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 2 December 2014, the Committee will consider further Scottish Statutory Instruments.
Local Government and Regeneration Committee
26 November 2014
31st Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 9.30 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Decision on taking business in private The Committee will decide wether to take item 3 in private.
2. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16: The Committee will take evidence on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16 from—
Councillor Kevin Keenen, Finance Spokesperson, and Vicki Bibby, Team Leader - Finance, COSLA;
Sue Bruce, Chief Executive, City of Edinburgh Council;
Lindsay Freeland, Chief Executive, South Lanarkshire Council;
Roddy Burns, Chief Executive, Moray Council;
and then from—
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, Robin Haynes, Local Government Division, and Bill Stitt, Local Government Finance Division, Scottish Government.
3. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16 (in private): The Committee will consider the evidence recieved on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget 2015-16.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 3 December the Committee expects to consider the Air Weapons and Licensing BIll.
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
26 November 2014
30th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 9.30 am in the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 6 in private.
2. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Scotland Act 1998 (Functions Exercisable in or as Regards Scotland) Order 2015 [draft] from—
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, Brian Endicott, Deputy Scheme Manager, and Gemma MacAllister, Solicitor, Scottish Government.
3. Subordinate legislation: Richard Lochhead (Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment) to move—S4M-11642—That the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee recommends that the The Scotland Act 1998 (Functions Exercisable in or as Regards Scotland) Order 2015 [draft] be approved.
4. The Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2015-16: The Committee will take evidence from—
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, David Barnes, Deputy Director, Agriculture and Rural Development, Drew Sloan, Director of Rural Payments and Inspections, Susan Davies, Deputy Director of Rural and Environmental Science, and Linda Rosborough, Director, Marine Scotland, Scottish Government.
5. Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—
Peter Peacock, Policy Director, Community Land Scotland;
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets, Highlands and Islands Enterprise;
David Prescott, Chair of the Board, Holmehill Community Buyout;
Duncan Burd, Rural Affairs Sub-Committee, Law Society of Scotland;
John Watt, specialist in community land ownership.
6. The Scottish Government's Wildlife Crime in Scotland - 2013 Annual Reoprt: The Committee will consider its letter to the Scottish Government.
Finance Committee
26 November 2014
30th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16: The Committee will take evidence on the Draft Budget 2015-16 from—
Liam McArthur MSP, member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, Paul Grice, Clerk/Chief Executive, and Derek Croll, Head of Financial Resources, Scottish Parliament.
2. Devolved Taxes Implementation: The Committee will take evidence from—
Eleanor Emberson, Head of Revenue Scotland, Scottish Government;
John King, Director of Registration, Registers of Scotland;
John Kenny, Head of National Operations, Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 1 December, the Committee will continue to take evidence on Draft Budget 2015-16.
Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee
26 November 2014
27th 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 items 3 and 4 in private.
2. Scottish Housing Regulator annual report 2013-14: The Committee will take evidence from—
Tony Cain, Head of Housing and Customer Service, Stirling Council, Association of Local Authority of Chief Housing Officers;
David Bookbinder, Director, Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations;
Alan Stokes, Policy Manager, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.
3. Freight transport in Scotland: The Committee will consider a list of candidates for the post of inquiry adviser.
4. Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16: The Committee will consider a draft report to the Finance Committee on the Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 3 Dec ,the Committee expects to take evidence on its general transport update and consideration on Draft Budget report 2015-16.
Equal Opportunities Committee
27 November 2014
The Committee will consider a draft report on its scrutiny of the Draft Budget 2015-16.
European and External Relations Committee
27 November 2014
The Committee will hear oral evidence on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
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