J2/S2/06/33/M

33rd Meeting, 2006 (Session 2)

 Tuesday 28 November 2006

Present:

Also present: Adam Ingram MSP.

The meeting opened at 2.09 pm.

1. Civil Appeals (Scotland) Bill: The Committee considered its approach to the Bill. The Committee agreed to make a recommendation to the Parliament under Rule 9.14.18 that the general principles of the Bill not be agreed to (by division: For 5, Against 2, Abstentions 0).

2. Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: The Committee took evidence from—

Ian Gunn, Governor, HMP and YOI Cornton Vale and Bill McKinlay, Governor, HMP Barlinnie;

Johann Lamont MSP, Deputy Minister for Justice, Tony Cameron, Chief Executive, Scottish Prison Service, Valerie MacNiven, Head, Criminal Justice Group, and Charles Garland, Legal and Parliamentary Services, Scottish Executive; and

Mark Hodgkinson, Chief Officer, Northern Community Justice Authority, and Chris Hawkes, Chief Officer, Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority.

The Committee also agreed to consider an approach paper and draft report on the Bill in private at future meetings.

3. Subordinate legislation: The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the draft Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of Office or Body as Specified Authority) (Scottish Legal Complaints Commission) Order 2006 until its next meeting.

4. Subordinate legislation: The Committee considered the following negative instrument—

The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2006 (SSI 2006/521)

and agreed to make no recommendation on the instrument.

5. Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee considered the main themes arising from the evidence session.

The meeting closed at 5.52 pm.

Tracey Hawe
Clerk to the Committee