The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) produced four new briefings since the previous ebulletin:
Tuesday 5 August 2014
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Ministerial Statement: Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Scotland and Malawi, A Special Relationship
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 6 August 2014
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Training, Youth and Women’s Employment
Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners’ Rights
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Trident
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 7 August 2014
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Government Debate: The Legacy of the Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Humanity, Equality and Destiny
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Committee Meetings
Education and Culture Committee
5 August 2014
19th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2)
1. Inquiry into decision making on whether to take children into care: The Committee will receive an update on the inquiry from—
Kevin Browne, Senior Corporate Parenting Officer, Ashley Cameron, Influencing and Awareness Assistant, Duncan Dunlop, Chief Executive, Tony McDonald, Campaigns and Training Assistant, Caroline Richardson, Advocacy and Participation Manager, and Thomas Timlin, Interim Development Officer, Who Cares? Scotland.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 12 August, the Committee will receive an update on its inquiry into decision making on whether to take children into care.
Justice Committee
5 August 2014
21st Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Commission on women offenders: The Committee will take evidence from—
Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, and Andrew Bruce, Deputy Director, Community Justice Division, Scottish Government;
Colin McConnell, Chief Executive, Scottish Prison Service.
2. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will take evidence on the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (Modification of Duties and Powers) Regulations 2014 [draft] from—
Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Denise Swanson, Head of Access to Justice Unit, and Alastair Smith, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government.
3. Subordinate legislation: Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice to move—
S4M-10634—That the Justice Committee recommends that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (Modification of Duties and Powers) Regulations 2014 [draft] be approved.
4. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instrument—
Right to Information (Suspects and Accused Persons) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/159).
5. Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights: The Committee will receive an update from John Finnie, rapporteur to Scotland's National Action Plan (SNAP) for Human Rights, on progress on the SNAP process.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 12 August, the Committee expects to take evidence, in round-table format, on brain injury and the criminal justice system and on environmental crime and its connections to serious organised crime and money laundering.
Public Petitions Committee
5 August 2014
13th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Consideration of new petitions: The Committee will consider—
PE1524 by James Macfarlane on free Wi-Fi in Scottish public buildings
and take evidence from—
James Macfarlane;
and will then consider—
PE1525 by Catherine Fraser on access to justice
and take evidence from—
Catherine Fraser.
2. Consideration of current petitions: The Committee will consider—
PE1098 by Lynn Merrifield, on behalf of Kingseat Community Council, and PE1223 by Ron Beaty on school bus safety;
PE1506 by Alison C Tait, on behalf of the Robert Burns World Federation Ltd, on renaming Glasgow Prestwick Airport to "Robert Burns International Airport";
PE1509 by Lee Wright on Aberdeen to Inverness rail travel improvement;
PE1513 by Ron Park on equal rights for unmarried fathers;
PE1514 by Norman Bonney on making Time for Reflection representative of all beliefs;
PE1516 by Malcolm Lamont on referenda for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles;
PE1522 by Simon Brogan on improving bulk fuel storage safety.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 30 September, the Committee expects to consider new and current petitions.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
5 August 2014
23rd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.30 am in the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 7 in private.
2. Instruments subject to affirmative procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2014 [draft];
Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of Historic Environment Scotland as Specified Authority) Order 2014 [draft];
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];
Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2014 [draft];
Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (Membership of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission) Amendment Order 2014 [draft].
3. Instruments subject to negative procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment (Amendment) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/184);
Protection of Seals (Designation of Haul-Out Sites) (Scotland) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/185);
Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/200);
Scotland Act 1998 (Agency Arrangements) (Specification) Order 2014 (SI 2014/1892).
4. Instruments not subject to any parliamentary procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/172 (C.13));
Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/183 (C.15));
Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session and Sheriff Court Rules Amendment) (Miscellaneous) 2014 (SSI 2014/201);
Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No.1) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/202 (C.16)).
5. Legal Writings (Counterparts and Delivery) (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider the delegated powers provisions in this Bill at Stage 1.
6. Mental Health (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the delegated powers provisions in this Bill at Stage 1.
7. Welfare Funds (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider further the delegated powers provisions in this Bill at Stage 1.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, the Committee expects to consider subordinate legislation.
Finance Committee
6 August 2014
22nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 3 and 4 in private.
2. Landfill Tax (Scotland) Act 2014: The Committee will take evidence in a round table format from—
Lloyd Austin, Head of Conservation Policy, RSPB Scotland;
Professor Jim Baird, Glasgow Caledonian University and The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management;
Willie Beattie, Member, The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund Forum;
Stephen Freeland, Policy Executive, Scottish Environmental Services Association;
Mary McLuskey, Chief Executive, Community Resources Network Scotland;
Jenny Schwarz, Grants Fundraising Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust.
3. Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the Financial Memorandum of the Bill.
4. Mental Health (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the Financial Memorandum of the Bill.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 13 August, the Committee expects to take evidence on the Block Grant Adjustment Mechanism.
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
6 August 2014
21st 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. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instrument—
Seed (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/167).
3. Agricultural Tenancy Review Group: The Committee will take evidence from—
Mike Gascoigne, Convener, Rural Affairs sub-committee, Law Society of Scotland;
Nigel Miller, President, National Farmers Union Scotland;
David Johnstone, Chairman, Scottish Land and Estates;
Christopher Nicholson, Chairman, Scottish Tenant Farmers' Association;
Martin Hall, Scottish Agricultural Arbiters and Valuers (SAAVA) representative on Tenant Farming Forum and former SAAVA President;
Andrew Wood FRICS, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
4. Public petition PE01490: The Committee will consider its draft letter to the Scottish Government on the following petition—
PE01490 by Patrick Krause on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation on control of wild goose numbers.
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
6 August 2014
20th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.30 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether consideration of its work programme should be taken in private at the next meeting.
2. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 4 in private.
3. Social Enterprises: The Committee will take evidence, in round-table format, from—
Alastair Davis, Chief Executive, Social Investment Scotland;
Ewan Fraser, Chief Executive, Dunedin Canmore Group;
Karen McGregor, Chief Executive, Firstport;
Neil McLean, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Academy;
Andrew Nixseaman, Assistant Chief Executive, Calman Trust;
Duncan Osler, Chair, Social Enterprise Scotland;
Fiona Pearson, Network Co-ordinator, West Lothian Social Enterprise Network;
Brian Weaver, Chief Executive, Highlands and Islands Social Enterprise Zone.
4. Social Enterprises; Review of evidence heard: The Committee will review the evidence heard at today's meeting.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 20 August, the Committee expects to consider its work programme and take oral evidence on the economic importance of the Edinburgh festivals.