This weekly eBulletin provides an 'at a glance' guide to the week ahead in the Scottish Parliament and is issued every week, except when the Parliament is in recess.
Levenmouth Parliament Day
Levenmouth Parliament Day at Methilhill Primary School in Methil, Fife on Monday 8 December at 5.30 pm. Come and meet the Presiding Officer and MSPs to have a chat about the future of Scotland. #pdlevenmouth
Your views – BSL
Promoting the use of British Sign Language (BSL) is the focus of a new bill being considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Culture Committee and we welcome your views. You can also join the Discussion Group set up on Facebook.
Living Wage for Parliament contractors
All contractor staff working at the Scottish Parliament will be guaranteed a Living Wage.
Holyrood hosts budding debaters
The eighth annual St Andrew’s Day Debate took place in the Scottish Parliament on Monday 1 December.
Urgent action on climate change targets
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee is calling for urgent steps to be taken to ensure future ambitious climate change targets are not missed.
Exports and freight transport
Reasons why so few Scottish companies take the opportunity to export and the challenges of getting goods to market by freight are to be examined by two committees in the Scottish Parliament.
Should Holyrood conveners be elected?
Proposals to elect Scottish Parliament committee conveners are to be examined by the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee in a new inquiry announced on 1 December.
Legislation
Food (Scotland) Bill – Stage 3 scheduled for 9 December 2014
Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill – final proposal lodged on 4 December 2014
Community Charge Debt (Scotland) Bill – introduced on 3 December 2014
SPICe Briefings
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) produced one new briefing this week:
SB 14-88 Fiscal devolution: some comparative examples.
Watch Parliament TV
Catch up on parliamentary business.
This Week in the Debating Chamber
Tuesday 9 December 2014
2.00 pm Time for Reflection – Reverend Alan Cobain, Minister, Tyne Valley Parish, Midlothian
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Food (Scotland) Bill
followed by Scottish Government Debate: End of Year Fish Negotiations
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.45 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11441 Rhoda Grant: Scottish Local Coastal Partnerships (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 6 November 2014)
Wednesday 10 December 2014
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Fair Work, Skills and Training;
Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights (for text of questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 4 December 2014)
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: The Smith Commission
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11049 Christine Grahame: Capital Credit Union Outpost Penicuik (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 2 October 2014)
Thursday 11 December 2014
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions (for text of questions see Section D of the Business Bulletin for Thursday 4 December 2014)
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business – S4M-11628 Kenneth Gibson: Educational Disadvantage and Deaf Children in Scotland (for text of motion see Section F of the Business Bulletin for Friday 21 November 2014)
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Local Government and Regeneration Committee Debate: Flexibility and Autonomy in Local Government (for text of motion S4M-11811 see Section F)
followed by Ministerial Statement: Local Government Finance Settlement 2015-16
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Committee Meetings
Health and Sport Committee
9 December 2014
33rd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 9.45 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2)
1. Declaration of interests: Graeme Dey will be invited to declare any relevant interests.
2. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 6 in private.
3. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instruments—
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);
Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Content of Performance Reports) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/326);
Products Containing Meat etc. (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/289)
Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/312).
4. Health Inequalities: Early Years: The Committee will take evidence from—
Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health, Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People, Alex Young, Team Leader, Tackling Poverty, Dr Fergus Millan, Head of Creating Health Team, Public Health Division, Anncris Roberts, Early Years Collaborative Team Leader, and Carolyn Wilson, Operational Policy Manager, Child and Maternal Health Division (Early Years), Scottish Government.
5. Winter Resilience: The Committee will take evidence from—
Geoff Huggins, Acting Director for Health and Social Care Integration, Alan Hunter, Deputy Director Performance Management and National Programme Director Unscheduled Care Programme, Shirley Rogers, Deputy Director Workforce, and Dr Daniel Beckett, Consultant physician, NHS Forth Valley, Scottish Government.
6. Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Bill (UK Parliament legislation): The Committee will consider its approach to the legislative consent memorandum lodged by Shona Robison (LCM(S4)36.1).
7. 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 13 January, the Committee expects to consider the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill.
Justice Committee
9 December 2014
32nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Serious Crime Bill (UK Parliament legislation) (in private): The Committee will consider a draft report on legislative consent memorandum LCM(S4) 33.1.
2. 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.
3. Work programme (in private): The Committee will consider its work programme.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 16 December, the Committee expects to take evidence from the Scottish Government on the Commission on Women Offenders; the legislative consent memorandum on the Modern Slavery Bill (UK Parliament legislation); and subordinate legislation.
Public Petitions Committee
9 December 2014
18th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Declaration of interests: Kenny MacAskill will be invited to declare any relevant interests.
2. Choice of Deputy Convener: The Committee will choose a Deputy Convener.
3. Consideration of a current petition: The Committee will consider—
PE1458 by Peter Cherbi on a register of interests for members of Scotland's judiciary
and take evidence from—
Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Kay McCorquodale, and Catherine Hodgson, Civil Law and Legal Systems Division, Scottish Government
4. Consideration of new petitions: The Committee will consider—
PE1539 by Anne Booth on housing associations to come under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
and take evidence from—
Anne Booth;
Sean Clerkin;
and will then consider—
PE1537 by Shona Brash, on behalf of the Coastal Regeneration Alliance, on the proposed energy park at Cockenzie
and take evidence from—
Shona Brash, and Gareth Bryn-Jones, Coastal Regeneration Alliance.
5. Consideration of current petitions: The Committee will consider—
PE1463 by Lorraine Cleaver on effective thyroid and adrenal testing, diagnosis and treatment;
PE1523 by Jess Smith on giving the Tinkers' Heart of Argyll back to the Travelling People;
PE1526 by Jack Fletcher, on behalf of Sexpression:UK, on making sex and relationship education in Scotland statutory for all schools.
6. Tackling child sexual exploitation in Scotland: The Committee will consider the Scottish Government's action plans.
Proposed future business
The Committee's next meeting is on 13 January 2015 when it will consider new and current petitions.
Welfare Reform Committee
9 December 2014
20th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Sir Alexander Fleming Room (CR3)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 3 in private.
2. 'Your Say' evidence session: The Committee will take evidence from welfare benefits recipients about their experience of welfare reform and its impact on mental health—
John Lindsay;
James Nisbet;
Peter Roberts.
3. Work programme: The Committee will consider its work programme.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 13 January, the Committee will have a briefing session.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
9 December 2014
35th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.30 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4)
1. Instruments subject to affirmative procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Advice and Assistance (Assistance by Way of Representation) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015 [draft];
European Protection Order (Scotland) Regulations 2014 [draft].
2. Instruments subject to negative procedure: The Committee will consider the following—
Conservation of Salmon (Annual Close Time and Catch and Release) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/327);
Charities Accounts (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/335);
Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments (Protection Measures) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/333);
Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/338);
Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Authorisation of Covert Human Intelligence Sources) (Scotland) Order 2014 (SSI 2014/339).
3. Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the delegated powers provisions in this Bill at Stage 1.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 16 December, as well as considering subordinate legislation, the Committee expects to take evidence from the Minister for Parliamentary Business relating to the work of the Committee over the course of the parliamentary year 2013-14.
Finance Committee
10 December 2014
32nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 3 in private.
2. Further Fiscal Devolution: The Committee will take evidence from—
Elspeth Orcharton, Director, Corporate and International Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland;
Isobel d'Inverno, Convener of the Tax Law Committee, Law Society of Scotland;
Alexander Garden, Chair, Chartered Institute of Taxation Scotland Hub.
3. Community Charge Debt (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider its approach to the scrutiny of the Bill at Stage 1.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 17 December, the Committee expects to take evidence on its Further Fiscal Devolution inquiry.
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
10 December 2014
32nd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Decisions on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 4 in private. The Committee will also decide whether to take its consideration of the Committee's report on Part 4 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill in private at future meetings.
2. Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, and Dave Thomson, Head of Land Reform Policy Team, Scottish Government.
3. Public petition PE01519: The Committee will consider the following petition—
PE01519 by John F. Robins on behalf of Save Our Seals Fund on Save Scotland's Seals.
4. Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider evidence heard earlier in the meeting.
5. The Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2015-16 (in private): The Committee will consider a draft report to the Finance Committee.
Local Government and Regeneration Committee
10 December 2014
33rd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 10.15 am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2)
1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instruments—
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).
2. Public petition PE01538: The Committee will consider the following petition—
PE1538 by Accountability Scotland, on Transparency in SPSO investigations.
3. Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—
John Lee, Public Affairs Manager, Scottish Grocers' Federation;
Stephen McGowan, Head of Licensing Scotland, Insitute of Licensing;
Paul Waterson, Chief Executive, Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
4. Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee will consider the evidence received at the meeting.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 17 December, the Committee will take evidence on the Air Weapons and Licensing Bill.
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
10 December 2014
30th Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 11.00 am in the James Clerk Maxwell Room (CR4)
1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 3 in private.
2. Budget Scrutiny Phase 2015-16 (in private) The Committee will consider a draft report to the Finance Committee at the Budget Scrutiny Phase 2015-16.
3. Renewable Energy in the Outer Hebrides: The Committee will consider correspondence from Ofgem.
Proposed future business
At its next meeting, on 14 January, the Committee expects to take evidence on its Economic Impact of the Creative Industries Inquiry.
European and External Relations Committee
11 December 2014
23rd Meeting, 2014
The Committee will meet at 9.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Declaration of interests: Adam Ingram will be invited to declare any relevant interests.
2. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 7 in private.
3. Committee of the Regions: The Committee will consider a report from the Scottish Parliament's nominated member of the Committee of the Regions.
4. Reports from the Scottish Government: The Committee will consider reports from the Scottish Government on EU Structural and Investment Funds, transposition of EU Directives, learning of foreign languages in primary schools and Horizon 2020.
5. Brussels Bulletin: The Committee will consider the latest edition of the Brussels Bulletin.
6. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – implications for Scotland: The Committee will take evidence from—
David Breckenridge, Chief Executive, Scottish Textile and Leather Association;
John Crawford, Strategy Manager, Scottish Enterprise;
Benny Hartop, Managing Director, Hawick Knitwear Company;
Allan Hogarth, Executive Director, Scottish North American Business Council; and the Institute of Directors Scotland;
Scott Johnstone, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Life Sciences Association;
David Williamson, Director of Government and Communications, Scotch Whisky Association.
7. Work programme: The Committee will consider its approach to developing its work programme.
Proposed future business
The Committee will hold its next meeting on 15 January 2015.
Devolution (Further Powers) Committee
11 December 2014
10.00 am.
At its next meeting, on 11 December, the Committee will take oral evidence from a range of academics and experts on the report of The Smith Commission.
Equal Opportunities Committee
11 December 2014
At its next meeting on 11 December, the Committee will continue considerating its draft report on the Draft Budget 2015-16.
Justice Sub-committee on Policing
11 December 2014
The Sub-Committee expects to meet next on 11 December and will continue its work on the operation of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 as it relates to policing.
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