Stage 1
The Bill was introduced on 6 February 2013.
Meetings are scheduled for the Committee to take evidence on 26 March and 16, 23 and 30 April 2013. Meetings to consider the draft Stage 1 report are scheduled for 14 and 21 May 2013.
The deadline for the Health and Sport Committee reporting to the Justice Committee, leading on the Bill, is 21 May 2013.
The principal policy objective of this part of the Bill is to offer adults placed in institutional care as children acknowledgement of their experience, including abuse and neglect, through the creation of the National Confidential Forum (NCF). The value of such recognition, in terms of improved health and wellbeing, was evident in the experience of the Pilot Forum, ‘Time to be Heard’ on which the NCF is firmly based.
Stage 1 is expected to be completed by the end of June 2013.
Timetable
The Bill was introduced on 6 February 2013.
The Committee took evidence at its meetings on 26 March and 16, 23 and 30 April 2013.
The Committee considered the draft Stage 1 report at its meetings on 14 and 21 May 2013.
The Committee reported to the Justice Committee, leading on the Bill, on 27 May 2013.
The Committee considered sections 26 and 27 of the Bill at Stage 2 on 5 November 2013.
The Bill will be considered by the Parliament on 12 December 2013.
The Committee received an update from the Minister for Public Health on 8 January 2014.
Evidence
The Committee issued a call for written evidence on 20 February 2013.
The deadline for submissions was midday on Tuesday 9 April 2013.
The Committee took evidence at the following meetings:
The Committee considered the draft Stage 1 report in private at its meetings on 14 and 21 May 2013.
The Committee published its 3rd Report, 2013 (Session 4): Report to the Justice Committee on the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill on 27 May 2013.
Report
Additional Information
On 16 April 2013, the Committee received a letter from the Minister for Public Health outlining the rationale for proposing that this threshold be set at eighteen years of age.
On 25 June 2013, the Committee received a letter from the Minister for Public Health regarding the Stage 1 Report on the Victims and Witnesses Bill (Scotland): National Confidential Forum.
On 11 December 2013, the Committee received a letter from the Minister for Public Health regarding the Stage 2 consideration of the Victims and Witnesses Bill (Scotland): National Confidential Forum.