First Minister Alex Salmond will be in Holyrood later today to announce the Scottish Government’s business programme which the BBC tell you more about here. There are no hard facts about what will be put before the parliament on their website as yet.
The new look parliamentary week begins with three working days when parliament will sit in the debating chamber. Instigated by Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick as part of a package of reform measures, the new format will see the chamber sit three afternoons a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the committees will meet each morning. Holyrood Magazine explains the terms of the letter which the presiding officer sent out to MSPs last week reminding them of the need for courtesy in the chamber.
Today the committees meeting include the Health and Sport Committee, discussing the support for community sport, the Education and Culture committee, discussing how the establishment of cultural trusts by local authorities has impacted on cultural services and delivery, the Justice Committee, discussing Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Bill, the Public Petitions Committee where one of the proposed items is the abolition of mosquito devices and the Subordinate Legislation Committee.
The move is designed to make The Scottish Government more topical and responsive to events, and to provide an increased opportunity for Members to question and hold Ministers to account.
Each day’s chamber business now has the potential to start with Oral Questions to Ministers and Tuesdays will see the introduction of Topical Questions, which will have short lead-in times to allow questions on emerging issues.
Members will now be able to lodge ‘topical’ questions up until 12 noon on a Monday, which the Presiding Officer may select for answer at the start of Tuesday’s chamber business. Wednesdays will begin with Portfolio Questions, and Thursdays will start with General Questions followed by First Minister’s Questions.
The Reporter is of course only interested in those motions and amendments lodged by Edinburgh MSPs. Today the motions lodged are as follows:-
*S4M-03981 Colin Beattie: 75th Year for Newbattle Abbey College—That the Parliament congratulates Newbattle Abbey College on its 75th anniversary; acknowledges what it sees as the commitment of staff members who continue to provide quality education for adults; commends the achievements of Newbattle Abbey College alumni and those who have advanced to higher education, and wishes the college success, both in its development of a pan-Celtic programme and for another 75 years.
*S4M-03980 Colin Beattie: Funding for Volunteer Centre—That the Parliament applauds Volunteer Centre Midlothian on its receipt of a £4,000 award from the Lloyds TSB Foundation, which, it understands, will go toward paying the salary of a co-ordinator of its Connect Online project and notes what it sees as the incredible work of the volunteers and staff whose projects continue to benefit the community.
*S4M-03979 Colin Beattie: Hollies Day Centre Award—That the Parliament congratulates Hollies Day Centre on being awarded £5,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation; understands that this will contribute toward the salary of its part-time Dementia Unit co-worker; acknowledges the centre’s work in providing what it sees as a valuable service to the community for half a century, and wishes Hollies Day Centre continued success in its commitment to the centre and older people.
*S4M-03966 Gordon MacDonald: Wester Hailes Food Bank—That the Parliament congratulates the Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes on establishing a food bank; understands that, so far in 2012, it has handed out over 600 food parcels, weighing a combined total in excess of two tonnes; believes that, as a result of welfare benefit changes being proposed by the UK Government, vulnerable people will become more dependent on the work of volunteers for basic necessities, and considers that, as these take effect, more people will be forced to seek assistance from such charities.
*S4M-03964 Jim Eadie: East Linton Cycling Initiative Takes to the Hills—That the Parliament congratulates Alistair Clark of the Traprain Trails group from East Lothian on his plans to establish free-to-use bike trails around Traprain Law near East Linton; commends the initiative and its ambition to attract young people and families out of the city to enjoy the East Lothian countryside; recognises what it considers to be the initiative’s ability to promote healthy lifestyles for young people and the opportunities that it will present for the development of cycling in East Lothian and beyond, and wishes the project every success.
There is also one other motion which relates to Fife but is of some interest to us here in the capital, as it might bring with it jobs which would be within easy commuting reach.
*S4M-03972 Helen Eadie: Celebrating Planned Investment at Rosyth—That the Parliament welcomes the developments currently planned for Rosyth; notes that these developments include a £85 million investment by Babcock to create the Rosyth International Container Terminal; recognises the strategic importance of this project in providing a deep-water port facility for the Forth and improving Scotland’s connectivity for international trade, and believes that this project will bring much- needed new jobs to the area and will provide a significant boost to the Fife economy.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
