Meeting of the Parliament
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Legislative Consent Motion: Welfare Reform Bill – UK Legislation
S4M-01638 Nicola Sturgeon: Welfare Reform Bill - UK Legislation—That the Parliament supports the principle of a welfare system that is simpler, makes work pay and lifts people out of poverty but regrets that this principle, insofar as it is reflected by the introduction of universal credit and personal independence payments, is being undermined by the UK Government’s deep and damaging cuts to benefits and services that will impact on some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland; on the matter of legislative consent, agrees that the relevant provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 February 2011, in respect of data sharing, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Parliament, or alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament; further agrees that the provisions in the Bill that give the Scottish Ministers the power to make consequential, supplementary, incidental or transitional provisions, by regulations, in relation to the introduction of universal credit and personal independence payments, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Parliament, or alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should not be considered by the UK Parliament but that the necessary provision should be made instead by an Act of the Scottish Parliament; also agrees that an ad-hoc welfare committee should be convened and that this committee should continue to meet for the duration of the current parliamentary session; while agreeing the above position, urges the UK Government to reconsider the Welfare Reform Bill and, more broadly, its welfare reform agenda, which the Parliament considers will adversely affect vulnerable people across Scotland.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments
S4M-01638.3 Jackie Baillie: Welfare Reform Bill - UK Legislation—As an amendment to motion S4M-01638 in the name of Nicola Sturgeon (Welfare Reform Bill – UK Legislation), after “should be convened” insert “with a remit to consider the implementation of the Welfare Reform Bill insofar as it affects people in Scotland, in particular the impact on passported benefits and, where benefits are devolved, the principles and operation of these, complementing the work of other relevant committees in the Scottish Parliament, UK Parliament and devolved assemblies across the UK”.
S4M-01638.1 Jackson Carlaw: Welfare Reform Bill - UK Legislation—As an amendment to motion S4M-01638 in the name of Nicola Sturgeon (Welfare Reform Bill – UK Legislation), leave out from “but regrets” to end and insert “and agrees that the relevant provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 February 2011 to make provision within the legislative competence of the Parliament and to alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament.”
S4M-01638.2 Liam McArthur: Welfare Reform Bill - UK Legislation—As an amendment to motion S4M-01638 in the name of Nicola Sturgeon (Welfare Reform Bill – UK Legislation), leave out from “but regrets” to end and insert “and believes that radical reform of the current welfare system is required; on the matter of legislative consent, agrees that the relevant provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 February 2011, in respect of data sharing, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Parliament or alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament; further agrees that the provisions in the Bill that give the Scottish Ministers the power to make consequential, supplementary, incidental or transitional provisions, by regulations, in relation to the introduction of universal credit and personal independence payments, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Parliament or alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament; considers that this consent is necessary in order to give security to those individuals in receipt of passported benefits in Scotland, and urges the Scottish Government to work constructively with the UK Government on planning ahead for the implementation of the proposed changes.”
11.40 am General Question Time
1. Elaine Smith: To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent hospital-acquired infections. (S4O-00509)
2. Roderick Campbell: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009, as amended by the 2011 regulations. (S4O-00510)
3. Clare Adamson: To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the benefits will be of the Year of Creative Scotland 2012. (S4O-00511)
4. Margaret Burgess: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to tackle high unemployment and stimulate economic regeneration in deprived areas. (S4O-00512)
5. Neil Bibby: To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding public consultation on the future of the children’s ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. (S4O-00513)
6. Alex Fergusson: To ask the Scottish Executive when the Dunragit bypass on the A75 will be completed. (S4O-00514)
7. Maureen Watt: To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the impact will be on the oil industry of the UK’s recent use of its EU veto. (S4O-00515)
8. Bill Kidd: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 allows for the dismissal of a failing or uncooperative factor. (S4O-00516)
9. Johann Lamont: Not Lodged
10. Richard Simpson: To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met NHS boards and what was discussed. (S4O-00518)
12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time
1. Johann Lamont: To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day. (S4F-00368)
2. Ruth Davidson: To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Prime Minister. (S4F-00358)
3. Willie Rennie: To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-00367)
4. Nigel Don: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on the financial impact on rural communities of higher delivery charges for online deliveries. (S4F-00378)
5. Lewis Macdonald: To ask the First Minister what impact the proposed court closures will have on local access to justice. (S4F-00376)
6. Jamie McGrigor: To ask the First Minister how Scottish fishermen will be affected by the outcome of the EU fisheries negotiations. (S4F-00361)
12.30 pm Members’ Business
Debate on the subject of—
S4M-01042: Jim Eadie: 10 Years on from Harkin-Engel, Child Trafficking in the Chocolate Industry—That the Parliament acknowledges the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Harkin-Engel Protocol on 19 September 2011, signifying the chocolate industry’s apparent commitment to abolishing the trafficking of workers in West Africa into deplorable conditions; condemns the industry’s apparent failure to take the appropriate action as pledged in the protocol, thereby perpetuating some of the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa sector of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana; understands from a report on the protocol by Tulane University that none of the six articles calling for action has been fully implemented and that the required industry-wide reform in the cocoa sector has not taken place; commends the 10 Campaign run by civil society groups across the world, including the International Labor Rights Forum, World Vision and Stop the Traffik, and would welcome widespread support for the petition to end the trafficking of children in the cocoa industry.
2.15 pm Themed Question Time
Rural Affairs and the Environment
1. Gil Paterson: To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the latest recycling figures published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. (S4O-00519)
2. Gordon MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the outcomes of the recent UN Climate Change Conference will have on Scotland. (S4O-00520)
3. Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on the radioactive contamination detected at Dalgety Bay. (S4O-00521)
4. Humza Yousaf: To ask the Scottish Executive how it raises awareness of environmental issues in cities. (S4O-00522)
5. Claudia Beamish: To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has committed to its rural priorities and how much it will commit for 2012 and 2013. (S4O-00523)
6. Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of greylag geese in Orkney and the effectiveness of the measures to limit the damage to agricultural land that the birds cause. (S4O-00524)
7. Marco Biagi: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to update or publish a progress report on its climate change delivery plan. (S4O-00525)
8. James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects all local authorities to recycle at least 70% of their waste by 2025, with a maximum of 5% being sent to landfill. (S4O-00526)
9. Jenny Marra: Not Lodged
10. Angus MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Executive how it advises livestock producers about their on-farm obligations regarding the electronic identification of sheep. (S4O-00528)
Justice and the Law Officers
1. John Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on ending automatic early release of prisoners. (S4O-00529)
2. David Stewart: Withdrawn
3. John Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the UK Government has replied to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s letter of 1 December 2011 regarding the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill. (S4O-00531)
4. Hanzala Malik: Not Lodged
5. Rhoda Grant: Withdrawn
6. Richard Lyle: To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants have failed the police force entrance exam in the last five years. (S4O-00534)
7. Graeme Pearson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional 1,000 police officers it has recruited have been assigned to frontline duties, in light of the 2% increase in violent crime in the last year. (S4O-00535)
8. Margaret McDougall: To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for prison visiting committees. (S4O-00536)
9. Joe FitzPatrick: To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of those accused of murder in Tayside in 2010-11 was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offence. (S4O-00537)
10. Colin Keir: Not Lodged
2.55 pm Finance Committee Debate: Report on the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13
S4M-01561 Kenneth Gibson on behalf of the Finance Committee: 3rd Report 2011 (Session 4) of the Finance Committee on the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13—That the Parliament notes the 3rd Report 2011 (Session 4) of the Finance Committee on the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 (SP Paper 48) including its recommendations to the Scottish Government.
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
S4M-01646 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Committee Membership—That the Parliament agrees that—
John Park be appointed to replace Anne McTaggart as a member of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee;
Neil Bibby be appointed to replace Claire Baker and Neil Findlay be appointed to replace Jenny Marra as members of the Education and Culture Committee;
Mary Fee be appointed to replace Claudia Beamish as a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee;
Elaine Murray be appointed to replace Margaret McCulloch and Michael McMahon be appointed to replace John Pentland as members of the Finance Committee;
Drew Smith be appointed to replace Mary Fee as a member of the Health and Sport Committee;
Margaret McCulloch be appointed to replace Neil Findlay as a member of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee;
Jenny Marra be appointed to replace James Kelly as a member of the Justice Committee;
Anne McTaggart be appointed to replace Kezia Dugdale and John Pentland be appointed to replace Mark Griffin as members of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee;
Iain Gray be appointed to replace Hugh Henry and Mark Griffin be appointed to replace Drew Smith as members of the Public Audit Committee;
Anne McTaggart be appointed to replace Neil Bibby as a member of the Public Petitions Committee;
Claudia Beamish be appointed to replace Jenny Marra and Margaret McDougall be appointed to replace Elaine Murray as members of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee;
Margaret McCulloch be appointed to replace Margaret McDougall as a member of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee; and
Michael McMahon be appointed to replace Kezia Dugdale and John Pentland be appointed to replace Drew Smith as members of the Subordinate Legislation Committee.
5.00 pm Decision Time