Meetings of Committees
All meetings take place in the Scottish Parliament, unless otherwise specified.
Finance Committee
14th Meeting, 2015
The Committee will meet at 9.30 am in the David Livingstone Room (CR6)
1. Scotland’s Fiscal Framework: The Committee will take evidence from—
Mairi Spowage, Head of National Accounts, and Simon Fuller, Deputy Director, Office of the Chief Economic Advisor, Scottish Government;
and then from—
Alan Bermingham, Policy and Technical Manager, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy;
Charlotte Barbour, Head of Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland;
Patrick Stevens, Tax Policy Director, Chartered Institute of Taxation.
2. Carers (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Financial Memorandum from—
Julie McKinney, Head of Internal Financial Performance, Health Finance, Moira Oliphant, Team Leader, Carers Branch - Care, Support and Rights Division, Lynn Lavery, Carers Bill Delivery Manager – Care, Support and Rights Division, and Fee Hodgkiss, Principal Researcher, Analytical Services, Scottish Government.
Local Government and Regeneration Committee
14th Meeting, 2015
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Robert Burns Room (CR1)
1. Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider the Bill at Stage 2 (Day 1).
Public Audit Committee
9th Meeting, 2015
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 items 3, 4, and 5 in private.
2. Section 22 report - The 2013/14 audit of NHS Highland: Financial management: The Committee will take evidence on the Auditor General for Scotland report entitled "The 2013/14 audit of NHS Highland: Financial management" from—
Elaine Mead, Chief Executive, Garry Coutts, Chair, and Nick Kenton, Director of Finance, NHS Highland.
3. Section 22 report - The 2013/14 audit of NHS Highland: Financial management: The Committee will consider the evidence received at agenda item 2 and take evidence from—
Fraser McKinlay, Director of Performance Audit and Best Value, Stephen Boyle, Assistant Director, and Angela Canning, Assistant Director, Audit Scotland.
4. Work programme: The Committee will consider its approach to its future work programme.
5. Annual report: The Committee will consider a draft annual report for the parliamentary year from 11 May 2014 to 10 May 2015.
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee
17th Meeting, 2015
The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Adam Smith Room (CR5)
1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instruments—
The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/161);
Common Agricultural Policy Non-IACS Support Schemes (Appeals) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/167)
2. Mandatory public sector climate reporting (in private): The Committee will consider a draft letter to the Scottish Government.
Meeting of the Parliament
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Portfolio Question Time
Education and Lifelong Learning
1. Angus MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in expanding Gaelic medium education outwith Gaelic-speaking areas. (S4O-04304)
2. Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the tragic event at Liberton High School in 2014, what additional support and resources have been and will be provided to the school. (S4O-04305)
3. Cameron Buchanan: To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to improve literacy in schools following the recent results of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy. (S4O-04306)
4. Alex Fergusson: To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve literacy standards in primary schools. (S4O-04307)
5. Gordon MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent refurbishing schools in Edinburgh in 2014-15. (S4O-04308)
6. Jim Eadie: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote the study of computer science in schools and other educational establishments. (S4O-04309)
7. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Government what public agencies are doing to promote outdoor education for both urban and rural pupils and with what success. (S4O-04310)
8. Iain Gray: To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for falling literacy and numeracy in schools. (S4O-04311)
9. Nanette Milne: To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to disabled college students. (S4O-04312)
10. Michael McMahon: To ask the Scottish Government what recent improvements it has made to student support. (S4O-04313)
11. Christian Allard: To ask the Scottish Government how local authorities are using the funding that was provided to maintain teacher numbers. (S4O-04314)
12. Graeme Dey: To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve the governance of higher education institutions. (S4O-04315)
13. Mary Fee: [Not Lodged]
14. John Mason: To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding children with an autistic spectrum disorder being sent to mainstream schools. (S4O-04317)
15. Mark Griffin: To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met Education Scotland and what was discussed. (S4O-04318)
16. Margaret McCulloch: [Withdrawn]
17. Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of young disabled people in further education. (S4O-04320)
18. Richard Lyle: To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the Education Maintenance Allowance programme. (S4O-04321)
19. Anne McTaggart: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the college mergers programme. (S4O-04322)
20. Chic Brodie: To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages the teaching of Mandarin in schools. (S4O-04323)
followed by Ministerial Statement: Outcome of the UK General Election
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Scottish Apprenticeship Week
S4M-13112 Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Apprenticeship Week—That the Parliament recognises the success of the modern apprenticeship (MA) programme and how it contributes to addressing youth unemployment while allowing young people to earn while they learn; encourages employers to consider workforce development and higher workforce skills that support long-term sustainable growth; supports the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce’s ambitions for a world-class vocational education system; further supports the Scottish Government’s ambitions for the expansion of the programme to provide 30,000 new MA starts each year by 2020, and joins the Scottish Government in celebrating this success by supporting the activities taking place next week through the fifth annual Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments
S4M-13112.3 Siobhan McMahon: Scottish Apprenticeship Week—As an amendment to motion S4M-13112 in the name of Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish Apprenticeship Week), insert at end “; further believes that the Scottish Government should use Scottish Apprenticeship Week as a platform to draw attention to the findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report, Modern Apprenticeships, Equality & The Economy: Spreading the Benefits, which raised concerns regarding low levels of disabled people in modern apprenticeships, and recognises that more work needs to be done in raising the number of apprenticeships being taken up by women and LGBT and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people”.
S4M-13112.2 Mary Scanlon: Scottish Apprenticeship Week—As an amendment to motion S4M-13112 in the name of Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish Apprenticeship Week), insert at end “; urges the Scottish Government to have a renewed focus on delivering more higher level apprenticeships as promised in its response to the final report of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce in June 2014; recognises that there is a gender imbalance in the delivery of modern apprenticeships, both across the frameworks and the levels, with significantly fewer women training to levels 4 and 5 and in subjects including construction and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries; understands that less than 1% of apprentices in Scotland have a declared disability, compared with 7.8% in England, and considers that this disparity should be reviewed as a priority, and believes that the decision by the UK Government to abolish employers’ national insurance contributions for apprentices aged under 25 from April 2016 will enable businesses to employ more apprentices”.
followed by Business Motions
S4M-13119 Joe FitzPatrick on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Business Motion—That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Tuesday 19 May 2015
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Allied Health Professionals, Enabling Active and Independent Living
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 20 May 2015
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Portfolio Question Time
Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights
Fair Work, Skills and Training
followed by Scottish Labour Party Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 21 May 2015
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 Devolution (Further Powers) Committee Debate: New Powers for Scotland: An Interim Report on the Smith Commission and the UK Government’s Proposals
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 26 May 2015
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 27 May 2015
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Portfolio Question Time
Finance, Constitution and Economy
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 28 May 2015
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 Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
S4M-13118 Joe FitzPatrick on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Approval of SSI—That the Parliament agrees that the Climate Change (Additional Greenhouse Gas) (Scotland) Order 2015 [draft] be approved.
S4M-13117 Joe FitzPatrick on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Designation of Lead Committee—That the Parliament agrees that the Justice Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Debate on the subject of—
S4M-13077 Liam McArthur: Supporting See Me in Work—That the Parliament notes that Mental Health Awareness Week 2015 runs from 11 to 17 May; supports all efforts during that week, and throughout the rest of the year, to stamp out stigma and discrimination regarding mental health issues of whatever kind; welcomes in particular the campaign, See Me in Work, which aims to end stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues in the workplace; understands that, while many businesses and organisations understand the impact of mental health in the workplace, it can be challenging to develop a mentally-healthy working environment; believes that See Me in Work, which has a programme that is designed to support staff and improve working environments, can make a positive contribution to improving conditions for people with mental health issues; understands that one in four will experience a mental health illness at some point in their lives; considers that such initiatives have the potential to be of real benefit to a great many people when they need it, and notes the calls for employers in Orkney and across Scotland to get involved with the programme.
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