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Subordinate
Legislation Committee
 The
Committee met on 29 occasions during the first Parliamentary year.
Over the period,
the Committee considered 182 instruments and 6 bills. The Committee
has submitted 36 reports to the Parliament or lead committees working
on bills. Of these, 27 were on instruments and 9 on bills. Over
the period of the report, all meetings of the Committee have been
held in public session. The Committee has managed to deal with its
work programme although one member short of its full complement
of seven since the turn of the year.
The Committee
has a well-established and constructive working relationship with
the Scottish Executive in its task of scrutinising instruments and
subordinate legislation provisions in bills. The Committee's remit
has been amended in the period to allow consideration of general
instruments not laid before the Parliament. A further refinement
is under consideration with the Procedures Committee.
The greater
part of the Committee's activity lies in engaging with the Executive
on technical aspects of legislation. In this regard, the Committee
has been effective in arguing for and achieving changes to subordinate
legislation provisions in bills. Similarly, the contribution made
by the Committee in its scrutiny of instruments is well recognised.
Both these aspects of the Committee's work contribute significantly
to the overall quality of the Parliament's legislation.
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Convenor:
Kenny MacAskill
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 The
Committee established early links with the Joint Committee on Statutory
Instruments (JCSI) at Westminster. The Convener called on the JCSI
in October and held useful initial discussions with the Chairman,
officials and legal advisers to the Committee. There are also effective
working level contacts with the Select Committee on Delegated Powers
and Deregulation. In March, members of the Committee and officials
called on the Legislation Committee of the National Assembly for
Wales in Cardiff. Members of both Committees were able usefully
to compare their respective roles and consider ways in which they
can exchange knowledge and experience.
The Committee
has also welcomed the Parliament delegations from the Regulation
Review Committee of the New South Wales Parliament and the Legislation
Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.
The Committee
has begun, with the Procedures Committee, a review of the Parliament's
subordinate legislation procedures that will include consideration
of how to introduce a greater degree of flexibility and responsiveness
from the Executive side but without bringing in undue complication.
The Committee would also like to address the very tight timescales
within which it is required to consider and report on the instruments
coming before it.
Transport
and the Environment Committee
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With
thanks to the Traffic Controller Unit, Road Network
Management & Maintenance Division, The Scottish Executive
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 The
Committee has the wide ranging remit of transport, the environment,
natural heritage, sustainable development, strategic environmental
assessment and the land-use planning system.
The Committee
met for a 2 day period in August 1999 to ensure that it had
a full understanding of the issues within its remit. Over
this period the Committee took evidence from a wide range
of organisations in Scottish civic society including the Scottish
Executive, local government, and the business community. From
this evidence, the Committee agreed its priority areas for
early action.
A major
part of the Committee's time was spent working on an inquiry
into telecommunications developments. In conducting its inquiry,
the Committee received more than one hundred written submissions
and heard oral evidence in 11 sessions from 20 organisations
and individuals.
The Committee
believe that this inquiry has been a good example of the strength
of this Parliament's committee system - it is worth noting
that the Committee was able to agree a remit, take action
and reach a conclusion without having to resort to a vote
on any issue.
The report
the Committee produced made a significant contribution to
public debate, in particular on the siting of mobile 'phone
masts: an issue of importance to many people in Scotland.
Since the report was published, the Scottish Executive have
agreed to review their proposed approach to planning guidelines,
a move which the Committee welcomes.
The Committee
conducts the vast majority of its business in public. However,
the need to agree draft reports and questions for witnesses
meant that 10 of the total 18 meetings in this reporting period,
had at least one item in private, with 7 meetings wholly public.
However, the fact that only one meeting in this period was
wholly private, and only 17 of the 92 Agenda items were in
private demonstrates that the Committee is open and transparent
in its work.
 The
Committee also played a major role in considering the National
Parks (Scotland) Bill. Despite a tight timescale, the Committee
produced a substantial report on the Bill. It is important
that it continues to work with the Parliamentary Bureau, who
set the timetable for Bills, to ensure that there is sufficient
time for key "stakeholder" groups to inform Committees' legislative
scrutiny.
The Committee's
responsibility to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Executive
was exemplified in its examination of its future expenditure
proposals. The Committee's report made a range of recommendations
designed to help ensure that future financial information
is more comprehensive and "user friendly".
All this
must be set against a busy throughput of other work, including
13 pieces of subordinate legislation and 19 petitions. The
ability of members of the public to directly petition the
Parliament goes to the heart of members' desire to be accessible
and responsive. However, there is no doubt that if Committees
are to really make a difference they must prioritise - and
this will unavoidably mean taking difficult decisions about
the number of issues raised by petitioners which can be pursued
in depth.
A major
piece of work undertaken by the Committee was consideration
of the Transport (Scotland) Bill. The Committee took evidence
directly from 45 witnesses representing 23 different organisations,
and produced a comprehensive report on the Bill that subsequently
informed line by line scrutiny.
The Committee
has also agreed to hold an inquiry into the water industry
in Scotland and will continue to take a keen interest in issues
such as the environmental impact of Genetically Modified Organisms
and renewable energy.
This has
been a challenging year for the Committee, but it is also
one of which it is proud. The Committee would like to record
its thanks to all those individuals and organisations who
have contributed to its work in this historic first year.
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Role of Committees
in the Scottish Parliament Committee
 In
general terms, the role of all committees is to examine matters
within their remits either of their own choosing or, in certain
circumstances, those referred to them by the Parliament or another
committee. Committees then report their findings and recommendations
to the Parliament as a whole.
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Within the
overall competence and powers of the Scottish Parliament the
main tasks of the committees are to:
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Scrutinise
the policy and work of the Scottish Executive and to hold it
to account for its activities
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Initiate
their own inquiries
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Consider
proposals for legislation, including both the general principles
and the fine detail
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Consider
any European Communities legislation or any international conventions
or agreements
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Consider
the need to reform the law
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Initiate
Bills
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Consider
the financial proposals and financial administration of the
Scottish Executive, including variation of taxes, estimates,
budgets, audit and performance.
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Consider
public petitions
It can be seen
from the functions of the committees that not only do they play
a vital role in holding the Scottish Executive to account but that
they also provide a forum in which legislation can be considered
in detail. There are a number of advantages arising from the committees
and the wide ranging powers that committees have, principal amongst
them being the opportunity afforded for committee members to develop
a particular expertise in a subject; by hearing from witnesses,
being informed by advisers and from producing their own in-depth
reports.
This understanding
of detailed information can then help promote a more informed debate
in the committees when considering legislation and enhances their
ability to amend Bills. In this the committees of the Scottish Parliament
vary from their Westminster counterparts where committees do not
have this dual role.
Overall, the
committees of the Scottish Parliament play a key role in monitoring
the activities of holding the Scottish Executive to account, facilitating
a wider civic participation in the Parliament and promoting a participative
approach to the development, consideration and scrutiny of policy
and legislation.
Committee
Memberships
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Audit
Committee
Convener
Andrew Welsh
Deputy Convener
Nick Johnston
Committee Members
Brian Adam
Scott Barrie
Cathie Craigie
Miss Annabel Goldie
Margaret Jamieson
Lewis Macdonald
Paul Martin
Euan Robson
Andrew Wilson
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Education,
Culture and Sport Committee
Convener
Mrs Mary Mulligan
Deputy Convener
Karen Gillon
Committee Members
Ian Jenkins
Lewis Macdonald (10/02/00 - )
Kenneth Macintosh
Fiona McLeod
Mr Brian Monteith
Cathy Peattie
Michael Russell
Mr Jamie Stone
Nicola Sturgeon
Ian Welsh (17 Jun 99 - 21 Dec 99)
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Enterprise
and Lifelong Learning Committee
Convener
Mr John Swinney
Deputy
Convener
Miss Annabel Goldie
Committee
Members
Fergus Ewing
Mr Nick Johnston
Marilyn Livingstone
George Lyon
Ms Margo MacDonald
Mr Duncan McNeil
Dr Elaine Murray
Elaine Thomson
Allan Wilson
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Equal
Opportunities Committee
Convener
Kate Maclean
Deputy Convener
Shona Robison
Committee Members
Malcolm Chisholm
Johann Lamont
Marilyn Livingstone
Mr Jamie McGrigor
Irene McGugan
Mr Michael McMahon
Tricia Marwick (13 Jan 00 - )
Michael Matheson (17 Jun 99-13 Jan 00)
Mr John Munro
Nora Radcliffe
Tommy Sheridan (02 Jul 99-)
Elaine Smith
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European
Committee
Convener
Hugh Henry
Deputy Convener
Cathy Jamieson
Committee Members
Dennis Canavan (02 Jul 99 - )
Bruce Crawford
Winnie Ewing
Dr Sylvia Jackson
Ms Margo MacDonald
Maureen Macmillan
David Mundell
Ms Irene Oldfather
Tavish Scott
Ben Wallace
Allan Wilson
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Finance
Committee
Convener
Mike Watson
Deputy
Convener
Richard Simpson (18 Jan 00 - 01 Feb 00)
Elaine Thomson (01 Feb 00 - )
Committee
Members
Mr David Davidson
Rhoda Grant
Mr Adam Ingram
George Lyon
Mr Kenneth Macintosh
Mr Keith Raffan
Dr Richard Simpson
Mr John Swinney
Andrew Wilson
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Health
and Community Care Committee
Convener
Mrs Margaret Smith
Deputy
Convener
Malcolm Chisholm
Committee
Members
Dorothy-Grace Elder
Mr Duncan Hamilton
Hugh Henry
Margaret Jamieson
Ms Irene Oldfather
Mary Scanlon
Dr Richard Simpson
Kay Ullrich
Ben Wallace
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Justice
and Home Affairs Committee
Convener
Roseanna Cunningham
Deputy
Convener
Gordon Jackson
Committee
Members
Scott Barrie
Phil Gallie
Christine Grahame
Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh
Kate MacLean
Maureen Macmillan
Pauline McNeill
Tricia Marwick (17 Jun 99 - 13 Jan 00)
Michael Matheson (13 Jan 00- )
Euan Robson
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Local
Government Committee
Convener
Trish Godman
Deputy
Convener
Johann Lamont
Committee
Members
Colin Campbell
Mr Kenneth Gibson
Donald Gorrie
Mr Keith Harding
Dr Sylvia Jackson
Mr Michael McMahon
Bristow Muldoon
Mr Gil Paterson
Mr Jamie Stone
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Procedures
Committee
Convener
Mr Murray Tosh
Deputy
Convener
Janis Hughes
Committee
Members
Donald Gorrie
Gordon Jackson
Mr Andy Kerr
Mr Gil Paterson
Michael Russell
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Public
Petitions Committee
Convener
Mr John McAllion
Deputy
Convener
Pauline McNeill
Committee
Members
Helen Eadie
Phil Gallie (17 Jun 99 - 30 Mar 00)
Christine Grahame
John Scott (30 Mar 00 - )
Mrs Margaret Smith
Ms Sandra White
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Rural
Affairs Committee
Conveners
Alex Johnstone
Deputy
Convener
Alasdair Morgan
Committee
Members
Alex Fergusson
Rhoda Grant
Richard Lochhead
Lewis Macdonald
Irene McGugan
Mr John Munro
Dr Elaine Murray
Cathy Peattie
Mr Mike Rumbles
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Social
Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee
Convener
Ms Margaret Curran
Deputy
Convener
Fiona Hyslop
Committee
Members
Bill Aitken
Robert Brown
Cathie Craigie
Mr John McAllion
Alex Neil
Mr Lloyd Quinan
Mr Keith Raffan
Mike Watson
Karen Whitefield
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Standards
Committee
Convener
Mr Mike Rumbles
Deputy
Convener
Tricia Marwick
Committee
Members
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Ms Patricia Ferguson (17 Jun 99 - 07 Oct 99; 18 Nov 99 - )
Karen Gillon
Mr Adam Ingram
Des McNulty
Richard Simpson (07 Oct 99 - 18 Nov 99)
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Subordinate
Legislation Committee
Convener
Kenny MacAskill
Deputy
Convener
Ian Jenkins
Committee
Members
Fergus Ewing
Trish Godman
Bristow Muldoon
David Mundell
Ian Welsh (17 Jun 99 - 21 Dec 99)
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Transport
and the Environment Committee
Convener
Mr Andy Kerr
Deputy
Convener
Nora Radcliffe
Committee
Members
Helen Eadie
Linda Fabiani
Robin Harper
Janis Hughes
Cathy Jamieson
Mr Kenny MacAskill
Des McNulty
Tavish Scott
Mr Murray Tosh
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