Document 1098
Scottish Parliament: Chamber Minutes Vol 4, no 33
Author(s): Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
Copyright holder(s): Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body: © Scottish Parliamentary copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Queen's Printer for Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
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Meeting of the Parliament
Vol 4, No 33 Session 1
Thursday 28 November 2002
Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.
The meeting opened at 9.30am.
1. Education: Brian Monteith moved S1M-3650—That the Parliament believes that the Scottish education system should move to the post-comprehensive era, where schools keep the comprehensive principle of equality of opportunity but are opened up to new and different ways of education built round the needs of the individual child and where there is a greater range of specialist schools for parents to choose from, offering excellent routes into university and skilled employment.
The Minister for Education and Young People moved amendment S1M-3650.2 to motion S1M-3650—
Leave out from "believes" to end and insert—
"acknowledges the distinctive nature of Scottish education; supports reforms designed to tackle underperformance in schools and ensure that every school is a centre of excellence; recognises the major investment being made by the Scottish Executive; supports local flexibility and innovation in schools; welcomes the increased emphasis on citizenship, enterprise and vocational education; acknowledges the importance of a strong partnership with education authorities, schools, teachers and parents in raising attainment and closing the opportunity gap, and supports the Executive in its determination to ensure every child has an education that meets his or her individual needs."
Michael Russell moved amendment S1M-3650.1 to motion S1M-3650—
Leave out from "should" to end and insert—
"must be one which delivers the best for each child, is founded upon the broad and inclusive traditional strengths of Scottish education, is resourced and organised to help young people gain a secure grounding in the basic skills at an early age, gives various routes for entry into further education or skilled employment and which welcomes diversity and a variety of local delivery within a strong state sector, and therefore rejects any attempt to bring back from the political grave the divisive Tory educational philosophies of the past which proved so damaging to Scotland’s young people during 18 years of undemocratic and unwanted Conservative Government in this country."
After debate, amendment SIM-3650.2 was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 59,
Against 15, Abstentions 26). As a result, amendment SIM-3650.1 was pre-empted.
The motion as amended was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 61, Against 16, Abstentions 27).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament acknowledges the distinctive nature of Scottish education; supports reforms designed to tackle underperformance in schools and ensure that every school is a centre of excellence; recognises the major investment being made by the Scottish Executive; supports local flexibility and innovation in schools; welcomes the increased emphasis on citizenship, enterprise and vocational education; acknowledges the importance of a strong partnership with education authorities, schools, teachers and parents in raising attainment and closing the opportunity gap, and supports the Executive in its determination to ensure every child has an education that meets his or her individual needs.
2. Drugs Courts: Bill Aitken moved S1M-3641—That the Parliament notes the growing prevalence of drug abuse and drug-related crimes; regrets that the Scottish Executive continues to send out mixed messages on drugs; further regrets that the Executive’s flagship drug courts have become a means of avoiding a prison term, and therefore calls on the Executive to ensure that (a) those sent to drug courts have committed only a minimal number of offences, (b) there are sufficient resources to ensure that those who are sentenced by drug courts have the option of immediate and instant treatment to undergo rehabilitation and (c) any breach of orders from the drug courts are dealt with properly.
The Deputy Minster for Justice moved amendment S1M-3641.2 to motion S1M-3641—
Leave out from "notes" to end and insert—
"welcomes the commitment of the Scottish Executive to address the problem of drug misusing offenders by establishing pilot drugs courts, the success of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, the additional resources made available to agencies within the criminal justice system, local authorities and the NHS to support its co-ordinated approach to reducing or eliminating the dependence on or propensity to misuse drugs and its integrated strategy to tackling drug-related crime and reducing the impact which this has on communities."
Roseanna Cunningham moved amendment S1M-3641.1 to motion S1M-3641—
Leave out from "regrets" to end and insert—
"welcomes the work of the drugs courts in diverting users into effective rehabilitation programmes; acknowledges the dedication of the fiscals, social workers, drugs counsellors and sheriffs who have worked to make the drugs courts successful; considers that further resources are required to ensure the continued effectiveness of the drugs courts, and calls on the Scottish Executive to ensure the early roll-out of drugs courts and the provision of the necessary resources so that offenders in all areas of Scotland will have equal access to the same rehabilitation opportunities."
After debate, amendment SIM-3641.2 was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 61, Against 17, Abstentions 27). As a result, amendment SIM-3641.1 was pre-empted.
The motion as amended was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 62, Against 15, Abstentions 30).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved— That the Parliament welcomes the commitment of the Scottish Executive to address the problem of drug misusing offenders by establishing pilot drugs courts, the success of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, the additional resources made available to agencies within the criminal justice system, local authorities and the NHS to support its co-ordinated approach to reducing or eliminating the dependence on or propensity to misuse drugs and its integrated strategy to tackling drug-related crime and reducing the impact which this has on communities.
3. Waste and Emissions Trading Bill – UK Legislation: The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development moved S1M-3649—That the Parliament supports the principles of the Waste and Emissions Trading Bill and agrees that the provisions in the Bill that relate to devolved matters should be considered by the UK Parliament.
After debate, the motion was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 77, Against 30, Abstentions 1).
4. Junior Scottish Minister: The First Minister moved S1M-3656—That the Parliament agrees that Des McNulty be appointed as a junior Scottish Minister.
After debate, the motion was agreed to (by division: For 61, Against 28, Abstentions 16).
5. Question Time: Questions were answered by the First Minister and other Ministers and junior Scottish Ministers.
6. Domestic Abuse: The Minister for Social Justice moved S1M-3648—That the Parliament approves the considerable progress made in increasing the protection of, and provision of services to, women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse; further approves work aimed at reducing the intolerably high incidence of domestic abuse in Scotland, and welcomes the work of the National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland in tackling this unacceptable behaviour.
Roseanna Cunningham moved amendment S1M-3648.2 to motion S1M-3648—
Insert at end—
"but nevertheless calls on the Scottish Executive to ensure that funding of services dealing with domestic violence is equalised across Scotland, to recognise and meet the needs of children affected by domestic violence, to address, as a matter of urgency, the recruitment crisis in social work services and to reform the justice system so as to allow the development of family courts which would include inter alia powers to deal with domestic violence."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 29, Against 61, Abstentions 18).
The motion was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 105, Against 3, Abstentions 0).
7. Membership of Committees: Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M- 3660—That the Parliament agrees that the following members be appointed to committees—
Dr Richard Simpson to replace Des McNulty on the Finance Committee;
Dr Richard Simpson to replace Elaine Thomson on the Local Government Committee; and
Elaine Thomson to replace Des McNulty on the Transport and Environment Committee.
The motion was agreed to (DT).
8. Membership of Committee: Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M-3645—That the Parliament agrees that Tricia Marwick be appointed to replace Duncan Hamilton on the Local Government Committee.
The Motion was agreed to (DT).
9. Approval of SSI: Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M-3644—That the Parliament agrees that the draft Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations 2002 be approved.
The Motion was agreed to (DT).
10. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as noted above.
11. Glasgow Acute Health Services Review The Parliament debated S1M-3580 in the name of Bill Aitken—That the Parliament notes the continued and growing concern of Glasgow residents regarding the Scottish Executive’s proposals following the recent Acute Health Services Review in Glasgow.
The meeting closed at 6.05 pm.
P E Grice
Clerk of the Parliament
28 November 2002
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