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SCPO Parliamentary News Summary
October 2011
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This month has been relatively quiet in Parliament, with both
Houses in recess; the UK Parliament took a 3 week recess for party
conference season, while the Scottish Parliament are now in recess
to coincide with Scottish schools' October holidays.
However, there were still plenty of topics of interest to keep
the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office busy. The Justice
Committee produced its report on the Offensive Behaviour at
Football and Threatening Communication (Scotland) Bill, ahead of
Stage 2 amendments being taken. The Committee was split along party
lines with the 5 SNP Committee members supporting the Bill, whilst
the remaining 4 MSPs (2 Labour, 1 Conservative, 1 Liberal Democrat)
expressing dissent. Church groups' concerns about freedom of speech
appear to be allayed, with the Government indicating that it would
be content to add a provision for freedom of speech. Given the
Government's parliamentary majority, it is likely that any
Government amendment accepted by the Committee will subsequently
also be accepted when the Bill reaches Stage 3 and is considered by
the whole Parliament.
Looking to money matters, no fewer than five Scottish Parliament
Committees have issued calls for evidence on the aspects of the
draft Scottish Budget 2012/13 within their remit. They will report
to the Finance Committee, which has stated its priority in budget
scrutiny to be ensuring that preventative spending is at the heart
of the Government's financial proposals.
This month, constitutional matters have been permeating business
both at Holyrood and Westminster. The Scottish Affairs Committee at
the UK Parliament have announced that they are having two inquiries
into the referendum on Scottish independence. The first will
examine the procedures relating to a vote, including who would be
eligible to vote; the second seeks to clarify 'grey areas' about
which details still require clarification, such as defence and
currency in an independent Scotland. First Minister Alex Salmond
has already dismissed the inquiries as irrelevant, saying that the
Scottish Parliament is the body which will properly take the lead
on the referendum. It is unlikely that the constitutional questions
surrounding this question will be resolved in the immediate future,
as the House of Lords continue to wrangle with questions relating
to the referendum in their consideration of the Scotland Bill,
which is due for discussion soon. Meanwhile, Prime Minister David
Cameron has made it clear to his MPs that he will not be supporting
a motion on forcing a referendum on EU membership which is
scheduled for the House of Commons this week.
Another interesting constitutional dilemma has emerged. In a
Scottish Parliament debate a majority of MSPs voted that they would
not be in favour of granting the legislative consent motion to the
UK Government's Welfare Reform Bill unless substantial changes were
made to the Bill. A legislative consent motion grants Scotland's
consent for the UK Parliament to legislate on their behalf.
Particular concerns were raised about the uncertainty of the
implications of some changes on funding for disabled peoples'
services. The symbolism of any refusal to grant this consent may be
of high constitutional significance.
Meanwhile, other concerns for the most vulnerable have come to
the fore this month. Further increases to energy bills and a
new forecast from the Institute of Fiscal Studies reminds us that
increasing numbers of people will be experiencing poverty,
particularly child poverty and in-work poverty, in years to come.
This is despite a range of targets across the UK and Scottish
Governments to challenge this situation. The Scottish
Government has announced that the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum has
been reformed, with a new Chair and Vice-Chair. The Forum will be
conducting a review into fuel poverty in Scotland. They also await
the findings of the ongoing review in England and Wales, which,
amongst other issues, is considering whether the present definition
of fuel poverty as spending more than a tenth of income on fuel, is
fit for purpose.
Whilst these reviews are ongoing, winter is approaching, and the
weather is turning cold. We hold those for whom rising energy
prices and falling temperatures bring additional financial worry
and difficult choices in our prayers.