Hansard

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

17 Nov 2009

Instruments subject to Annulment

Agenda item 4 is instruments subject to annulment. There has been considerable correspondence with the Government this week on a number of instruments. Rather than read out all the recommendations, I may refer to the summary paper for the more lengthy or complex recommendation...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

I declare an interest in that I am a recipient of a pension under the national health service pension scheme and my wife, who retired from the NHS three weeks ago, is about to be a recipient of a pension under the scheme.Are members content to draw the regulations to the atten...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the regulations to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations in relation to questions (a) and (b)? Given the retrospective operation of the regulations, are members content to draw to...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the regulations to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations? Members should note that the Scottish Government has agreed to correct the error prior to the regulations coming into for...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the regulations to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations? Members should note that the Scottish Government has undertaken to correct the errors prior to the regulations coming int...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the regulations to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations?Members indicated agreement.

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the order to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations, and to note that the Scottish Government has undertaken to delete the references to paragraph G9 in the schedules to the order ...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the order to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations, and to note that the Scottish Government has undertaken to correct the error by future amendment and before the relevant provis...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Scottish Government Responses

Are members content to draw the regulations to the attention of the lead committee and Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations?Members indicated agreement.

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Draft Instruments Subject <br />to Approval

Are members content to ask the Scottish Government questions (a) and (b) as set out in the summary of recommendations?Members indicated agreement.

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

24 Mar 2009

Instruments subject <br />to Annulment

There are a number of points to raise on the regulations. Are members content to report the regulations on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations?Members indicated agreement.

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

24 Mar 2009

Instruments subject <br />to Annulment

Our legal advisers have raised a number of points on the regulations. It should be noted that the Scottish Government yesterday laid an instrument to revoke the regulations, which we will consider in due course. Nonetheless, in line with our normal practice, we will report on ...

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

12 May 2009

Instruments subject to Annulment

Are we content to report the regulations to the lead committee and to the Parliament on the grounds set out in the summary of recommendations?

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

17 Nov 2009

Instruments subject to Annulment

Is the committee content to report to the lead committee the recommendations as set out in the summary of recommendations?

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Nov 2010

Rural Out-of-hours Health Care Provision

One theme that came out of just about every evidence session at our committee, and again in the cabinet secretary’s response to our report, is that one size does not fit all, and out-of-hours cover needs to be tailored to the needs of each individual rural community, yet in re...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

30 Apr 2008

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

Is it a fair summary to say that your success does not seem to have attracted more people into the sport, although it has increased the ambition of those who are already in it? You are saying that there are fewer people in the clubs but that they are stimulated to go on to hig...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Committee

08 Jan 2008

Scottish Government Responses

I have a question about paragraph (b) in the summary of recommendations. The point is that the names under which the products are sold are in English in the regulations. Is that right?

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment

I invite members to note from the annex to the summary of recommendations that minor points arise in relation to the draft Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 (Transitional, Savings and Consequential Provisions) Order 2008, the draft Mental Health (Absconding pa...

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

22 Sep 2009

Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Item 3 is on the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Bill. Today, we will consider the remaining delegated powers in the bill. Members will recall that, last week, we considered powers in parts 4 and 5.We start with section 1, which is entitled "Application of Par...

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

22 Sep 2009

Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Section 25 is on the definitions in schedule 1. Is the committee content to ask the questions on section 25(2) that are listed in the summary of recommendations?

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

22 Sep 2009

Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Section 42 is headed "Publication, numbering and citation: regulations". Is the committee content to ask the questions on section 42(1) that are listed in the summary of recommendations?

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

17 Nov 2009

Instruments subject to Annulment

We are likely to be satisfied with the response for the regulations. Are we happy to agree to the proposal in the summary of recommendations?

Ian McKee: SNP Chamber

30 Oct 2008

Lupus

I am sorry—an aggressive species. I am quite certain that several people in the chamber would have agreed with him, but his contribution to tonight's debate gives the lie to the claim that he is a member of an aggressive species. He summed up extremely well the features of the...

Ian McKee SNP Chamber

22 Sep 2010

E-health

In summary, we could be on the brink of huge and game-changing developments in patient care, but only if we prepare carefully and fund sensibly. I commend the report to members.15:30

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP) SNP Chamber

02 Mar 2011

Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill

One of the problems in considering Scotland’s wildlife and natural environment, let alone legislating on it, is that there are so many potentially competing interests. The needs of hunting estates—of grouse shooters, for example—are very different from those of bird watchers a...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

13 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

But a doctor and nurse in England have set up a unit running 40 general practices, and it is possible for such a unit to engage in commercial activities that would bring those involved more benefits than if they were running an ordinary general practice. For example, they coul...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

27 Nov 2007

Legislative Consent Memorandum

In a sense, I do not mind. However, reading the background, it seems to me that the relevant national authorities have the power to set up trading schemes, so surely it is within their rights to set up different ones, otherwise we would have a UK-wide trading scheme. It might ...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Chamber

03 Oct 2007

Crerar Review

I join the minister and others in welcoming this landmark review by Professor Crerar and his colleagues. In recent years, the regulatory and supervisory landscape has become increasingly cluttered. The well-intentioned desire to protect the public interest has led to the estab...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Chamber

04 Mar 2009

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill: <br />Stage 1

I join the rest of the chamber in congratulating my colleague Anne McLaughlin on an outstanding maiden speech. I now realise what a great mistake it is to agree to speak in a debate for the SNP following her; I am sure that I will avoid doing so in the future.If I may adapt an...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Chamber

24 Sep 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The evidence that the Health and Sport Committee heard was contradictory. How could it be otherwise when witnesses came from such diverse sources as the tobacco industry and Action on Smoking and Health? I am, however, convinced that the case was made that tobacco displays tha...

Ian McKee SNP Chamber

09 Sep 2010

Edinburgh Airport (Drop-off Charges)

I totally agree with my colleague, Mr Paterson. It is only because the airport can get away with it and make up the rules itself that it is doing so. This objectionable tax must be opposed with all the vigour at our disposal.We should consider what is going on here. BAA is an ...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP) SNP Chamber

10 Feb 2011

Public Records (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I very much welcome today’s debate and the fact that we can all agree on the bill’s principles. It is clear that the legislation on public records, as set out in the 70-year-old public records legislation, needs to be updated. Although the subject might seem to be as dry as du...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

19 Sep 2007

Sports Policy

The policy paper "Reaching Higher: Building on the Success of Sport 21" set a target of 60 per cent of Scots taking part in sport at least once a week. There is a clear link between multiple deprivation and non-participation in sport, especially among women. We know that 35.9 ...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Committee

09 Jan 2008

Public Health etc (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I draw the witnesses' attention to section 16(2)—I am having a second bite at the cherry because I met the bill team at the Subordinate Legislation Committee—which gives the director of a diagnostic laboratory the job of notifying to the appropriate people the existence of a n...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

16 Apr 2008

Chief Medical Officer<br />(Annual Report)

Is that a sticking-plaster solution? There will be practices and areas that will not take part in the keep well programme or the programme might not continue. Is systemic change in the set-up needed?

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

23 Apr 2008

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

The convener asked an interesting question about the age at which young people become involved with football clubs. As I understand it, you said that it is not in the interests of very young children—seven and eight-year-olds—to be tied up in the football set-up when they shou...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

30 Apr 2008

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

Then reality set in. There are several different things for which one looks in gaining Olympic medals. There is obviously a tremendous personal achievement, for which we all applaud you. There is also the benefit that the country feels good when people know that Scotland has w...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

24 Sep 2008

Health Inequalities Inquiry

I would like to follow up on some of Michael Matheson's points. As is the case with other conditions, the health inequalities in cardiovascular disease have their origins in many different aspects of society—such as upbringing, housing, poverty and health service provision. He...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

24 Sep 2008

Health Inequalities Inquiry

No one can fault such aspirations, but from my experience, those aspirations have existed over the years. People who have spoken about past set-ups have said exactly the same thing. I would love to be wrong, but I think that we will say in a few years' time that the local auth...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

19 Nov 2008

Health Boards (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am interested in other panel members' views on what we have heard so far. I want to explore the interesting concept of independent advice to non-executive board members and ask Consumer Focus Scotland what it thinks the right balance of non-executive members on the board wou...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

14 Jan 2009

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

I have a much more general question, although I may be asking the wrong people. It seems to me, as a relative outsider to the sports field, that there is an immensely cluttered organisational set-up. If someone takes part in sport at school and gets interested in it, they can ...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

26 Jan 2009

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

I have a couple of short questions that follow on well from what we have just heard about school-club links. In its submission, sportTayside and Fife states:"Active School Co-ordinators have made an impact with school-club links particularly in Primary schools."However, in his...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

01 Apr 2009

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Inquiry

My question is on the list of children who are at greater risk of developing mental health problems that is to be found on page 45 of the framework document. Before I came to the Parliament, I worked in a medical practice in an area that has people in those categories in spade...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

01 Apr 2009

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Inquiry

I totally accept that things are different in rural areas. On the other hand, a small area of deprivation in a large area can be accommodated within the overall set-up, whereas in somewhere such as greater Glasgow, where a whole practice and social work area is in need, it see...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

01 Apr 2009

Subordinate Legislation

In her opening remarks, the cabinet secretary mentioned the case of Dr Harold Shipman. Could she tell us how the order will help to prevent a Harold Shipman in the future? A lot of people think that a Harold Shipman might actually end up on the Health Professions Council. How ...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

29 Apr 2009

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Inquiry

I am interested in this idea of working together. Before I became an MSP, I was in general practice and was therefore in the NHS's front line. During my time as a GP, I could have referred people to certain organisations that were perceived to be—or which turned out to be—unsu...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

06 May 2009

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Inquiry

I appreciate that the issue is difficult and that there are measures to try to tackle it, but we definitely heard evidence from people who work in the field that deciding when they should disclose and to whom they should disclose was a problem. There was also confusion, becaus...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

06 May 2009

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Inquiry

An example that was given to us in evidence concerned the fact that, under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill, sexual activity will be a crime for a girl under the age of 16, but we know that precocious sexual activity can be a sign of mental disturbance. If a girl of 14 conf...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

13 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I just wanted to clear up that point. I will now ask about the qualifying partnership. We have already heard your definition of "day to day". Once it has been established that a partnership qualifies, is there anything in the bill that would restrict its activities to one area...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

13 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

So, what has happened in a part of England, where a doctor and a nurse have set up an organisation that now runs 40 practices and sometimes contracts to work in chemists, pharmacies and supermarkets, could happen in Scotland under this legislation.

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

27 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

My understanding is that while the bill will rule out commercial companies as we understand them, it will allow in companies whose directors work in primary care themselves. Such work was defined at a previous committee meeting as being, for example, one day a week in primary ...

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

03 Jun 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

On 13 May, we took evidence from Dr Pryce of the Scottish Government's bill team, who agreed that it would be possible for a doctor or a nurse to do what is done in England. Day-to-day involvement in the health service is defined as involvement for a minimum of one day a week,...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Committee

30 Sep 2009

Budget Process 2010-11

Dr Simpson talked about budgets that seem to be decreasing. I will talk about one that has a real increase of 5.6 per cent: the budget for distinction awards for hospital consultants is going up from £28 million to £30 million. As the award will be reflected in pensions, I ima...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Committee

17 Jun 2008

Regulatory Framework Inquiry

We should record—and this should come from someone other than yourself, convener—how gratifying it is that the Government has supported the majority of our recommendations.Although our clerks need to discuss the finer details of recommendations 4 and 9, as the Government is st...

The Temporary Convener: SNP Committee

24 Jun 2008

Transposition of European Union Directives Inquiry

Members will be aware that the European and External Relations Committee undertook an inquiry into the transposition of European directives that stemmed from concerns about the effectiveness of the Scottish Government's procedures for such transposition.The European and Extern...

The Deputy Convener: SNP Committee

24 Mar 2009

Instruments subject <br />to Annulment

Are members content to report the regulations to the lead committee and the Parliament in respect of a failure to follow proper drafting practice, on the grounds that the provision for commencement of the regulations is not fully set out within the italic heading, in accordanc...

The Deputy Convener (Ian McKee): SNP Committee

12 May 2009

Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I welcome members to the 16th meeting in 2009 of the Subordinate Legislation Committee. We have received apologies from Jamie Stone, which is why I am convening the meeting. I ask members and others present to turn off any mobile phones, BlackBerrys, et cetera.Under agenda ite...

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): SNP Committee

19 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am concerned about the maximum amount of the fixed penalty. It is obviously important, but it seems that it could be a moveable feast. Why could not the maximum fixed penalty under section 20 be set out in the bill?

Ian McKee: SNP Committee

19 May 2009

Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The maximum penalty in other fixed penalty schemes is set out in the act in, for example, the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004 and the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007. Why differ for this bill's scheme? Surely the principles are the same.

The Deputy Convener (Ian McKee): SNP Committee

02 Jun 2009

Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill: After Stage 2

I welcome members to the 19th meeting in 2009 of the Subordinate Legislation Committee. I have received apologies from Jamie Stone, Jackson Carlaw and Helen Eadie. I ask members and anyone else in the room to turn off mobile phones.Item 1 is consideration of the delegated powe...