Local Government Committee, 07 Nov 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Official Report 143KB pdf

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Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Bill

Members have been sent papers on the Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Bill. The Local Government Committee's interest in the bill focuses on the section relating to the proposed changes to council tax legislation.

Members will be aware that the Executive proposes to withdraw the bill for redrafting. It is understood that that will not affect the section of the bill that we are considering. However, technically, we cannot complete our report until the committee has had an opportunity to consider the revised bill. I suggest that we continue to take evidence in the meantime, so that we are ready for the next stage.

As the bill is being withdrawn, the timetable of the lead committee is likely to slip. That means that we will not need to hold a private meeting on 16 November, because we should have time to consider our report for the lead committee at the scheduled meeting.

Does the committee agree to proceed as I suggest?

Members indicated agreement.

Let us go through the briefing paper on stage 1 of the bill. The first page seems self-explanatory: it sets out the purpose of the report, the committee's role and the possible withdrawal and reintroduction of the bill, which I mentioned earlier.

There is a list of witnesses on the second page. Do members wish to add to or remove anybody from the list? Does it cover a wide enough range of people?

Why did we select Glasgow City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council?

Glasgow and Edinburgh have the largest student population in Scotland.

There is your answer.

Fair enough. Might it not have been better to hear from a council that includes a rural area, such as Aberdeen City Council, or one that has a university, such as Fife Council, rather than two major conurbations? There are different problems.

I am told that the National Union of Students is bringing a welfare rights officer. The NUS will cover those areas.

We will take evidence from organisations at the meeting on 14 November. Do we agree to invite those witnesses?

Members indicated agreement.

Are we sure that it is better to hear from Citizens Advice Scotland rather than a citizens advice bureau in, say, Glasgow or Aberdeen, which is on the front line?

Citizens Advice Scotland is going to bring someone who is on the front line.

Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

We have a slight dilemma—

It is the ghost of Bristow Muldoon.

Indeed, the ghost of Bristow Muldoon is not with us. I know that Bristow is in the building because I was at a meeting with him a few minutes ago.

Colin Campbell says that, as he and Keith Harding also went to Wales, they will willingly share the task of presenting the paper.

I appreciate that Colin Campbell and Keith Harding also went to Wales, but I think that we should have a brief adjournment—pencils down, arms folded. I am sure that Bristow Muldoon will be here soon.

Meeting adjourned.

On resuming—