Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee, 01 Dec 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, December 1, 1999

Official Report 256KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee Wednesday 1 December 1999 (Morning)

[The Convener opened the meeting at 10:03]

I welcome everyone to the meeting. Thank you all for turning up.

On a point of order. I am raising this matter now because there is no suitable point on the agenda at which to raise it. There has been some speculation about the joint ministerial task forces between Westminster and the Executive that are being proposed by Gordon Brown. I am concerned, as should be other committee members, that this committee will be working with other bodies, for example, the relevant select committee from Westminster. Announcements such as that should be discussed by this committee first, and should not be announced from London.

Is there an opportunity for this committee to discuss the possibility of working with committees from Westminster? We have already discussed housing benefit, warrant sales and evidence from the Department of Social Security, so there are specific areas of common ground on which we can work together, but I would prefer it if this committee could agree on the basis on which that is done.

Thanks, Fiona. I will take advice from the clerk. Is it appropriate to deal with this matter now as a point of order, or should we put it on the agenda, Martin? I am happy to deal with it now.

We can address the issue now if it is dealt with as a point of order.

There are two separate points. There are issues with regard to the ministerial task forces working together that we should take an interest in. We should look at how we do that, and get some information.

The issue regarding select committees is different. Rodger Evans circulated the information that we received from the Social Security Committee and the Scottish Affairs Committee. I asked Rodger to convene a meeting with me and David Marshall, the chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee, so that we could determine our lines of interest, the degree of overlap between our committees and how we would take the matter forward. I would then bring the outcome of that meeting to this committee.

A press report last week said that we were doing a joint investigation. That was a bit presumptuous on the part of the press, because we have not agreed to that. Clearly, it would be for this committee, not for me or the select committee, to decide whether to have a joint investigation. No agreement has been reached. I am in contact with David Marshall's office to try to arrange a meeting, because there are areas of interest that we may wish to pursue, and we should give that some consideration. However, no decisions will be taken without coming back to this committee.

Are there any other issues regarding that matter?

Will you take guidance from the committee on the basis and parameters on which we want you to have that discussion with David Marshall?

I am happy to put that on the agenda. The initial contact was purely exploratory. It was not meant in any way to pre-empt any decisions made by this committee.

I endorse what you say, convener. The Scottish Affairs Committee's major inquiry currently is examining poverty in Scotland. Obviously, we have common ground with that committee and we should meet with it soon to discuss how it is addressing the issue and how we can learn from each other.

We are interested in social security, and the Social Security Committee holds the Westminster Government to account on that matter. We have common ground with that committee as well. I am delighted that we are forging links with those committees, and I am happy for you to make arrangements and report back to this committee.

So can I do that? If people have ideas, please submit them to me. I must state that the first meeting will be exploratory. It will not in any way pre-empt any decision making on the part of the committee.

While we are on the subject, I draw to the attention of committee members the possible dinner arrangement that we have with the Social Security Committee next week. We can confirm arrangements for that by e-mail.

The ministerial issue is also of interest to this committee, and I will ask the clerks to put that matter on the agenda so that we can be informed properly about it.

On a separate point, which I suppose I have to raise as a point of order, this week's agenda does not have action items on it. I am particularly keen to address the lack of progress by Scottish Homes on the comparative analysis of the funding that we requested. That was four or five weeks ago. Frankly, in the light of the resources that are available to Scottish Homes, and especially if it is in discussion with the Scottish Executive, I think that it is about time Scottish Homes got its finger out and replied to us.

Was that parliamentary language?

Yes.

Can the clerk translate that into parliamentary language? We have had a short paper, but not the substantial one from Scottish Homes.

We were advised at the previous meeting that Scottish Homes would write to us shortly, and that it was in discussion with the Scottish Executive about the bigger piece of evidence that Scottish Homes agreed to submit.

I think that we agreed, with regard to housing, that at some stage we want to take evidence from potential lenders. We need the information from Scottish Homes before we take evidence from the lenders, because it is relevant.

We can address that matter when we reach item 2 on the agenda, which concerns housing stock transfers. We may need to ask for that information by a particular date. We will address any other housing matters under that item.

Before we move on to item 1 and our discussion with the Law Society of Scotland, I ask for a declaration of interests from those committee members who are lawyers.

I declare my interest as a member of the Law Society of Scotland, which is not a financial interest in the context of today's proceedings, but is relevant and should be known to the committee.

Yes, and that will be on the record.

Are there any other declarations? There are none, so I thank committee members.