Communities Committee, 08 Sep 2005

Meeting date: Thursday, September 8, 2005

Official Report 85KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Charities (Designated Religious Bodies) (Scotland) Order 2005 (SSI 2005/306)

The order was laid on 7 June and is subject to the negative procedure. The purpose of the order is to designate the United Free Church of Scotland a designated religious body under section 3 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990. Section 3 of the 1990 act will remain in force until it is repealed by the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, at which time all existing designated religious bodies, including the United Free Church of Scotland, will be deemed to be designated religious charities.

Members have been provided with a copy of the order and the explanatory note. Do members have any comments?

Members indicated disagreement.

Is the committee therefore content with the order?

Members indicated agreement.

The committee will therefore make no recommendation on the order in its report to the Parliament. Do members agree that we should report to the Parliament on our decision?

Members indicated agreement.

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Housing (Scotland) Act 2001<br />(Payments out of Grants for Housing Support Services) Amendment Order 2005 (SSI 2005/322)

The order was laid on 10 June and is subject to the negative procedure.

The purpose of the order is to amend the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (Payments out of Grants for Housing Support Services) Amendment Order 2004 (SSI 2004/108), which allows local authorities to use supporting people grants paid by Scottish ministers for the provision of housing support services. The 2005 amendment order reinstates the link between the payment of such grants and the requirement to register support services with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care. The link had been temporarily removed to resolve difficulties with the registration of housing support services by the care commission and to ensure that those problems did not prevent service providers from receiving funding for vulnerable clients. Those difficulties have now been resolved.

Members have been provided with a copy of the order and the explanatory note. Do members have any comments?

I have a comment of great seriousness. There is an intrusive apostrophe in the Executive note. It says "Executive's" and it should not. Despite that, I will support the order.

I am very grateful to Mr Gorrie for his grammatical advice; I am sure that we all welcome it. We are also pleased to note that he read his papers with diligence and care last night.

Notwithstanding Mr Gorrie's comments, I ask the committee whether it is content with the order.

Members indicated agreement.

In that case, the committee will make no recommendation on the order in its report to the Parliament. Do members agree that we should report to the Parliament on our decision?

Members indicated agreement.

Meeting suspended until 09:36 and thereafter continued in private until 09:46.