Dave Thompson MSP

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch SNP MSP Dave Thompson has today welcomed moves by the Scottish Government to create fairer, more equal and more prosperous local communities.

A package of 15 Bills were unveiled – led by the flagship Referendum Bill – including legislation to provide a minimum of 600 hours free early learning and childcare. Mr Thompson also hailed the Scottish Government’s moves to improve the support available for victims and witnesses and modernise the criminal justice system.

Commenting on this, Mr Thompson said: “We are taking steps to create fairer, more equal and more prosperous communities.

“In the autumn of 2014, the people of Scotland will take the most important decision in 300 years and the Referendum Bill will lay the important groundwork for this.

“We need full control and the normal responsibilities of any independent nation to fully realise Scotland’s potential.

“But with the powers we do have, we are investing in our children and young people.

“That is why the Children and Young People’s Bill is so welcome, along with the £18 million Early Years Change Fund that will support families.

“We are also investing in our economy, using the powers we currently have to support jobs, growth and opportunities for all.

“The package of 15 Bills will see support for victims and witnesses improved and the criminal justice system modernised.

“The SNP has set out a clear vision for Scotland’s future focused on supporting fairness and economic development.

Notes:

Referendum Bill

The Referendum Bill will make provision for an independence referendum to be held in autumn 2014.  The flagship bill leads a package of 15 bills that were revealed in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

The bill will include provisions for the date of the referendum, the franchise and the procedures to be followed.   It will provide for oversight arrangements that ensure the referendum is run to the highest international standards.

Children and Young People Bill

The Children and Young People Bill will provide a minimum of 600 hours free early learning and childcare.  The Bill will improve the outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland, in particular the most vulnerable.

It will put in place a coherent statutory framework for planning and delivery of services provided to children and young people.  It will also increase transparency, scrutiny and accountability around the public sector's approach to the practical realisation of children's rights, and it will make provision to deliver the commitment to a minimum of 600 hours free early learning and childcare provision.  The £18million Early Years Change Fund will support families and help assess, co-ordinate and identify family support and what gaps that currently exist.  The community information strategies will ensure everyone knows where to go as a first point of contact.

The work of the Fund will be to be carried out in partnership across all sectors. An initial allocation of £3 million per year from 2012/13 - 2014/15 will be made to Local Authorities, with a further allocation of £9 million being driven by the work of the Early Years Task Force.

Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill

The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill will allow same sex couples to marry and allow civil partnerships to be registered through a religious ceremony.  The bill will ensure no religious bodies and celebrants have to take part in same-sex ceremonies, unless they wish to do so.

Victims and Witnesses Bill

The Victims and Witnesses Bill will put victims' interests at the heart of improvements to the justice system and ensure witnesses are able to fulfil their public duty effectively.  The Bill will include provision to widen access to special measures to protect vulnerable witnesses and ensure that offenders contribute to the cost of supporting victims.

Criminal Justice Bill

The Bill will ensure Scotland is at the forefront of human rights practice in relation to suspects and accused persons, while at the same time promoting the rights of victims by removing out-dated rules on sufficiency of evidence.  The move follows from the expert reviews of Lord Carloway in relation to criminal procedure generally, and Sheriff Principal Bowen in relation to sheriff and jury procedure.

Tribunals Bill

The Bill will establish a new, simplified statutory framework for tribunals which determine matters falling within devolved competence.  It will bring together those existing tribunals which currently operate in a disparate manner and establish a new system for appeals.  This will create a more user-focused and coherent tribunal system in Scotland.

Budget Bill

The annual Budget Bill provides Parliamentary approval for the Scottish Government's spending plans, allowing the allocation of resources to the Government's strategic objectives and supporting progress towards its Purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

Procurement Reform Bill

The Bill will establish a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement that supports Scotland's economic growth by delivering community benefits, supporting innovation, considering environmental requirements and promoting public procurement processes and systems which are transparent, streamlined, standardised, proportionate, fair and business-friendly.

Bankruptcy Bill

The Bill will modernise bankruptcy law for the 21st century. It will ensure access to fair and just processes of debt relief and debt management for the people of Scotland, which takes account of the rights and interests of those involved. It will ensure Scottish debt solutions are fair to both the indebted individual and creditor, returning as much as possible to creditors.

Better Regulation Bill

Businesses benefit from regulation which is transparent, consistent, accountable, proportionate, and targeted only at cases where action is needed. The Bill will therefore take steps to improve the way regulations are applied in practice across Scotland, providing for example national regulation systems and standards. The Bill will also include specific measures to further reform planning and deliver a simpler and more effective legislative framework for environmental regulation and enforcement.

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax Bill

The Bill will set out how the proposed replacement tax for Stamp Duty Land Tax will operate under a distinctly Scottish based approach and will better embed provision in Scots Law and practices.

Landfill Tax Bill

The Bill will put in place a replacement for Landfill Tax in Scotland, establishing the administration, charges and rules governing a uniquely Scottish Landfill Tax.

Adult Health & Social Care Integration Bill.

The Bill will reform planning and provision of adult health and social care services, establishing effective integration between partners in order to deliver improved, nationally agreed outcomes for services. It will establish joint accountability by Health Boards and Councils for delivery of outcomes, integration of budgets, and improved commissioning and planning of services.

Post-16 Education Reform Bill

The Bill will provide an underpinning legal basis for some aspects of the Scottish Government's ambitious programme of post-16 learning reform. It will support the development of a system that is better aligned to meet the needs of learners and employers, and therefore help drive jobs and growth. It will address key issues such as college and university structure and provision, college regionalisation and widening access.

Forth Estuary Transport Authority Bill

The Bill will enable the Scottish Government to adopt the most cost-effective and coordinated approach to the management and maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge and the new Forth Crossing.

For more information, please see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Performance/programme-for-government/2012-13