McConnell outlines Scottish Executive’s programme
Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell has set out the Executive’s legislative programme for the forthcoming Parliament session.
Speaking in the new Scottish Parliament building for the first time, the First Minister focused on new laws for protecting children vulnerable to paedophiles, and transport and education.
Mr McConnell spoke of his proposals for “modern laws for a modern Scotland” that would protect children and strengthen family life.
His plans will provide young Scots with “ambitions and confidence to make their way in the way of the world”, he said. To this end, the Executive, said Mr McConnell, would continue to work towards reducing child poverty by half by 2010 and end it in a generation.
This has been supported by increased school standards and healthy eating initiatives, he claimed.
Turning to the legislative proposals, the First Minister spoke of the advances in global communication that had allowed certain individuals to “exploit the imagination and curiosity of children”.
Within weeks, a Bill on sexual harm to outlaw internet grooming would be introduced by the Executive, said Mr McConnell. This would tackle the means that sexual predators use to contact children and close the existing loopholes, he explained. The Bill will hit individuals that contact, meet or travel to meet a child with the intention of committing an assault and limit the scope for movement of those loitering near children’s playground areas and schools.
Mr McConnell then turned to female genital mutilation, tagging it a “grotesque crime”. He pledged to increase the maximum penalty in this area of law from five to fourteen years, whilst also curbing attempts to commit the offence abroad.
Remaining on family law, the First Minister told MSPs he would continue to implement EU regulations and also continue reforms for child protection, particularly focusing on children’s hearings.
Moving on to early years education, Mr McConnell offered to legislate to protect and build on previous legislation to help young Scots succeed.
Under devolution, Mr McConnell outlined, primary school class sizes are at an all time low, coupled with improved investment on teachers, classroom resources and modernising school buildings. Such progress has resulted in rising attainment year on year to continue Scotland’s “proud tradition in education”, said the First Minister.
He then turned to the early years of secondary school education, which, he said, would be subject to a comprehensive modernisation programme, allowing more choice and schools more freedom. The Executive would introduce a new inspection standard of “excellent” and seek schools with “the leadership, highest ambition and the widest choice for pupils”, he explained.
“Devolution was not devised to take Scotland back”, said the First Minister, stressing that improving failing schools would not result in hauling back the progress of those that were achieving high levels of educational excellence. “Devolution will not succeed if only a few prosper”, he added.
Dismissing specialist schools, Mr McConnell said that there would be no elitist selection of pupils, preferring instead to promote “choice for all”.
As a part of this transformation, by 2007 there would be 20 secondary schools in the ‘schools for ambition programme”, said the First Minister, before adding that local authorities would have to reach a high standard of leadership, discipline and attendance. In return, the Executive would commit support and resources, enhanced by the private sector, said Mr McConnell.
The First Minister then turned to his proposals on Anti-Social Behaviour. He claimed that under devolution, the Lib-Lab coalition had delivered a reduction in crime, with more crime being solved and more police officers in Scotland.
He then spoke of the importance of taking action on violent crime and action to curb reoffending.
Under a new Licensing Bill, Ministers will crack down on the irresponsible promotions that encourage binge drinking, he said. The Bill would also give local people more say on what goes where, said the First Minister.
The Executive will consult on a new Scottish police bill, focusing on knife and violent crime and reforming complaints system, said Mr McConnell.
On the courts, the First Minister spoke of the investment, reforms to high courts and general speeding up of the process of prosecution.
Reoffending in Scotland is at an “appalling” level, with 60% of those convicted likely to reoffend within 2 years of release, Mr McConnell revealed. This is “wasteful” in terms of time and money, he added. Addressing this trend is not a job for government alone, said the First Minister, explaining that there would be a role for prisons, local services and voluntary organisations.
The Executive will therefore publish proposals to reduce reoffending in autumn and introduce legislation in 2005 to reform sentencing and prisons, he stated.
Mr McConnell then referred to a new health bill, which would improve the legal framework for organ and tissue donation and transfer resources to the front line on a continuing basis. He offered support for people that had contracted hepatitis C through blood transfusions and pledged to legislate to protect vulnerable adults.
He stressed the Executive had increased hospital doctors, consultants, nurses and midwives, before outlining that Ministers would continue to drive up standards in hospital cleanliness and improve the diets and exercise levels of the nation.
Next month will see the conclusion of a consultation into smoking in public places, Mr McConnell revealed. He asserted that he would “take action to reduce the terrible toll that smoking takes on our people”.
In other Bills, the First Minister spoke of plans to introduce a Fire (Scotland) Bill and tenements legislation as a part of ongoing property law reform, ending feudal tenure in Scotland.
Additional legislation would also include the Water Services (Scotland) Bill, introducing a modern regulatory framework.
In addition, Mr McConnell told MSPs that the usual Budget Bill to outline investment for 2005 – 2008 would shortly be introduced. Efficiency savings, which have already been announced, would be finalised by individual departments in the comings weeks, he added.
Moving on to housing, the First Minister spoke of the importance of affordable housing to support hard working families, requiring security and confidence in their choice of place to live.
Since 1999, investment in housing has been substantial, with Ministers acting to tackle homelessness and offer new rights for tenants, said Mr McConnell, before suggesting Scotland was going through a “housing renaissance”.
The legislative programme would include plans to increase investment, releasing more homes for rent and low cost ownership, said the First Minister. The modernisation of housing would be continued with the introduction of the next Bill to further raise standards and strengthen rights of private sector tenants, he said.
A new Charity Law Bill would seek to continue the strong tradition of volunteering in the country, Mr McConnell said, before going on to pay tribute to the role of the charitable sector in the economy.
On unemployment, the First Minister told MSPs that full employment is within Scotland’s grasp, and spoke of the plans to reach out to those still unemployed and offer opportunities to gain skills, experiences and opportunities to take responsibility for themselves.
The Executive would therefore invest in skills and knowledge and encourage more vocational and enterprise education in schools, he revealed.
Scottish Universities “punch well above their weight”, said the First Minister, before detailing plans to strengthen their position and also recognise the contribution of the colleges to the notion of lifelong learning through a Further and Higher Education Bill. Proposals in this area woul
