The Scottish government’s legislative programme is another missed opportunity to tackle the problems that face ordinary hardworking Scots.

The 13 Bills announced today show a government running out of ideas according to Labour. The following gives a brief Labour reaction to the bills. More detailed releases will be issued through the day. A the bottom of the release are some of the key measures that are missing from the programme.

Referendum Bill
The SNP had a chance to go for a referendum last year but bottled it. They now want to bring forward a rigged question as support for independence drops to less than 30 per cent. During a time of economic uncertainty the SNP should make jobs a priority not constitutional upheaval.

Labour’s leader Iain Gray said:

"With its rigged question to suit the SNP, its rigged timetable to suit the SNP and its misplaced prioritisation to suit the SNP, it is a flagship begging to be scuttled." 

Budget Bill
This is mostly already determined by the Spending Review. In 2007, the value of public investment projects in the pipeline was £1.3 billion. According to a new analysis of figures published by the Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Unit this fell to just £303 million in 2008 and is expected to be £508 million in 2009. Construction unions say the slow-down in public sector investment is making the recession worse than it would otherwise have been.

Housing Bill
This draft bill is a parcel of measures with what appears to be no clear goals.

Scottish Labour Housing Spokesperson Mary Mulligan, MSP, said:

"The real crisis in Scottish housing is that housing associations are finding it harder to build any houses at all. Despite the SNP's spin, Alex Salmond and John Swinney are planning to cut the budget for affordable housing by £145 million next year.

"As for and the 'new generation of Council Housing' which the SNP regularly trumpet, it was actually kick-started before the last election by Labour-controlled Midlothian Council.

"Ending the right to buy on houses that don’t yet exist is a classic example of the SNP missing the point and ducking their responsibilities again. If Ministers really wants to ensure that affordable housing is available for rent they should take action to get Scotland building again.

Note:
The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme is set to fall from £515 million in 2009-10 to £370 million in 2010-11.

Debtor Protection Bill & Debt and Family Homes Bill

Shadow Health Secretary Cathy Jamieson said:

"The SNP Government is offering too little too late on repossessions. Scottish Labour first called for legislation to provide families with greater protection against losing their home almost a year ago.

"Nicola Sturgeon needs to tell us how quickly the Government’s Debtor Protection Bill will become law and provide reassurances that the recommendations of the independent report from the Repossession Group will be implemented in full."

Forth Road Crossing Bill
Lack of funding and inadequate design: it’s short-sighted, expensive and wrong to drop the multi-modal capacity of the bridge because they will put public transport on the old bridge rather than the new one.

Labour’s Transport spokesman Des McNulty said:

"This is a minimal programme and the Forth Crossing Bill is the only offering from the government on transport infrastructure.

"There is no funding mechanism in place to pay for a new crossing, and if it soaks up the lion’s share of investment in transport, what impact will there be on other transport schemes?" 

Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill
This draft bill has been hugely unpopular with crofters because it both places onerous restrictions on them and fails to provide adequate support to them. Labour has called for the crofter’s home loan scheme to be restored instead of the creation of an expensive register of crofters. The SNP’s own Angus MacNeil MP tore the proposals to shreds in his response to the consultation as unworkable and likely to result in crofters losing their homes.

Peter Peacock, Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands said:

"The draft Crofting Bill does not have a future in Parliament. Never has a draft Bill received more criticism than this controversial Bill and it would be insulting to the views crofters have expressed if it proceeded as planned." 

Environment and Wildlife Bill
This draft bill is a parcel of measures with what appears to be no clear goals.

Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment

"A key question we have is what is the SNP government actually going to do on snaring?   We know from all the consultation that there's strong support for action.  We're also still waiting for the concerted action promised by the last Environment Minister on implementation of the Tomkins Report on Wildlife Crime."

Children’s Hearings Bill
The original bill was scrapped in its current form because of objections from Panel members. Labour hopes that this time ministers will listen to the child welfare experts.

Labour’s Children and Early Years spokesperson, Karen Whitefield, said:

"The Scottish government have shown a distinct lack of to get this right. Until Labour raised the issue of the consequences of this legislation in the media and panel members told of the harm it would cause, the SNP was set to go ahead. Minister need to learn to listen and ensure that the Children’s Hearings system keeps its child-centred non-adversarial approach." 

Alcohol Bill
Labour has said that we will look seriously at any sensible but we are still waiting for the SNP to bring forward a credible package of proposals. These proposals had to be taken away from Kenny MacAskill after his incompetent handling and given to the Health Secretary.

 Shadow Health Secretary Cathy Jamieson said:

"We need a national consensus to tackle Scotland's hard drinking culture involving all of our political parties, health organisations, the police and the industry itself.

"Labour has suggested Alcohol Treatment and Testing Orders to tackle problem drinking, a national mandatory Challenge 21 scheme to stop booze getting into the hands of children and tougher sanctions for those who break the licensing laws

"We will look seriously at any sensible ideas from any source that will reduce the level of problem drinking in Scotland, but we are still waiting for the SNP to bring forward a credible package of proposals." 

Patients’ Rights Bill
This bill could contribute to the creation of a litigation culture and is a distraction from the NHS’s most important task which is treating patients quickly in a clean and safe environment.

Reform of Legal Profession
The Legal Services Reform Bill has been much anticipated and delayed, it featured in last year’s legislative programme announcement, and it is an important area of debate. Labour welcomes the opportunity to discuss the issue.

Monuments and Listed Buildings Bill
Historic Scotland had already announced this bill and have been consulting on it. Labour will respond in due course. 

Ancient

What’s missing?