Introduction

The Local Government and Communities Committee is the lead committee for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Bill and has issued a call for evidence on the Bill.

The Committee is keen to receive written evidence on the issues arising from the Bill. The Scottish Government has published the Bill, a Policy memorandum, Explanatory Notes and a Delegated Powers Memorandum. A copy of the Bill supporting documents can be found on the Scottish Parliament's website.

The Committee is seeking views from all interested parties on the general principles of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Bill.

The main measures of the Bill will:

• Prohibit unauthorised outdoor trading and advertising within the vicinity of Games events;
• Prohibit the unauthorised sale of Games tickets ("ticket touting");
• Enable the appointment of Enforcement Officers empowered to enforce ther street trading, advertising and ticket touting offences and make it an offence to obstruct these officers in their dutiers;
• Provide councils with the power to make Games Traffic Regulation Orders;
• Provide Scottish Ministers with the power to direct councils to make, vary or revoke any instrument which regulates road use in relation to the Transport Plan for the Games;
• Provide councils with the power to make a compulsory purchase order for land within the area which they believe is required for games purpose;
• Provide Scottish Ministers with power to pay grants and provide other forms of assistance to the Organising Committee of the Games aand set conditions on such assistance; and
• Provide Scottish Ministers with the power to repeal the Act from the statute books once the Games have ended.

Views are also welcome on the Policy Memorandum, Financial Memorandum and Delegated Powers Memorandum accompanying the Bill.

• How helpful do you find these documents?
• Are the financial consequences of the Bill sufficiently clear?
• Are the effects of the Bill on the issues such as equal opportunities accurately and clearly described?
• Do you have any comments on the consultation the Scottish Government carried out prior to the introduction of the Bill?

Background

The Bill was introduced to the Parliament on 9 November 2007.  The Parliamentary Bureau has referred the Bill to the Local Government and Communities Committee as lead committtee for Stage 1 scrutiny. At Stage 1 a subject committee examines the general principles of a Bill and recommends to the Parliament whether the general principles should be agreed to. As part of this process a committee usually takes written and oral evidence from interested parties.

Evidence

Evidence should be submitted by e-mail to:lgc.committee@scottsh.parliament.uk. It would be most helpful if responses could be reasonably brief (as a guide, normally no more than 4 sdes of A4). Evidence should be submitted no later than 21 December.

If you have no access to e-mail facilities, responses can be submitted by letter to Fiona Sinclair, Committee Assistant, Local Government and Communities Committee, Room T3.40, The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP.

If you intend to submit written evidence please take time to read the Parliament's policy on the treatment of written evidence by committees. (32KB PDF)