Parliament in View by Cowan Watson

Volume 14 Issue 3 14 March 2013

Enough Food For Everyone...IF The world produces enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough food to live. One in eight people in the world go to bed hungry every night. At 870 million people, that’s more than the combined populations of Europe, the United States, Australia and Canada. That’s why over 100 organisations from across the UK have come together to form Enough Food for Everyone IF. The campaign aims to mobilise public support for action on a scale not seen since Make Poverty History in 2005. Members include the Justice & Peace Commission and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF). Since the launch on 23rd January, over 40,000 members of the public have added their support.

Parliament in View

CATHOLIC PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE

The campaign calls on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the UK’s G8 presidency in 2013 to show leadership and take action on

the root causes of the hunger crisis in the poorest countries. The movement identifies four big ‘IFs’ that could help ensure that there is enough food for everyone: IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and use the available farm land to grow food for people, not biofuels. IF governments keep their promises on aid to stop children dying from malnutrition and help the poorest people feed themselves; IF governments close loopholes to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger; and IF we force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make in the poorest countries that stop people getting enough food. Find out more at www.sciaf.org.uk/if.

Economics Conference 13th April St Augustine’s Edinburgh, EH12 9AD We are running an important conference to present an ethical perspective on financial issues. Economics is widely seen as the central issue for society. The futures of governments and politicians often hang on how their handling of the economy is perceived. The wellbeing of a nation is typically measured in economic terms before any other factor. At the heart of consumerism the importance of chasing profit has been made paramount. The Church is supportive of the need to make profit in business but there is much more to be considered than just the bottom line. Economic activity should be directed at ensuring people get an adequate share of the world’s resources and that every nation has the opportunity for positive development. Pope Benedict’s social teaching document ‘Caritas in Veritate’ takes a detailed look at the various aspects around justice in relation to economics and human development. He notes that the causes of underdevelopment are principally related to a lack of brotherhood rather than a lack of material resources. If profit becomes the only goal of economic activity it can become destructive and the consequences lead to increasing poverty for

many even when absolute wealth in the world is increasing. Respect for life and awareness of the consequences of economic choices on the lives of others has to be a part of economic considerations to permit the creation of an economy which serves the human person. It requires not just governments and businesses to interact but also all of civil society who need to be motivated by solidarity and charity. The Pope reminds us that we are all one human family and that subsidiarity needs to be respected to allow authentic human development. At a time of economic troubles around the world and the fact of austerity measures by many countries, the need for the Church’s message on economic justice has rarely been more necessary. This has prompted the forthcoming conference organised by the Catholic Parliamentary Office along with SCIAF and Justice & Peace. It will give the opportunity for discussing the different insights of Catholic social teaching and for considering the varied ways in which organisations and people work to achieve economic justice. Please join us and if possible register in advance at www.sciaf.org.uk/events/towards-ajust-economic-order-challenges-of-catholicsocial-teaching.html

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Teenage Pregnancy The Health and Sport Committee has been holding an inquiry into teenage pregnancy in Scotland. The ‘experts’ who were chosen to testify before the committee, consistently delivered a message advocating increased access to the provision of contraception and ‘termination.’ A pilot scheme at Kirkcaldy high school was trumpeted as having dispensed 625 condoms to its pupils in the space of two and a half months. Typical of the contributions to the debate was that of Dr Simpson MSP who stated that “It is important to allow long-acting reversible contraceptives to be much more widespread.” The supposedly neutral Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) briefings - that are produced to inform the committee in its deliberations – also deliver a troubling message. They speak of “conceptions among young women aged under 16”. It would have been more appropriate to speak of ‘children’ given that the United Nations recognises that those under 18 years are children. SPUC Scotland highlighted in their written submission to the committee that “little adherence is being given to the fact that there is a legal age of consent, this sends out a very unhelpful message.” The SPICe briefing states that “In deprived areas a much larger proportion of teenage pregnancies ended in delivery (71%) than in abortion (29%). In contrast, among the young women living in the least deprived areas (30%) ended in delivery and 70% ended in abortion.” Sadly it then goes on to

implicitly suggest that it is the “young women” who are choosing abortion that are making the more informed and educated choice. The Family Planning Association and Brook while delivering strong support for abortion and contraception in their written contribution, rather unexpectedly acknowledge that “it is important to remember that no contraceptive method is 100 per cent effective so there will always be unplanned pregnancies.” The written submission from NHS Greater

Glasgow and Clyde Health Board is also deeply concerning as it claims that Catholic schools may not be providing “the same high quality level of sexual health and relationship education, SHRE to children, young people and parents” as nondenominational schools. Further, it claims that “the outcomes and experiences for children and young people in Curriculum for Excellence under the Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Organiser may not be being fully implemented” in

Catholic schools. These claims are being strongly challenged by Michael McGrath, the Education Director for the Catholic Bishops of Scotland, and it is with interest that we await The Health Board’s reply. A far wiser approach has been put forward by SPUC when they suggest that the committee risks reviewing teenage pregnancy in isolation from premature and underage sexual activity. This “will result in a health policy that will continue the trend of promoting contraception and abortion to young people, which is damaging to young people and has made little difference to the teenage pregnancy statistics year on year for the last two decades or more.” SPUC also call for “The impact and cost of postabortion damage to many young women and their families and the risks associated with Emergency Hormonal Contraception and how to reduce the rates of both” to be taken up by the Committee. Committee member Mark McDonald MSP says that “The role that the churches are playing bears consideration as part of the inquiry” as he lauds them for their efforts. It is also rightly acknowledged that we need to work with young people on their self-esteem and sense of self-worth, as well as steering them away from alcohol and drugs. We hope that the Health and Sport Committee will face the reality that ‘a more of the same approach’ with ever increasing access to abortion and contraception has not worked and will not work.

Children Need Fathers John Mason MSP recently put down a motion entitled ‘Families need Fathers’ which welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to developing a national parenting strategy emphasising the role of fathers. Mr Mason, who represents Glasgow Shettleston, “considers that Glasgow and Scotland as a whole would benefit from a debate on the role of fathers and their rights and responsibilities.”

allowed any involvement in the key decisions for his child relating to inoculations or diet.

His motion received a lot of support from other MSPs and so led to a debate on the floor of the Parliament concerning the role of fathers. The Government’s strategy mentions “that fathers are sometimes forgotten when discussing parenting or are treated as if they are of secondary importance.” In the region of 150,000 Scottish fathers live apart from their children and 24 per cent do not see their children at all. Many fathers are not Page 2

There seems to be a feeling at times by courts and some public authorities that if a father does not live with his children, he should be treated with suspicion until it is proved that he should be treated otherwise.

While Nanette Milne MSP proffered “that we will all agree that the ideal environment for bringing up a child is within a loving and stable relationship between a man and a woman”, the Labour MSP Anne McTaggart made the incredible claim that “An increasing number of young people are raised by same-sex parents. Those families are no less successful in providing the same stable and loving environment for their children than households with married heterosexual parents.” Her fellow Labour member Malcolm Chisholm MSP unbelievably took exception to an organisation taking the name, ‘Families need Fathers.’ He said that use of the word ‘need’ “has unacceptable connotations around the nature of the family.” It is sad when political correctness is more important for some MSPs than the real needs of children being met.

PARLIAMENT IN VIEW

Current Legislation Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 2 (Day 1) (Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee) 20 March Budget (Scotland) (No.2) Bill (G) Passed 6 February Forth Road Bridge Bill (G) Stage 1 (lead committee (Infrastructure and Capital Investment)) 13 March High Hedges (Scotland) Bill (M) Stage 2 completed 6 March Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (evidence, lead committee (Finance)) 27 February The National Trust for Scotland (Governance etc.) Bill (P) Preliminary Stage (lead committee (National Trust for Scotland (Governance etc) Bill)) 23 April Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (evidence, lead committee (Education and Culture)) 26 February Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill Stage 1 (Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee) 14 March; Stage 1 (Finance Committee) 20 March Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (lead committee (Justice)) 12 March Water Resources (Scotland) Bill (G) Passed 27 February (G) = Government Bill; (M) = Member’s Bill; (C) = Committee Bill; (P) = Private Bill; (H) = Hybrid Bill.

One of Us—Defending the Dignity of Every Person A group of people from across Europe is calling on the European Union to protect human embryos. By collecting one million signatures from across the EU they will be able to call directly on the European Commission to end EU funding of activities that destroy human embryos, or that presume their destruction. To try to combat a perceived democratic deficit, the European Union introduced the European Citizens’ Initiative which allows groups of one million European citizens to call on the European Commission to make a legislative proposal. This is a flagship initiative of the EU’s attempts to reconnect with citizens and ‘One of Us’ is one of the very first. The ‘One of Us’ initiative is a great example of a way that we can engage positively in the political process. If it succeeds in gathering one

million supporters, it could be embarrassing for the European Commission to go against its wishes,

hidden problem and good publicity for the pro-life movement more generally. This initiative gives us the chance to speak up for the dignity of the human person and to propose a legislative ban on European funding for activities that lead to the destruction of human embryos. ‘Signing’ the petition only takes a few moments online. Let’s make sure we play our part! Add your name now in 3 easy steps: Go to https://ec.europa.eu/ citizens-initiative/ECI-2012000005/public/signup.do

although they are not obliged to. It also puts the campaign to protect human embryos on the front foot so that even if the call for legislation were to be ignored, it would provide good exposure to a

Select your country and fill in your details Press ‘Submit’ and it’s done!

News in Brief The Westminster Justice and Security Bill completed stage 3 this month. The legislation aroused strong opposition due to concerns that it gives more powers to conduct secret courts in the United Kingdom including situations were defendants are not allowed to hear the evidence against them as part of Closed Material Procedures were information is deemed to be sensitive for national security. Amendments are still to be considered before it is finally approved. ********* Widespread opposition to one particular austerity measure has been expressed. The so-called Bedroom Tax gives rise to a loss in housing benefits for those deemed to have more bedrooms than they strictly need. It will mean a loss of 14% of housing benefit for those with one spare room and 24% loss for those with two spare rooms. Of the 660 thousand tenants affected in the UK 420 thousand are registered disabled. ********* The Scottish parliament committee on welfare reform is conducting an inquiry and has been receiving evidence from interested parties. Follow the committee at Welfare Reform Inquiry at www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/46339.aspx ********* Westminster has leapfrogged the Scottish Government and Parliament in the bid to redefine marriage. A bill has been rushed in to the UK Parliament despite it dividing the Government party. More Conservatives voted against the measure than for it, despite their own leader David Cameron expressing his determination to push the bill through. It has now completed Committee stage where a heavily biased committee gave strong support to the measure. Labour MPs have been put under great pressure to support the bill and only seven Scottish MPs voted to protect real marriage. The bill is still to finish in the Commons and then go to the Lords. Campaigners are eager to put pressure on the party leaders to permit a free vote for their members. ********* The Scottish Parliament’s Franchise Bill has been released and aims to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in the referendum for independence next year. The Referendum Bill Committee wants to hear from young people about the proposal. VOLUME 14 ISSUE 3

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C ATH O LI C P AR LI AME NTA R Y O FF IC E

New Office Leaflet Available

John Deighan Parliamentary Officer 5 St Vincent Place GLASGOW G1 2DH

Tel./Fax: 0141 222 2182 Mobile: 07930 405 313 Email: jdeighan@rcpolitics.org

An agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

Charity Number: SCO 16650 Edited by John Deighan with contributions from Fr Paul Brooks, Michael J Robinson , Aidan Cook and Patrick Grady

Urgent Action Needed by 20th March The Scottish Government Consultation on redefining marriage is drawing to a close and responses must be made by 20th March. It is important to note that it is wrong in principle to undermine marriage. It is important to ensure that supporters of traditional marriage will not suffer any discrimination in the workplace or in their career, that they will not be labelled bigots, denied access to public services or disallowed from fostering or adopting children. It is urgent that you make your views known. It only takes a few minutes please go to

http://scotlandformarriage.org/consultation2013 Parish Contacts- New Initiative

Welcome Pope Francis Recommended Reading

Your parish can ensure the social teaching of the Catholic Church is more widely understood and appreciated in your parish and in the public forum with the Catholic Parliamentary Office – become a Parish Contact. The CPO needs help from people like YOU to help raise awareness of our work. Parish contacts will be an invaluable asset to the CPO, having a dedicated volunteer advocating our work in each parish across Scotland will allow our message to reach as many people as possible.

Fr Kevin Codd’s account of the famous pilgrimage route is the next best thing to making it yourself. To the Field of Stars: A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago De Compostela is a fascinating and inspiring account of the highs and lows of the trek of the way of St James, a popular route since the 9th century.

The Seven Penitential Psalms are traditionally read during lent and with Easter fast approaching why not renew the ancient Catholic tradition and meditate on Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143 in your Bible.

Consultations (with closing date) A Healthier Scotland: Consultation on Creating a New Food Body (22/05/2013) Making Justice Work - Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill - A consultation paper (24/05/2013) Consultation on Ethical Standards in Public Life: Proposals for amendments to be made to the Model Code of Conduct for Members of devolved public bodies (26/04/2013) Consultation on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008 (Compensation For Enforcement Action) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (18/04/2013) Consultation on Proposal to Restructure the Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland: the Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (29/03/2013) Better Dispute Resolution in Housing: Consultation on the Introduction of a New Housing Panel for Scotland (09/04/2013) Lower carbon buildings - a review of energy standards and guidance within Scottish building regulations (15/04/2013) Redesigning the Community Justice System: A Consultation on Proposals (30/04/2013) Further Options for Alcohol Licensing - Consultation Paper (21/03/2013) Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill (20/03/2013) A Consultation on Tax Management (12/04/2013)