Tuesday 6 October 2009

Annabel Goldie wants more power for the Scottish Parliament

What else could you think? In her speech to Conservative conference she said
And there’s more. Oh yes, once we get started there’s no stopping us! Today I can announce - to support and protect our dedicated and responsible staff in our Scottish NHS we shall bring forward measures to strengthen protection for Whistleblowers. Our doctors, our nurses, our health workers must not be afraid to speak up about anything which compromises patient safety or patient care.
The first email came from a man obsessed with Irish politics (he's a fan of the tallyman), and he asked, quite rightly, "what about whistle-blowers in the banks, why's she not supporting them?" He's got a point. He was trumped, though, by m'learned friend who pointed out that Annabel was either calling for more power for the Scottish Parliament or doesn't understand devolution. Here's how he did it:
Scotland Act 1998
Schedule 5 - Reserved Matters
Head H1 Employment and industrial relations
Employment rights and duties and industrial relations, including the subject-matter of-
...
(g) the Employment Rights Act 1996

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (better known as the whistleblowing legislation) works by amending the Employment Rights Act 1996.
You can see the structure here:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980023_en_1
So the subject matter is reserved - not devolved.

So there you have it.

Mind how you go!

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