Spin doctors banned

Spin doctors banned

Spin doctors have been banned from watching Scottish Parliament debates from the press gallery.

Presiding officer, Sir David Steel, has written to political party leaders reminding them that press officers are not allowed to linger in that area.

The ruling also applies to Scottish Executive staff.

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Call for tougher phone mast rules

The Association of Scottish Community Councils has called for planning rules on mobile telephone mast sites to be strengthened.

It wants to encourage operators to share locations as they roll out their third generation services.

Association secretary Douglas Murray told Holyrood's Transport and Environment Committee that communities and the phone firms could benefit if different operators shared masts or buildings.

So far companies have been reluctant to do this.

Earlier this month a senior Whitehall official told the committee that regulations introduced by the Scottish Executive had damaged the growth of mobile phone technology north of the border.

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Costs of ministers' cars increases

New figures show it costs more than £600,000 a year to provide chauffeur driven cars for government ministers in Scotland.

There are now 22 vehicles being used, compared with eight before the Scottish Parliament.

The Conservatives have attacked the costs as a "waste" and called for fewer ministers in the Scottish Executive.

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Move to tackle 'neighbours from hell'

A package of measures to tackle "neighbours from hell" in Scotland could come into force by the summer.

The Scottish Executive plans to extend the power to apply for Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) in Scotland to registered social landlords, including housing associations.

Interim ASBOs are also being introduced to provide more immediate protection from anti-social behaviour.

A breach of an ASBO, intended to cover such things as harassment and intimidation, can bring a five-year jail term.