Skip to main content
Loading…
Chamber and committees

Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 15 Jan 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 15, 2002


Contents


Petition


Scottish Ballet (PE433)

The Convener:

Members have a copy of public petition PE433 from Equity, on behalf of Scottish Ballet dancers. The petition was passed to us by the Public Petitions Committee, which asked us to take the issue into account as part of our Scottish Ballet inquiry. Our inquiry has concluded, but we might want to take up the matter of PE433 when questioning witnesses later in connection with the report on the Scottish Ballet inquiry. Other than that, I suggest that we note the petition.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP):

In so far as it calls for anything, in its final paragraph the petition calls for something that is recommended in our report. For that reason, we could do a little more than note it. We could accept the petition and say that it is fully consistent with the recommendation that we have made. It would be more positive for us to say to the dancers that their petition is entirely consistent with the position that we have taken and that we therefore accept the petition.

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):

I do not want to endorse the statement:

"The merger between Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet is a sham."

The merger has not been particularly successful, but the wording of the petition is such that I do not want to go so far as to say that we accept it totally. We should note the petition. As Mike Russell said, in its final paragraph the petition calls for something that we have already recommended in our report. To that extent we agree with it, even if we do not accept all the wording used in it.

We have covered the core of the petition in our report, which is appropriate. Further issues relating to it will probably be raised this afternoon. I would be comfortable with noting the petition.

Two proposals have been made.

Michael Russell:

I propose that we accept the petition, as it is in concurrence with our report. We should start the year as we mean to go on. The Scottish Parliament should be quite blunt about such issues. We should accept the petition because what it says is in concurrence with the position of the committee.

The question is, that we note the petition. Are we agreed?

Members:

No.

There will be a division.

For

Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Gillon, Karen (Clydesdale) (Lab)
Jenkins, Ian (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)

Against

McGugan, Irene (North-East Scotland) (SNP)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Russell, Michael (South of Scotland) (SNP)

The result of the division is: For 4, Against 3, Abstentions 0. The petition will be noted.