Enterprise and Culture Committee,
Meeting date: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Official Report
216KB pdf
Bankruptcy and Diligence etc (Scotland) Bill
Item 5 concerns the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc (Scotland) Bill.
I want to cut to the chase on this matter. In our earlier private session, we agreed our stage 1 report on the bill. That report will be published at 1 minute past midnight and will form part of the material for consideration in the stage 1 debate, which we expect to take place on 24 May. If, after that debate, the Parliament agrees to our recommendation that the bill's general principles be accepted, we will move to stage 2, which is taken entirely in committee.
After informal discussions, particularly with Allan Wilson, the minister piloting the bill through the chamber, and committee members, I think that we can say that the bill has four elements. The first and fourth elements, which relate to particularly long, complex and technical stretches of the bill, will probably be subject to many amendments, not least from the Executive itself. On the other hand, the second and third elements are relatively uncontroversial, straightforward and much less susceptible to being amended. As a result, do members agree that, subject to agreement by the office of the Minister for Parliamentary Business, we consider part 2, on floating charges, followed by part 14, on admiralty actions and arrestment of ships, and then take the remaining sections in the order in which they arise in the bill?
That makes absolute sense.
I am looking forward to discussing admiralty actions and the arrestment of ships. I am sure that the subject will detain us for several hours.
Taking that suggested course of action would give the Executive the summer recess to prepare amendments on the bill's more complex aspects. Are members agreed?
Members indicated agreement.
With that, I remind members that there is no meeting next week. Our next meeting will take place a fortnight today at the usual time of 2 o'clock.
Meeting closed at 16:42.