Plenary, 03 Feb 2010

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Official Report 418KB pdf

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Parliamentary Bureau Motion

The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S3M-5665, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, the Loch Ryan Port (Harbour Empowerment) Order 2009.

I do not want to incur the wrath of the Presiding Officer, so I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the Loch Ryan Port (Harbour Empowerment) Order 2009 be approved.

Patrick Harvie has indicated that he wants to speak against the motion.

I am sorry Presiding Officer—it is me again, but I will be quick. When the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee considered the order, I was surprised that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, who was giving evidence, could not answer some relatively obvious questions. The committee agreed to write to the minister to seek further information on, for example, impact on future transport modelling and climate change emissions. I hoped that the minister would provide the information before the Parliament was asked to approve the order, and I hope that before we vote the Government will at least tell us when the information will be provided to the committee that is responsible for the issue.

I am aware of the issues that Patrick Harvie has raised and I understand why he raised them. The Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee considered the order at its meeting only a few days ago, on 26 January. After the debate, the motion that the committee recommend the approval of the order was agreed to by division, from which Patrick Harvie abstained.

I assure Patrick Harvie that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change is more than aware of the issues that he raised at the meeting and is committed to providing the information as soon as possible.

The question on the motion will be put at decision time.