Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, November 3, 2022

Official Report 1151KB pdf

Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, members were informed that the deadline for amendments at stage 2 of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill would be just two weeks after the stage 1 vote. We were told that there would be just two sittings in which to consider the amendments.

That is unacceptable. It is far too little time, and I am concerned about the quality of the information that I was given by the convener when I questioned the decision on Tuesday. It looks like an attempt to limit or even to shut down debate on a very complex and contentious bill. Rushing this legislation is wrong when fundamental issues of women’s rights and trans rights are at stake.

Presiding Officer, first, what steps are available to members who wish to prevent the bill from being rushed through with very little debate? Secondly, what action can you personally take to ensure that the timetable for the rest of the bill stages is not limited? Thirdly, do you agree that, on such a sensitive topic, the Scottish Parliament should seek to protect and enhance its reputation by scrutinising the legislation properly for as long as is necessary?

I thank the member for her point of order. It is for the Parliamentary Bureau to consider and recommend to the Parliament deadlines for the different stages of bills. The Parliamentary Bureau will consider the timetabling of stage 2 of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill at its meeting next Tuesday. The member may wish to ask her business manager to raise the matters that she has highlighted at that point, in the discussions at the bureau next week.