Plenary, 05 Nov 2008
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Official Report
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Business Motion
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S3M-2819, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a revised business programme. I call Bruce Crawford to move the motion.
I took the matter to the bureau on Tuesday past, so that a proper discussion could be had about when the financial resolution to the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill should be debated. I am glad to say that the discussions that I had with business managers at that time were conducive.
Having considered this matter as fully as he can, is the minister in a position to reassure Parliament that this is the proper way of going forward and that, if we agree to this motion, the matter will receive the proper consideration that it deserves?
I thank Bill Aitken very much for his intervention.
At the Parliamentary Bureau meeting, all business managers very properly raised a number of concerns about the financial resolution, particularly with regard to its impact on the insurance industry and the availability of appropriate information and figures from a variety of sources. We also had a very useful discussion about how, in the light of the Justice Committee's report, we could properly address the issues. Given Jackson Carlaw's very helpful amendment, business managers were happy to proceed in the way that we are going to this afternoon.
I hope that at decision time we can all agree to the financial resolution, which was well examined by the Justice Committee. The committee carried out a very useful examination of the legislation's complicated nature, questioned a lot of witnesses and produced a very considered report that contains a lot of detail. In such circumstances, we had no option but to proceed with the financial resolution.
Of course, the financial resolution does not necessarily need to be agreed to today to ensure that the bill completes stage 1 successfully—that can be done at a later date. However, whatever happens, we must ensure that the financial resolution is agreed to at some point, because otherwise it will be difficult to allow the bill to proceed from stage 1. [Interruption.] I hope that the whole Parliament is in a position to agree that the financial resolution is—if I guess correctly what is happening behind me—the best thing that has ever happened since sliced bread.
I hope that members understand why I have gone on at some length on the matter and that Parliament will be pleased to pass the business motion.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees the following revision to the programme of business for Wednesday 5 November 2008—
after
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill
insert
followed by Financial Resolution: Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill
Amazingly, no member has asked to speak against the motion. [Laughter.]
Motion agreed to.