Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Official Report 771KB pdf

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Business Motion

The next item of business is consideration of business motion S4M-08717, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, which sets out a revision to the business programme for Wednesday 8 January. Any member who wishes to speak against the motion should press their request-to-speak button now.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees to the following revision to the programme of business for Wednesday 8 January 2014—

after

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions

Education and Lifelong Learning

insert

followed by Ministerial Statement: Severe winter weather impacts and Scotland’s response

delete

5.00 pm Decision Time

and insert

5.30 pm Decision Time—[Joe FitzPatrick.]

As no member has asked to speak against the motion, I will put the question to the chamber. The question is—

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

I am speaking, so could you please sit down.

The question is, that motion S4M-08717, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Motion agreed to.

I apologise for the discourtesy in interrupting you, Presiding Officer. I just wanted to make something clear before we come to the vote on the motion on Scotland’s future. I think that the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning was somewhat remiss to suggest that we will be voting on the principle of free school meals. As the motion clearly states, we will be voting on the Scottish Government’s belief that independence represents the best future for Scotland. That is what members on this side of the chamber will be voting against, and we hope—

Mr Smith, that is a debating point, not a point of order.