Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Thursday, March 7, 2013
Official Report
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Point of Order
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I refer to standing order 7.3 and your comments on 5 and 28 February, in particular the advice that you offered on 28 February:
“I expect any major policy announcements by the Scottish Government always to be made to Parliament, in the first instance.”—[Official Report, 28 February 2013; c 17163.]
I regret that another point of order has had to be raised because significant policy changes have once again appeared in the first instance in various press outlets, rather than this chamber. A consistent pattern of policy announcements emerging in the press rather than the Parliament continues to be common practice for the Scottish Government.
I refer to the fact that the waiting time target of 98 per cent of patients waiting no more than four hours to be seen in accident and emergency is to be lowered to 95 per cent. That appears to have been leaked to the Evening News on Monday. The issue was further confused yesterday when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing said in a point of order that 98 per cent would remain as the “standard” but 95 per cent would be a “target”. There is total confusion as to the difference between a standard and a target. That is a fundamental change in policy.
Furthermore, the £50 million emergency care action fund also appeared in various press outlets. It cannot be right that press outlets are leaked or given such policy information before Parliament is. These matters are too important not be heard in the chamber first.
This issue is of great importance to the Parliament. Rather than first appearing in the press, announcements should always in the first instance be made to the Parliament. Presiding Officer, can you advise what action you are able to take to prevent further significant policy announcements from appearing in the press before they have been discussed or announced in the chamber, or have we reached the point at which we seriously need to discuss giving you additional powers if the Government continues to ignore your admonitions?
I thank Richard Simpson for the advance notice of his point of order. As he said, I have referred to the good practice guide on announcements by the Scottish Government on previous occasions. All members will be aware that the guidance states that major policy announcements should in the first instance always be made to the Parliament. However, the guidance also acknowledges that decisions on whether and how to make announcements to Parliament on Government business are a matter for the Scottish Government.
It is of course for the Scottish Government to reflect on yesterday’s debate in Parliament and for members to use the channels available to them on any of the issues raised in that debate.
On the issue of additional powers, it is not for me to assume powers for the Presiding Officer; it is a matter for the Parliament and its committees.