Plenary,
Meeting date: Wednesday, May 9, 2001
Official Report
380KB pdf
Point of Order
Presiding Officer, I would like to raise a point of order about the democratic and decision-making processes of the Parliament.
I am not sure whether you are aware that the Housing (Scotland) Bill is progressing through Parliament and that the Social Justice Committee is meeting four times over the next six working days. Amendments to 70 sections are to be lodged over the next three working days. That is placing severe strain on all concerned—I recognise the efforts of the clerks and the convener. The average length of a bill is 25 sections; the Social Justice Committee has to deliver, in six days, what other committees have several weeks to deliver on much smaller bills.
I am concerned about the democratic process and how scrutiny can best be exercised. I ask for your direct intervention to ensure that the standards of accountability and scrutiny that are expected from the Parliament are realised.
My response is this. The timetabling of stages of bills is a matter for the Parliamentary Bureau, as I am sure the member understands.
In this case, I note from the Official Report that the Social Justice Committee has discussed the stage 2 timetable that was set by the Parliamentary Bureau. It is open to the committee to ask the bureau for additional time if it is so minded. I advise the member that that is the procedure—it is not really a point of order for me.