Business Motions
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-5388, in the name of Margaret Curran, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Wednesday 17 January 2007
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Legislative Consent Motion: Consumers, Estates Agents and Redress Bill – UK Legislation
followed by Legislative Consent Motion: Further Education Bill – UK Legislation
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
6.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 18 January 2007
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill
11.40 am General Question Time
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.15 pm Themed Question Time—
Justice and Law Officers;
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning
2.55 pm Conclusion of Stage 3 Proceedings: Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 24 January 2007
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 25 January 2007
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Crofting Reform etc. Bill
11.40 am General Question Time
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.15 pm Themed Question Time—
Finance and Public Service and Communities;
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport
2.55 pm Conclusion of Stage 3 Proceedings: Crofting Reform etc. Bill
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Budget (Scotland) (No.4) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business. [George Lyon.]
I want to speak against motion S2M-5388. It is a mistake to try to squeeze into one afternoon—even an extended afternoon—two such controversial stage 1 debates as are proposed for Wednesday 17 January. The two debates are on the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill and the Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill.
The report by the Education Committee on the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill expresses a number of serious concerns. Those concerns will have to be properly debated so that members can form a view as to whether sufficient assurances have been given by ministers; people have to know whether they can support the principles of the bill or not. There is also a lot of interest in the bill among people in the outside world—voluntary organisations in particular.
The Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill is also controversial, both in and outwith Parliament. I am sure that a large number of members will wish to speak in the debate on that bill.
I know that attendance at debates is sometimes disappointing, but those two debates will attract a lot of interest and it is a mistake to try to squeeze them in. I therefore recommend that the Parliamentary Bureau rejig its timetable in the next week or two so that we can find enough time to have a proper whole-afternoon stage 1 debate on each of these important bills.
I accept that the Executive wishes to put through a lot of legislation before the election, but we are here to scrutinise that legislation adequately: the proposal in business motion S2M-5388 will not allow us to do that. This should be the start of there being more careful scrutiny of Executive bills by Parliament. I urge members to vote against the business motion.
The proposals in the business motion were agreed unanimously by the Parliamentary Bureau, and extra time has been made available on 17 January—decision time will be put back to 6 o'clock. If, on the day, there is demand for the debates to be further extended, business managers will certainly be willing to accommodate a request from the Presiding Officer. However, because the proposals received unanimous support from the Parliamentary Bureau, I ask Parliament to support the business motion.
The question is, that motion S2M-5388, in the name of Margaret Curran, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
No.
There will be a division.
For
Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con)
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab)
Arbuckle, Mr Andrew (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Barrie, Scott (Dunfermline West) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab)
Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD)
Brownlee, Derek (South of Scotland) (Con)
Butler, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)
Crawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Cunningham, Roseanna (Perth) (SNP)
Davidson, Mr David (North East Scotland) (Con)
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James (Lothians) (Con)
Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)
Fabiani, Linda (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Fergusson, Alex (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con)
Finnie, Ross (West of Scotland) (LD)
Gallie, Phil (South of Scotland) (Con)
Gibson, Rob (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Gillon, Karen (Clydesdale) (Lab)
Glen, Marlyn (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Godman, Trish (West Renfrewshire) (Lab)
Goldie, Miss Annabel (West of Scotland) (Con)
Gordon, Mr Charlie (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Grahame, Christine (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab)
Home Robertson, John (East Lothian) (Lab)
Hughes, Janis (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)
Hyslop, Fiona (Lothians) (SNP)
Ingram, Mr Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Jackson, Dr Sylvia (Stirling) (Lab)
Jackson, Gordon (Glasgow Govan) (Lab)
Jamieson, Cathy (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)
Jamieson, Margaret (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Mr Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
Lyon, George (Argyll and Bute) (LD)
MacAskill, Mr Kenny (Lothians) (SNP)
Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)
Macintosh, Mr Kenneth (Eastwood) (Lab)
Maclean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Macmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)
Marwick, Tricia (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Mather, Jim (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Maxwell, Mr Stewart (West of Scotland) (SNP)
May, Christine (Central Fife) (Lab)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)
McCabe, Mr Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab)
McConnell, Mr Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
McFee, Mr Bruce (West of Scotland) (SNP)
McGrigor, Mr Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McLetchie, David (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con)
McMahon, Michael (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
McNeil, Mr Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)
McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Milne, Mrs Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con)
Morgan, Alasdair (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Morrison, Mr Alasdair (Western Isles) (Lab)
Muldoon, Bristow (Livingston) (Lab)
Mulligan, Mrs Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab)
Murray, Dr Elaine (Dumfries) (Lab)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Oldfather, Irene (Cunninghame South) (Lab)
Peacock, Peter (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Peattie, Cathy (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Petrie, Dave (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Purvis, Jeremy (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)
Robison, Shona (Dundee East) (SNP)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Scott, Tavish (Shetland) (LD)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Iain (North East Fife) (LD)
Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow) (SNP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Tosh, Murray (West of Scotland) (Con)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watt, Ms Maureen (North East Scotland) (SNP)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Wilson, Allan (Cunninghame North) (Lab)
Against
Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green)
Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green)
Ballard, Mark (Lothians) (Green)
Byrne, Ms Rosemary (South of Scotland) (Sol)
Curran, Frances (West of Scotland) (SSP)
Fox, Colin (Lothians) (SSP)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Leckie, Carolyn (Central Scotland) (SSP)
Munro, John Farquhar (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD)
Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD)
Ruskell, Mr Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Scott, Eleanor (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Sheridan, Tommy (Glasgow) (Sol)
Turner, Dr Jean (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind)
Abstentions
MacDonald, Margo (Lothians) (Ind)
The result of the division is: For 98, Against 16, Abstentions 1.
Business Motion agreed to.
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-5387, in the name of Margaret Curran, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a timetable for legislation.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 be completed by 16 February 2007.—[George Lyon.]
Motion agreed to.