Plenary,

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Official Report 485KB pdf

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Business Motions

The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-4366, in the name of Margaret Curran, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme. Members who wish to speak against the motion should press their request-to-speak buttons now.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees—

(a) the following programme of business—

Wednesday 17 May 2006

2.00 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Stage 1 Debate: Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill

followed by Financial Resolution: Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.30 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 18 May 2006

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Independents' Group Debate: The Implications of the Kerr Report: Future Needs of the NHS

followed by Procedures Committee Debate—2nd Report 2006, Procedures relating to Crown appointments

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Health and Community Care;

Environment and Rural Development

2.55 pm Enterprise and Culture Committee Debate—5th Report 2006, Business Growth—the next 10 years

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Wednesday 24 May 2006

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Executive Business

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 25 May 2006

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning;

Justice and Law Officers

2.55 pm Continuation of Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

and (b) under Rule 11.2.4 of the Standing Orders that Decision Time on Wednesday 17 May 2006 shall begin at 5.30 pm.—[George Lyon.]

In speaking against the business motion, I propose that the programme that is proposed for Wednesday 17 May should be exchanged with that which is proposed for Wednesday 24 May.

I argue for that change because there is a lack of time for members adequately to consider the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill. The Executive is acting within the strict letter of the law, as proposed by the Procedures Committee before I became a member of it. I was not responsible for the current provision. The committee decided that the stage 1 debate on a bill could take place no earlier than the fifth sitting day after the stage 1 report had been published. In this case, the Executive has just managed that. However, the business motion is against the spirit of many recent discussions that we have had about having more time for members to consider legislation, giving members who are not on the lead committee time to study the bill properly, getting the views of outside bodies and so on.

Although the Executive is acting within the letter of the law, it is not acting within the spirit of the law. Members should have longer to study an extremely important and complicated bill, which arouses a great deal of feeling on different issues, so that we can debate it adequately. I propose that the business motion be amended accordingly.

I am happy to take on board Mr Gorrie's proposal that we examine the scheduling, on the basis that, depending on the size of the bill in question, the requirement that there be five sitting days between a committee producing a stage 1 report and the stage 1 debate taking place may not be the only issue. However, I point out to the member that the Communities Committee is content with the date of the stage 1 debate. As members will be aware, the stage 1 deadline was set by the Parliamentary Bureau and could at any time have been extended at a member's request.

As the convener of the Communities Committee, I do not think that Mr Lyon is in a position to claim that the committee is content, because the committee was never consulted on the matter.

I will certainly reflect on Karen Whitefield's comments and take the matter back to my colleagues. I point out to the Communities Committee that a delay in holding the stage 1 debate would have an impact on stage 2 consideration of the bill. The matter was discussed at the bureau earlier in the week and at that time no member expressed concerns about the shortness of the time between the publication of the report and the stage 1 debate. In view of what Mr Gorrie and the convener have said, the matter needs to be looked at. I give an undertaking that we will reflect on what has been said.

The question is, that motion S2M-4366, in the name of Margaret Curran, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

No.

There will be a division.

For

Adam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con)
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)
Brocklebank, Mr Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
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)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
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)
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)
Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (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)
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)
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)
Muldoon, Bristow (Livingston) (Lab)
Mulligan, Mrs Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab)
Murray, Dr Elaine (Dumfries) (Lab)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
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)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Iain (North East Fife) (LD)
Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Swinburne, John (Central Scotland) (SSCUP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Turner, Dr Jean (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watt, Ms Maureen (North East Scotland) (SNP)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
White, Ms Sandra (Glasgow) (SNP)

Against

Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green)
Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green)
Ballard, Mark (Lothians) (Green)
Byrne, Ms Rosemary (South of Scotland) (SSP)
Canavan, Dennis (Falkirk West) (Ind)
Curran, Frances (West of Scotland) (SSP)
Fergusson, Alex (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Leckie, Carolyn (Central Scotland) (SSP)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Ind)
Munro, John Farquhar (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD)
Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD)
Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Ruskell, Mr Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Scott, Eleanor (Highlands and Islands) (Green)

Abstentions

Deacon, Susan (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)
Home Robertson, John (East Lothian) (Lab)
MacDonald, Margo (Lothians) (Ind)
Maclean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Tosh, Murray (West of Scotland) (Con)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)

The result of the division is: For 86, Against 17, Abstentions 6.

Motion agreed to.

That the Parliament agrees—

(a) the following programme of business—

Wednesday 17 May 2006

2.00 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Stage 1 Debate: Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill

followed by Financial Resolution: Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.30 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 18 May 2006

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Independents' Group Debate: The Implications of the Kerr Report: Future Needs of the NHS

followed by Procedures Committee Debate—2nd Report 2006, Procedures relating to Crown appointments

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Health and Community Care;

Environment and Rural Development

2.55 pm Enterprise and Culture Committee Debate—5th Report 2006, Business Growth—the next 10 years

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Wednesday 24 May 2006

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Executive Business

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 25 May 2006

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning;

Justice and Law Officers

2.55 pm Continuation of Stage 3 Proceedings: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

and (b) under Rule 11.2.4 of the Standing Orders that Decision Time on Wednesday 17 May 2006 shall begin at 5.30 pm.

The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-4365, 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 Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 be completed by 17 November 2006.—[George Lyon.]

Motion agreed to.