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Chamber and committees

Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011


Contents


Deputy Presiding Officers

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)

We move to the election of Deputy Presiding Officers. Nominations for the position of Deputy Presiding Officer will open now. Members may collect nomination forms from the business team in room T1.03, which is located within the office of the chamber desk. Completed nomination forms should be returned to the business team no later than 3.45. When submitting nomination papers, candidates or their representatives may wish to provide the name of any member who will act as scrutineer on behalf of the candidate.

I look forward to this, and I suspend the meeting until 4.15.

15:16 Meeting suspended.

16:15 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)

We move to the election of Deputy Presiding Officers. Nominations for the position of Deputy Presiding Officer will open now. Members may collect nomination forms from the business team in room T1.03, which is located within the office of the chamber desk. Completed nomination forms should be returned to the business team no later than 3.45. When submitting nomination papers, candidates or their representatives may wish to provide the name of any member who will act as scrutineer on behalf of the candidate.

I look forward to this, and I suspend the meeting until 4.15.

15:16 Meeting suspended.

16:15 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer

The next item of business is the election of two Deputy Presiding Officers. I have received four valid nominations for the position of Deputy Presiding Officer. I will now announce the nominations and ask the candidates, as their names are announced, to make themselves known to the chamber. In alphabetical order, the nominations are Patricia Ferguson, Duncan McNeil, John Scott and Elaine Smith.

The election will again proceed in accordance with rule 11.9 of standing orders, with the same voting procedures as those used in the election of the Presiding Officer. If no member receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting, there will be subsequent rounds. That procedure will also be followed for the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer. When the first Deputy Presiding Officer is elected, voting rounds will begin for the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer, involving all candidates who were unsuccessful in the election of the first Deputy Presiding Officer.

I declare the election of the first Deputy Presiding Officer open. Members should proceed to the appropriate desk to collect their ballot papers.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

The next item of business is the election of two Deputy Presiding Officers. I have received four valid nominations for the position of Deputy Presiding Officer. I will now announce the nominations and ask the candidates, as their names are announced, to make themselves known to the chamber. In alphabetical order, the nominations are Patricia Ferguson, Duncan McNeil, John Scott and Elaine Smith.

The election will again proceed in accordance with rule 11.9 of standing orders, with the same voting procedures as those used in the election of the Presiding Officer. If no member receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting, there will be subsequent rounds. That procedure will also be followed for the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer. When the first Deputy Presiding Officer is elected, voting rounds will begin for the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer, involving all candidates who were unsuccessful in the election of the first Deputy Presiding Officer.

I declare the election of the first Deputy Presiding Officer open. Members should proceed to the appropriate desk to collect their ballot papers.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

In the first round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 22, Duncan McNeil 14, John Scott 54 and Elaine Smith 35. Accordingly, as no candidate received an overall majority of the votes cast, and as Duncan McNeil received the fewest votes, he is eliminated from the election and a further round will take place with the following candidates: Patricia Ferguson, John Scott and Elaine Smith.

There will be a short break while new ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

16:36 Meeting suspended.

16:41 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer

In the first round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 22, Duncan McNeil 14, John Scott 54 and Elaine Smith 35. Accordingly, as no candidate received an overall majority of the votes cast, and as Duncan McNeil received the fewest votes, he is eliminated from the election and a further round will take place with the following candidates: Patricia Ferguson, John Scott and Elaine Smith.

There will be a short break while new ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

16:36 Meeting suspended.

16:41 On resuming—

The voting period is now open, and I ask members to use the same voting procedure as before.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The voting period is now open, and I ask members to use the same voting procedure as before.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

In the second round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 32, John Scott 56, Elaine Smith 36, abstentions 2. Accordingly, as no candidate received an overall majority of the votes cast, and as Patricia Ferguson received the fewest votes, she is eliminated from the election and a further round will take place with the following candidates: John Scott and Elaine Smith. There will now be a short break while new ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

16:59 Meeting suspended.

17:07 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer

In the second round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 32, John Scott 56, Elaine Smith 36, abstentions 2. Accordingly, as no candidate received an overall majority of the votes cast, and as Patricia Ferguson received the fewest votes, she is eliminated from the election and a further round will take place with the following candidates: John Scott and Elaine Smith. There will now be a short break while new ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

16:59 Meeting suspended.

17:07 On resuming—

The next round of voting is now open.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The next round of voting is now open.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

In the third round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: John Scott 58, Elaine Smith 64, abstentions 3. Accordingly, as Elaine Smith received more votes than the total number of votes received by the other candidate, and as more than 25 per cent of members voted, Elaine Smith is elected as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Congratulations. [Applause.]

Voting rounds will now begin for the second Deputy Presiding Officer, involving all candidates who were unsuccessful in the previous election of the Deputy Presiding Officer. There will now be a short break while ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

17:22 Meeting suspended.

17:30 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer

In the third round of voting in the election of the Deputy Presiding Officers, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: John Scott 58, Elaine Smith 64, abstentions 3. Accordingly, as Elaine Smith received more votes than the total number of votes received by the other candidate, and as more than 25 per cent of members voted, Elaine Smith is elected as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Congratulations. [Applause.]

Voting rounds will now begin for the second Deputy Presiding Officer, involving all candidates who were unsuccessful in the previous election of the Deputy Presiding Officer. There will now be a short break while ballot papers are printed. I suspend the meeting for five minutes.

17:22 Meeting suspended.

17:30 On resuming—

The Presiding Officer

In declaring the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer open, I must inform the chamber that Duncan McNeil has withdrawn from the competition. Voting procedures are the same as before. Members may proceed to the back of the chamber to collect their ballot papers.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

In declaring the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer open, I must inform the chamber that Duncan McNeil has withdrawn from the competition. Voting procedures are the same as before. Members may proceed to the back of the chamber to collect their ballot papers.

Members voted by secret ballot.

The Presiding Officer

In the first round of voting in the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 40, John Scott 82, abstentions 1. The total number of votes cast was 123. Accordingly, as John Scott received more votes than the total number of votes received by the other candidate, and as more than 25 per cent of members voted, John Scott is elected as the second Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. [Applause.]

I offer my congratulations, too. I thank all the candidates who took part in the Deputy Presiding Officer contest and the Presiding Officer contest earlier today. I now close this first meeting of the fourth session of the Scottish Parliament.

Meeting closed at 17:46.

The Presiding Officer

In the first round of voting in the election of the second Deputy Presiding Officer, the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Patricia Ferguson 40, John Scott 82, abstentions 1. The total number of votes cast was 123. Accordingly, as John Scott received more votes than the total number of votes received by the other candidate, and as more than 25 per cent of members voted, John Scott is elected as the second Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. [Applause.]

I offer my congratulations, too. I thank all the candidates who took part in the Deputy Presiding Officer contest and the Presiding Officer contest earlier today. I now close this first meeting of the fourth session of the Scottish Parliament.

Meeting closed at 17:46.