Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, September 12, 2013

Official Report 817KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer, under rule 7.3.1 of standing orders. During today’s First Minister’s question time, Johann Lamont said:

“how does the First Minister justify buying a piece of land for £840,000 and then selling it back to the person he bought it from for just £50,000?”

That is entirely wrong. Indeed, neither the First Minister nor the Scottish Government bought the land in question from the businessman Johann Lamont referred to.

Members: That is not a point of order.

Just wait. The fact is that the land was bought by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, which, as we know, is Labour controlled. What actions can the Presiding Officer take to encourage Johann Lamont to reflect on that and on her besmirching of a leading Scottish businessman without any evidence whatever? Will Johann Lamont issue an apology and an immediate correction to the Official Report? [Applause.]

As I have said on many occasions, members are responsible for what they say in the chamber.

Just to clarify, the land was bought on behalf of the Scottish Government for the Glasgow airport rail link project and was sold by Transport Scotland, the agency of the Government over there. We are well aware of the due diligence in handing it over to Transport Scotland from SPT, but the Government took over the project and it is still accountable for the decision that was subsequently made—£50,000 it was sold for. [Applause.]

Order.