The next item of business is consideration of business motion S4M-05913, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Tuesday 19 March 2013
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Debate: 10 Years on from the Invasion of Iraq
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 20 March 2013
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Health and Wellbeing
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Trident
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 21 March 2013
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
12.30 pm Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Scottish Government Debate: Scotland’s Financial Strength
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 26 March 2013
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 27 March 2013
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Infrastructure, Investment and Cities;
Culture and External Affairs
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 28 March 2013
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
12.30 pm Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Stage 3 Proceedings: High Hedges (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time—[Joe FitzPatrick.]
Paul Martin has asked to speak against the motion. Mr Martin, you have up to five minutes.
16:51
I rise on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party to oppose the business motion in the name of Joe FitzPatrick. The motion refers to a Scottish Government debate next Tuesday entitled “10 Years on from the Invasion of Iraq” and, on the Wednesday, a debate on Trident. The proposed programme is designed to stifle debate on the real issues that face families throughout Scotland and to turn the Parliament into a university debating society.
Why are we not debating the many unanswered questions about hidden waiting lists throughout Scotland or the reasons for accident and emergency waiting time targets not being met for more than three years? There remain many unanswered questions that the Government could bring to the Parliament for debate. Those include why the number of college students has reduced since 2008 by more than 120,000, and why the Government does not introduce legislation, which it does not seem keen on.
The Scottish Government wants to avoid debating the real issues that face families throughout Scotland. Our elected position as members of the Scottish Parliament affords us the opportunity to debate, legislate and take forward issues on behalf of our constituents. It is our responsibility to the Parliament to take those issues seriously and not to allow the Parliament to be used as a talking shop by the majority Government.
We on the Labour benches call on the Government, even at this late stage, to provide us with real vision for the future of Scotland and to take responsibility for the issues for which it has responsibility rather than being concerned about those for which it does not have responsibility. We oppose the business motion in the name of Joe FitzPatrick.
16:53
I am disappointed, although not surprised, that the Labour Party opposes the business programme for next week. Paul Martin talked about unanswered questions. The big unanswered question is why Tony Blair misled the people of this country in order to send our soldiers to an illegal war in Iraq. It is exactly 10 years to the day since the Scottish Parliament debated the Iraq war, and next week marks 10 years since the invasion began. This is an opportune time to look back and to learn from the appalling mistakes and distortions that led the United Kingdom into an illegal conflict that came at a very high cost—a cost that many veterans are paying to this day.
The Government takes the view that, as long as our brave young men and women are sent to conflicts around the world, this Parliament should—[Interruption.]
We will not have catcalling across the chamber.
This Parliament should have the opportunity to discuss the reasons why, and to recognise the service that those veterans have given.
Ten years on, Ed Miliband has recognised that the Iraq war was wrong. The debate will provide all members with a chance to reflect—it will perhaps give Johann Lamont the opportunity to admit that she was wrong when she supported the illegal war in Iraq.
I am not surprised that Labour opposes a debate on Trident, on a day when an opinion poll shows that 80 per cent of Scots are against having its replacement on our shores—and only a day after the UK Labour defence spokesperson joined the Conservatives in confirming that his party was in favour of its renewal.
I am not surprised that Labour opposes a debate on Scotland’s financial strength, in a week when it was shown that this country, if we were independent, would be relatively better off than the UK to the tune of £4.4 billion, which is £824 for every man, woman and child in Scotland.
I believe that the people who elected us to represent them expect no less than that the Parliament will debate such issues—issues that affect the lives of those who live here. The Government will continue to do that.
Opposition to such debates represents just three of the many reasons that prove that the Labour Party is scarcely fit for opposition, let alone government. I urge the Parliament to support the business motion.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
I understand that, under rule 8.11 of standing orders, there can be only one speaker against a business motion. Undoubtedly, occasions will occur—this is one—when there will be more than one MSP who, for separate reasons, wish to speak against the business motion. In this instance, as business manager for the Independent and Green group, I wanted to speak not to oppose the subjects listed in the business motion, which we think are worthy of debate, but to oppose the parliamentary business that is scheduled for next Wednesday, when the Public and Commercial Services union is on strike and picketing this building.
Presiding Officer, can you please advise me what opportunity exists for individual members who have not been chosen to speak against the business motion to put on record their reasons for opposing it?
I thank the member for advance notice of his point of order. The member is correct that standing order 8.11 allows for only one speaker for and one speaker against a business motion. I therefore have no option but to call only one speaker to oppose the motion. I point out that the same rule in standing orders allows for amendments to a business motion. Every amendment that has the necessary support must be taken in the chamber. The proposer of any such amendment is given time to speak to that amendment, in addition to the time that is given to a member who wishes to speak against the motion.
I advise the member that, if he remains unhappy with the provisions in the standing orders, he should raise his concerns with the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.
The question is, that S4M-5913, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Members: No.
There will be a division.
For
Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)
Adamson, Clare (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Allan, Dr Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Biagi, Marco (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
Brodie, Chic (South Scotland) (SNP)
Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
Burgess, Margaret (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
Campbell, Aileen (Clydesdale) (SNP)
Campbell, Roderick (North East Fife) (SNP)
Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)
Crawford, Bruce (Stirling) (SNP)
Cunningham, Roseanna (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)
Don, Nigel (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
Doris, Bob (Glasgow) (SNP)
Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
Eadie, Jim (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP)
Ewing, Annabelle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Fabiani, Linda (East Kilbride) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
Gibson, Rob (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)
Ingram, Adam (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)
Keir, Colin (Edinburgh Western) (SNP)
Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
Lyle, Richard (Central Scotland) (SNP)
MacAskill, Kenny (Edinburgh Eastern) (SNP)
MacDonald, Angus (Falkirk East) (SNP)
MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
Mackay, Derek (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
MacKenzie, Mike (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)
Maxwell, Stewart (West Scotland) (SNP)
McAlpine, Joan (South Scotland) (SNP)
McDonald, Mark (North East Scotland) (SNP)
McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP)
McLeod, Aileen (South Scotland) (SNP)
McLeod, Fiona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
McMillan, Stuart (West Scotland) (SNP)
Paterson, Gil (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Robertson, Dennis (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
Russell, Michael (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
Salmond, Alex (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)
Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP)
Thompson, Dave (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
Urquhart, Jean (Highlands and Islands) (Ind)
Walker, Bill (Dunfermline) (Ind)
Watt, Maureen (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
Wheelhouse, Paul (South Scotland) (SNP)
White, Sandra (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
Wilson, John (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow) (SNP)
Against
Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Baxter, Jayne (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Beamish, Claudia (South Scotland) (Lab)
Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab)
Brown, Gavin (Lothian) (Con)
Carlaw, Jackson (West Scotland) (Con)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Davidson, Ruth (Glasgow) (Con)
Dugdale, Kezia (Lothian) (Lab)
Fee, Mary (West Scotland) (Lab)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Fergusson, Alex (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Findlay, Neil (Lothian) (Lab)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Goldie, Annabel (West Scotland) (Con)
Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Gray, Iain (East Lothian) (Lab)
Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Henry, Hugh (Renfrewshire South) (Lab)
Hume, Jim (South Scotland) (LD)
Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con)
Johnstone, Alison (Lothian) (Green)
Kelly, James (Rutherglen) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Lamont, John (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Macdonald, Lewis (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Macintosh, Ken (Eastwood) (Lab)
Malik, Hanzala (Glasgow) (Lab)
Marra, Jenny (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Provan) (Lab)
McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD)
McCulloch, Margaret (Central Scotland) (Lab)
McDougall, Margaret (West Scotland) (Lab)
McGrigor, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McInnes, Alison (North East Scotland) (LD)
McMahon, Michael (Uddingston and Bellshill) (Lab)
McMahon, Siobhan (Central Scotland) (Lab)
McNeil, Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
McTaggart, Anne (Glasgow) (Lab)
Milne, Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mitchell, Margaret (Central Scotland) (Con)
Murray, Elaine (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Pearson, Graeme (South Scotland) (Lab)
Rennie, Willie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Scott, Tavish (Shetland Islands) (LD)
Simpson, Dr Richard (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Smith, Drew (Glasgow) (Lab)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Stewart, David (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Abstentions
Finnie, John (Highlands and Islands) (Ind)
The result of the division is: For 63, Against 56, Abstentions 1.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Tuesday 19 March 2013
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Debate: 10 Years on from the Invasion of Iraq
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 20 March 2013
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Health and Wellbeing
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Trident
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 21 March 2013
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
12.30 pm Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Scottish Government Debate: Scotland’s Financial Strength
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 26 March 2013
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 27 March 2013
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions
Infrastructure, Investment and Cities;
Culture and External Affairs
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 28 March 2013
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
12.30 pm Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Stage 3 Proceedings: High Hedges (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time.