Business Motions
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S4M-03311, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a revision to the business programme for tomorrow, Thursday 14 June.
I advise the Parliament that the reason for the revision is to allow for a statement from Richard Lochhead on the fisheries negotiations in which he was involved yesterday. The revision was discussed by all business managers, and it was agreed that the statement should be inserted into the business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following revision to the programme of business for Thursday 14 June 2012—
delete
2.15 pm Themed Question Time
Rural Affairs and the Environment
Justice and the Law Officers
2.55 pm Scottish Government Debate: Young People and Economic Growth
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
and insert
2.00 pm Themed Question Time
Rural Affairs and the Environment
Justice and the Law Officers
2.40 pm Ministerial Statement: Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Young People and Economic Growth
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.15 pm Decision Time—[Bruce Crawford.]
Motion agreed to.
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S4M-03285, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, which sets out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Wednesday 20 June 2012
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Equal Opportunities Committee Debate: Women and Work
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 21 June 2012
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
11.40 am General Question Time
12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time
2.00 pm Themed Question Time
Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy
2.40 pm Ministerial Statement: Rail
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Growing the Visitor Economy
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 27 June 2012
9.30 am Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill
2.30 pm Continuation of Stage 3 Proceedings: Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 28 June 2012
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Long Leases (Scotland) Bill
11.40 am General Question Time
12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time
12.30 pm Members’ Business
2.15 pm Themed Question Time
Culture and External Affairs;
Infrastructure and Capital Investment
2.55 pm Stage 3 Proceedings: Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time—[Bruce Crawford.]
Patrick Harvie has asked to speak against the motion.
17:00
The United Nations conference on sustainable development—also known as Rio+20—will take place from 20 to 22 June. In the recent members’ business debate on the summit, there was broad support for the Scottish Government’s decision to attend the conference. Stewart Stevenson will be there with colleagues. During that debate, regarding the Government’s decision to attend the conference, my colleague Alison Johnstone asked the minister whether the Government would seek time to bring a full debate to the chamber, in Government time, on the outcome of the summit.
I speak to the business motion in order to seek a commitment from the Government to hold such a debate in the week before the recess. It is expected that there will be two stage 3 debates in that week, but it seems possible that there will be very few amendments to debate, so there is a good chance that there will be time in hand to include a debate on the outcome of the Rio+20 conference.
The conference objectives are to renew the global political commitment to sustainable development; to assess the woefully limited progress that there has been towards meeting the previous commitments; and to address new and emerging challenges that the world faces. Those issues will affect the lives of people all over the world, and they are directly relevant to the Scottish Government’s commitments on climate justice, among other matters. I urge the Government to commit to devoting time in the chamber to debate the outcome of that important conference.
17:02
Patrick Harvie knows that I had a discussion about the matter with him two weeks ago, I think. The Government fully recognises the importance of Rio, and the Minister for Environment and Climate Change fully recognises the importance of reporting back to the Parliament.
We are very sympathetic to Patrick Harvie’s request; indeed, the minister is keen to have a debate on the issue. However, there is a problem. Patrick Harvie thinks that there will be two stage 3 proceedings in the final week before the recess, but there will be three. Stage 3 proceedings on the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill are planned for the Wednesday morning, and those proceedings may well go into the afternoon, depending on the number of amendments that we have. Requests from Opposition members and others may yet be made about the time for closing speeches on the motion. Such debates usually last for just an hour, but members may well request extra time. It is planned that we will deal with the Long Leases (Scotland) Bill on the Thursday morning, and requests may be made for a longer closing debate on matters to do with the Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Bill.
Patrick Harvie must know that, at this stage, I cannot possibly tell how many amendments will be lodged, but I assure him that, if space is available on that day, we will do what we can to fit in a debate on Rio+20. Apart from those three stage 3 proceedings, other important Government business will need to be discharged that week, and it would be premature at this stage for me to give an absolute guarantee that that can happen. However, I give Patrick Harvie an assurance that, if space is available, we will do all that we can. Indeed, the minister is pushing me to do exactly the same thing.
The question is, that motion S4M-03285, in the name of Bruce Crawford, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S4M-03286, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, which sets out a stage 1 timetable for the Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1 be completed by 16 November 2012.—[Bruce Crawford.]
Motion agreed to.