Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, December 13, 2012

Official Report 831KB pdf

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Point of Order

Good morning. We have a point of order.

I understand that the Scottish Government has received or will shortly receive reports from each of the 14 territorial health boards’ internal investigations into the hidden waiting times scandal. I believe that the Scottish Government’s intention is to publish those reports on 19 December, which is immediately before the Parliament’s Christmas recess.

I am sure that there is no attempt by the Government to avoid scrutiny. Given the seriousness of the situation and reports of the scandal spreading beyond NHS Lothian to a number of other health boards, including NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, it is essential that members have the opportunity to question ministers on the findings before the parliamentary recess. Presiding Officer, will you advise whether it would be possible for the Parliamentary Bureau to consider allowing for a ministerial statement on Thursday next week to enable members to properly scrutinise the matter?

I thank the member for her prior notification that she was going to raise that matter. However, as a former business manager, she knows that it is not a point of order. As she quite rightly said, it is for the business bureau to determine business. I suggest that she raise the issue with her business manager, who may wish to bring the matter to the bureau’s attention next Tuesday so that there can be a discussion and a decision can be made.