Business Motion
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S1M-3573, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
I was just trying to think of where I had heard that last slogan before. I think that it was at the last election, but never mind.
Before I formally move the business motion, I indicate to members that the business for next week requires to be adjusted. It is proposed that the United Kingdom Government will publish an extradition bill today, some aspects of which will relate to devolved matters. It is the Executive's intention to lodge a motion seeking the Parliament's agreement for the UK Government to legislate on the devolved aspects of the bill.
Next week, I will propose to the Parliamentary Bureau that the motion be debated on Thursday 21 November, immediately after the stage 1 debate on the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill. I understand that the Justice 1 Committee considers that the three hours that has been allocated to the bill is more than generous. It should not a problem therefore to reduce the length of the debate to accommodate the addition of a debate on the extradition bill.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Wednesday 20 November 2002
2:30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 1 Debate on Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution in respect of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5:00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business – debate on the subject of S1M-3486 Duncan McNeil: Mis-selling of Utilities
Thursday 21 November 2002
9:30 am Stage 1 Debate on Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution in respect of Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motion
2:30 pm Question Time
3:10 pm First Minister's Question Time
3:30 pm Executive Debate on Scottish Executive Response to Foot and Mouth Disease Inquiries
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5:00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business - debate on the subject of S1M-3538 John Farquhar Munro: Affordable Rural Housing
Wednesday 27 November 2002
2:30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee Debate on its 9th Report 2002 on Lifelong Learning
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5:00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business – debate on the subject of S1M-3565 John Swinney: A9 – Perth to Inverness
Thursday 28 November 2002
9:30 am Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
followed by Business Motion
2:30 pm Question Time
3:10 pm First Minister's Question Time
3:30 pm Executive Business
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5:00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
and (b) that Stage 1 of the Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill be completed by 21 February 2003 and that Stage 2 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill be completed by 17 January 2003.
This is difficult for me. I agree that we do not need three hours for the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill—indeed, I suggested previously that we should cut the length to one and a half hours. However, yet again, we face a Sewel motion on a measure that is of serious importance to the Scottish justice system.
My colleague Neil McCormick MEP has already spoken on record about the consequences of European arrestment orders and their implications for the justice system of Scotland. Rather than have Westminster legislate for us, we should use our time on this important issue to make our own laws. It is with some regret that I see our time being used on a Sewel motion.
I will not use up time to press the motion to a vote at this stage because we have the opportunity to do so next Thursday. I appeal to all members to examine the matter carefully. This is an opportunity for the Scottish Parliament to say that it does not want a Sewel motion on our justice system. We want to decide such issues ourselves as there are major implications in the extradition bill. We must give the legislation enough time and we should do so by means of our own bill, not a Sewel motion.
Does the minister wish to respond?
I suspect that I will have more than ample opportunity to do so next week when I bring the amended motion to the chamber.
Motion agreed to.