Plenary, 15 Nov 2000

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Official Report 378KB pdf

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Points of Order

Before decision time, I want to respond to the point of order raised by Mr Crawford at the beginning of the ministerial statement. It concerned a newspaper cutting, which he later showed me, and a press release.

I have raised the matter with the Executive and it turns out that an embargoed press release was issued to the evening papers for the later editions. That is perfectly normal practice. However, it appeared in the earlier editions, and the Executive is taking up the matter with the newspaper. I hope that that satisfies the Parliament.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Will you consider issuing guidelines to members on the placing of amendments so that they might have greater success in having their amendments accepted?

Funnily enough, I was looking at amendments for tomorrow just before I came to the chamber. I am sorry to disappoint you, but yours has again not been selected. I am not saying that amendments from individual members will never be chosen, but it helps if they have a broad measure of support. I hope that that is sufficient guidance.

On a point of order—

Sit down.

I am sorry that the minister wants me to sit down—this will be helpful to her.

At the end of question time two weeks ago I raised a point of order on the Deloitte & Touche report into the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The report, having been announced in the chamber, was to have come here. You said that you would give a ruling on the matter, Presiding Officer, but you have not done so.

I accept your reprimand, Mr Russell, and I will come back with a ruling tomorrow. I must admit that I had forgotten about that point of order—occasionally, even the Presiding Officer has a faulty memory. My ruling might take two minutes out of the time for the SNP debate.

I am sure that those minutes will be worth taking.