Plenary, 15 Dec 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, December 15, 1999

Official Report 895KB pdf

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Sitting Days

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees (a) that between 20 December 1999 and 28 April 2000 (inclusive) the office of the clerk will be open on all days except: Saturdays and Sundays, the afternoon of 24 December, 27 December to 31 December inclusive, 3 January, 4 January, 21 April and 24 April; and, (b) that the Spring recess should begin on 10 April and end on 24 April.—[Mr McCabe.]

Can I speak against the motion?

Yes.

I do not intend to suggest a division. However, an issue has arisen that relates to the recess. Members will be aware that the agricultural business improvement scheme has caused much consternation in recent months and has been the subject of an inquiry by the Rural Affairs Committee, which will report tomorrow. It is essential that the business of the ABIS be settled by the end of December, as European legislation payments have to be approved by that time. Currently there are 4,000 outstanding payments, amounting to £22 million—many people have expended money under the scheme.

At lunch time today, the Scottish National party gave the Executive notice that we wished to use the last hour of tomorrow's Opposition time to debate motion S1M-376, in the name of Fergus Ewing, to allow the Parliament to discuss the matter before the recess. If we do not discuss it before the recess, many thousands of people will be disadvantaged.

The Executive has refused that request. That interferes with the right of Opposition parties to nominate the way in which they wish to use Opposition time. I ask Mr McCabe to reflect on the matter. I hope that when we meet tomorrow, the Executive will have accepted that the Opposition can bring the matter for debate. The issue has a direct consequence for thousands of people and, given the commitment made by Lord Sewel to pay the money, for the integrity of the Government.

On a point of order. In November, I lodged a motion in much the same terms as the one to which Mr Russell refers. Why is it that no members of the SNP have bothered to take up the issue until today? We have wasted a whole month.

That is not a point of order; it is a point of argument.

I would like to take this opportunity to associate the Conservative party with the remarks made by Mike Russell. This week, I visited the Highlands and spoke to many farmers who are affected by the situation, and it is a matter for grave concern. We are as concerned as the SNP. I commend the SNP for its decision to volunteer part of its time and I hope that that is successful.

There is a need for some reflection. We are discussing a motion on the recess that was agreed only yesterday in the Parliamentary Bureau. Yesterday, the SNP had the opportunity to alter its choice of subject for the debate on non- Executive business—it did not take it.

The request is at such short notice as to be a discourtesy to the whole chamber. I am surprised to hear the convener of the committee that is about to report to the Parliament on the subject requesting a debate before all members have had an opportunity to consider the report. That is another discourtesy.

There are very good reasons why the Executive has said that if it behaved in that manner, the SNP and Mr Russell would be the first to criticise. We do not wish to accede to the request.