On a point of order, Presiding Officer. At 3.30 this morning, Police Scotland’s Bilston Glen call centre stopped taking calls due to technical difficulties. That was admitted by Police Scotland nine hours later. Police Scotland says that all calls were diverted and there was no disruption to the service, but a constituent told me at 7.20 am that he had tried and failed to get his 101 call answered.
The matter of police control rooms is one that the Parliament has spent considerable time scrutinising. It would be right for us to hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on this today. It appears that there is no Parliamentary Bureau motion to alter the order of business today to allow for a statement from the cabinet secretary. The precedent from 2004 is that ministers cannot be compelled to make a statement to Parliament even if time is allocated for that by a vote to change business. Presiding Officer, have you received any indication from Government ministers under rule 13.2.2 that they propose to offer an urgent statement to Parliament this afternoon and, if so, when do you expect the statement to be taken?
Thank you for your point of order, Mr Rennie. I have had no indication from the Government that it wishes to make a statement, but the Minister for Parliamentary Business has heard what you have had to say, and I am sure that he will, as usual, reflect on it.
We had a Parliamentary Bureau meeting this morning, and there has been no approach from then to now. Obviously, I heard what Willie Rennie said, but there has been no contact with my office.
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Time for Reflection