Plenary, 17 Jan 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, January 17, 2001

Official Report 439KB pdf

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Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motions. The first of those is motion S1M-1552, in the name of Tom McCabe, which seeks agreement, under rule 11.2.4 of the standing orders, that decision time today shall begin at 5.30 pm.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees under Rule 11.2.4 of the Standing Orders that Decision Time on Wednesday 17 January 2001 shall begin at 5.30 pm.—[Tavish Scott.]

No one has asked to speak against the motion, so I shall put the question on it.

On a point of order.

Do you have a point of order, Mr Rumbles, or did you want to speak against the motion?

I agree with the motion that we extend business. I would prefer that we extended it a little longer as many members want to speak in the debate on the convenership of committees and I do not think that half an hour will be sufficient. I ask the business managers to accept a motion without notice further to extend business—even 15 more minutes would be helpful.

It is for me to accept a motion without notice, and I do not think that I will do that. We discussed the matter in the Parliamentary Bureau. Mr Scott will reply to the point that Mr Rumbles made.

Yesterday, at the request of some bureau members, we allocated time for a debate on the convenership of committees today. There are Sewel motions and a considerable body of other business this afternoon, so half an hour was considered adequate for that debate.

The question is, that motion S1M-1552, in the name of Tom McCabe, deferring decision time until 5.30 pm, be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

The next motion is motion S1M-1551, in the name of Tom McCabe, seeking agreement that an additional debate on motion S1M-1555, on the convenership of committees, be included in this afternoon's business programme.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees the following revisions to the Business Motion agreed on 11 January 2001—

Wednesday 17 January 2001

after "Executive Debate on the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill—UK Legislation", delete all and insert:

followed by Debate on Convenership of Committees

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.30 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business—debate on the subject of S1M-1474 Janis Hughes: Acute Health Service Review in South Glasgow—[Tavish Scott.]

Motion agreed to.

On a point of order. Is the timetable for business this afternoon rigid? If the Sewel motions do not take as long as is allocated for them, will more time be available for the debate to which Mr Rumbles referred?

Yes. If the earlier motions do not take up the full time, that debate will last longer than half an hour. It is possible that the debate on convenership will start before 5 o'clock.

The next motions are motions S1M-1553 and S1M-1554, on the designation of lead committees.

Motions moved,

That the Parliament agrees that:

the Health and Community Care Committee is designated as Lead Committee in consideration of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill and that the Bill should also be considered by the Local Government Committee and by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee; and

the Justice 1 Committee is designated as Lead Committee in consideration of the Convention Rights (Compliance) (Scotland) Bill.

That the Parliament agrees the following designation of Lead Committee—

The Health and Community Care Committee to consider the Specified Risk Material Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (SSI 2001/3) and the Specified Risk Material Order Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (SSI 2001/4).—[Tavish Scott.]

The questions on those motions will be put at decision time.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I want to put it on record that my vote against the passing of the Salmon Conservation (Scotland) Bill was not recorded.

I understand that there was a defect in either your card or the console. The point is noted.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. If the debate on stage 1 of the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Bill stops early, do you intend to proceed with the business for the rest of the day straight away?

Yes. The business motion says that that debate is "followed by" other business. The only time that is fixed this afternoon is decision time at 5.30 pm. If everything else finishes early, we will move on.