Plenary, 19 Jun 2008

Meeting date: Thursday, June 19, 2008

Official Report 709KB pdf

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Points of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I understand that you may plan to take longer than this afternoon before giving us your reflections on the point of order that I raised at lunch time, but I wish to put two points on the record before that point of order is addressed.

Rule 13.7.7 of standing orders says clearly that

"A member asking a question shall, in asking the question, not depart from the terms of the question."

Paragraph 4.12 of the guidance on parliamentary questions, which was circulated to all members and which the Parliament published for our use and to guide people outside the Parliament, says clearly:

"Rule 13.7"—

to which I referred—

"deals with the procedure for asking oral questions in the chamber. When asking the question, the Member must repeat the full text of the question as printed in the Business Bulletin."

I raise the issue again because it is important for members to have clarification before the deadline on Monday for lodging questions for next week's First Minister's question time. I respectfully ask the Presiding Officer to give us such clarification before Monday, so that next week's questions can be dealt with appropriately.

Thank you for the point of order. I make it clear that I did not undertake earlier to come back to the chamber this afternoon. I said that I took the point of order in the constructive way in which it was made and that I would deliberate on it. I will do that, but I gave no undertaking to come back to the chamber.

Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer.

I have not finished answering the first point yet, Ms MacDonald.

I will reflect again on what Mr McConnell has said. If necessary, I will take steps to clarify the situation before the deadline for lodging questions next Monday. Members should be aware that, in general, they should ask only the question that was lodged and which appears in the Business Bulletin.

Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer. I am sorry to persist with the point; I tried initially to raise the matter constructively. I believe that the rules as written and agreed by the Parliament and as circulated for the Parliament's use and for the understanding of those outside the Parliament are not to be interpreted generally but to be adhered to. Therefore, it is important to receive clarification that, when a member lodges a question that is selected for answer, that question will be read out in full or withdrawn. If you decide in due course, following reflection, not to provide further clarification to the chamber or to members in writing, it is important that you advise members on how best to raise the issue through the Procedures Committee or otherwise, to ensure that the Parliament's rules are followed to the letter.

I cannot add to what I have said. I will take away the matter to ponder and deliberate on. If it is necessary to take further steps before midday next Monday, I will do so.

Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer. I hope that you will be patient with me, because I seek only to add to what Mr McConnell said. He might be absolutely technically correct, but I think that I speak for several members when I say that how we prescribe the question time period that is open to us does not serve the Parliament's interests. Will you take a wider view than just considering the point that Mr McConnell asked you to address?

As Ms MacDonald is well aware, that is not a point of order. If she wishes to raise the matter through the Procedures Committee, she is welcome to do so.