Plenary, 19 Sep 2007

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Official Report 411KB pdf

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Business Motion

The next item is consideration of business motion S3M-493, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—

Wednesday 26 September 2007

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Ministerial Statement: Enterprise Networks

followed by Scottish Government Debate: Housing

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 27 September 2007

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Liberal Democrats Business

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Finance and Sustainable Growth;

Justice and Law Officers

2.55 pm Ministerial Statement: Rail Links to Edinburgh Airport

followed by Ministerial Statement: Broadcasting

followed by Procedures Committee Debate: 1st Report 2007 (Session 3), Merging the Procedures Committee and the Standards and Public Appointments Committee

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Wednesday 3 October 2007

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Government Business

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 4 October 2007

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Government Business

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time

Education and Lifelong Learning;

Europe, External Affairs and Culture

2.55 pm Scottish Government Business

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business—[Bruce Crawford.]

I will not oppose the business motion this afternoon, but I want to raise a matter that I raised in the Parliamentary Bureau.

Next week there will be important ministerial statements on the enterprise networks, on the Edinburgh airport rail link and on broadcasting. I will put to one side broadcasting, which was grandstanded by the First Minister over the summer recess rather than being reported first to Parliament, as I understand that there will be a debate on the matter in due course.

The other two issues raise vital matters for the Scottish economy and for the relationship between the Parliament and the Executive, but as yet we have no undertaking from the Minister for Parliamentary Business to have a debate on either of them. Attention at the Parliamentary Bureau was focused on EARL, to which I will return, but I will first ask the minister specifically whether he proposes to schedule a debate on the future of the Scottish enterprise networks before the October recess.

I raised the other matter, EARL, at the Parliamentary Bureau and it was the subject of an extensive exchange. I acknowledge that the minister reluctantly agreed, without making a commitment on the issue, to come back to the bureau on the matter next week. I want to put on the record today the view of the Liberal Democrats that the importance of the issue and the uncertainty that surrounds it are such that there requires to be a parliamentary debate on it—preferably next week but certainly before the October recess.

I entirely support the comments of my colleague Robert Brown. Like Robert Brown, I indicate that we will not oppose the business motion. However, I invite the Presiding Officer to take a wider look at the use of ministerial statements, including consideration of the circumstances when debates may be more appropriate than ministerial statements, the conventions about the timing of providing statements to Opposition spokespeople and the briefing of the press in advance of such statements.

I am grateful to Jackie Baillie for her comments, with which I agree—particularly given that, unlike the First Minister, she does not make them from a sedentary position. Members will be aware that there was a ministerial statement followed by a debate on the issue in June, following which the Government proposals were roundly defeated by Parliament. To his credit, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth made a gracious climbdown and undertook to come back to Parliament in the autumn. I must confess that it never crossed my mind that the Scottish National Party would try to avoid a further parliamentary debate on the issue. EARL manifestly cannot stay in the position in which it is now in. Work has stopped and a cloud of uncertainty surrounds EARL. Delay will cause cost rises. Subject to the governance issues that were noted by the Auditor General for Scotland being resolved, it was the clear wish of Parliament to proceed with it. [Interruption.]

Order.

The minister will no doubt advise us that the Executive is bending over backwards to oblige Parliament—it is not. The Executive is clearly set on doing all that it can to frustrate Parliament. If the minister is not able to give an assurance today that there will be a debate on EARL before the recess, I put him on notice that the Liberal Democrats will seek to amend the business motion for that purpose at the Parliamentary Bureau next Tuesday and, if necessary, in the chamber.

I will deal with the points of issue but not with some of the spurious points that Robert Brown raised. I am somewhat surprised to be yet again standing in Parliament responding to an issue relating to the Parliamentary Bureau business motion.

Robert Brown has raised a couple of issues. With regard to the request for a debate on the rail link to Edinburgh airport, the Presiding Officer will be aware that there was a lengthy discussion at the bureau meeting on Tuesday and that a collective decision was reached. I stand by the commitment that I made at the bureau and I will bring the matter back next week when an item will properly be put on the agenda to enable discussion and debate of the issue. The request for a debate on the enterprise networks raises an entirely new issue that was not raised at the bureau meeting, which is the rightful place to raise such concerns.

I remind Robert Brown and Jackie Baillie that a business motion is not a Government motion but a Parliamentary Bureau motion, which is agreed by all business managers. I seek the Presiding Officer's guidance on the points raised by Robert Brown.

I thank the minister for that response.

I confirm that Parliamentary Bureau motions are a collective responsibility. I also confirm that any bureau member has the absolute right to challenge business motions. However, I take the opportunity to stress that if business managers intend to raise issues when a business motion is moved, I would expect them to have made their position clear when the draft motion was being discussed at the bureau meeting.

I have made it clear in the past that I take the release of statements to the press very seriously, because that calls into question the integrity of Parliament. I will continue to monitor the situation carefully. Members are not slow to make me aware when they have concerns on these issues. This is a subject in which I take a close interest and, as I said, I will continue to monitor the situation.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. On behalf of those of us who are not members of the bureau, I wish you to reassert the primacy of Parliament on these issues. [Interruption.] I think that I am entitled to be heard in silence, Presiding Officer—you often ask me to listen to others in silence and, as you know, I always acknowledge that.

Please continue to make your point.

The point that I am making is vital. As a previous Minister for Parliamentary Business, I acknowledged in my work in the bureau that primacy lies with the Parliament and that every single member of it has the right to raise their concerns in the chamber. Matters can emerge and it is vital that the Parliament hears all the issues. The bureau does not have special privileges over the Parliament.

I am not aware that the primacy of the Parliament is being called into question in any shape or form. I said that I would expect business managers to raise issues to do with the business motion in the bureau, which is where they rightfully belong.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Do you accept that I raised issues to do with EARL in the bureau? There was a lengthy debate about the matter. I have not opposed the business motion today. I have laid some issues before the Parliament, so that members are aware of them, and I have given the Parliament, the bureau and you, Presiding Officer, notice of what the Liberal Democrat position will be if there is no movement on the matter by next Tuesday.

You have clarified your position through your point of order and your contribution on the business motion. That is now clear to the Parliament. I believe that I have made clear my position. The fact is that the Minister for Parliamentary Business undertook to come back to the bureau next Tuesday with a possible timetable for the consideration of EARL.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would be obliged if you would clarify that after the bureau has reached a decision—to which, as I recall, a member of the bureau can record dissent—it is open to any member to challenge it or to seek more information on it when the matter comes to Parliament.

Yes. I am happy to confirm that.

Motion agreed to.

That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—

Wednesday 26 September 2007

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Ministerial Statement: Enterprise Networks

followed by Scottish Government Debate: Housing

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 27 September 2007

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Liberal Democrats Business

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time—

Finance and Sustainable Growth;

Justice and Law Officers

2.55 pm Ministerial Statement: Rail Links to Edinburgh Airport

followed by Ministerial Statement: Broadcasting

followed by Procedures Committee Debate: 1st Report 2007 (Session 3), Merging the Procedures Committee and the Standards and Public Appointments Committee

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Wednesday 3 October 2007

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Government Business

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 4 October 2007

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Government Business

11.40 am General Question Time

12 noon First Minister's Question Time

2.15 pm Themed Question Time

Education and Lifelong Learning;

Europe, External Affairs and Culture

2.55 pm Scottish Government Business

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business