Plenary, 20 Mar 2003

Meeting date: Thursday, March 20, 2003

Official Report 592KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

I hope that it is a real point of order.

I have already alerted your office to this point of order, Presiding Officer. A serious and grave statement is being made in Westminster today, which has implications for this Parliament. Have you had notice that there will be an Executive statement on whether it, too, wishes to impose a settlement on the firefighters of this country? Will the Executive undemocratically remove the right of trade unionists to take industrial action?

The answer is no, I have not had a request for such a statement but, with great perspicacity on my part, I selected question 4 to the First Minister, and the member's question will be in order at First Minister's question time.

On a point of order.

Is it the same point of order?

It is further to the point of order. I concur with Tommy Sheridan that the matter to which he referred is an extremely important one for the Parliament. I seek your guidance on whether the Executive has given you any indication that a Sewel motion will be lodged and debated in the Parliament next week, or that the Executive intends to make a statement this afternoon on whether legislation will be introduced in Scotland.

With great respect to the member, I have already answered that. Question 4 at First Minister's question time is on that matter, which is a question for the Executive, not for me. Members can ask that question when we reach First Minister's question time.