Business Motion
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-1731, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Wednesday 29 September 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Debate: Spending Review 2004 – Enterprise, Opportunity and Fairness
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 30 September 2004
9.30 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.00 pm Question Time—
Enterprise, Lifelong Learning and Transport;
Justice and Law Officers;
General Questions
3.00 pm Stage 1 Debate on the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 6 October 2004
9.30 am Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Business
followed by Members' Business
2.00 pm Question Time—
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport;
Finance and Public Services and Communities;
General Questions
followed by Committee Business
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 7 October 2004
9.30 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Business
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
and (b) that the period for lodging questions for Question Time on 6 October 2004 should end at 4.00 pm on Monday 27 September.—[Patricia Ferguson.]
I find it regrettable that I must oppose the business motion, but since way before the summer recess, it has been apparent that, because of the convergence of issues in the national health service—such as centralisation and the implementation of new contracts for doctors—cuts and closures would occur over the summer and boil up. It should have been no surprise that the Parliament's first week in the new building would see health campaigners ringing the building to protest not at its cost, but about the most important issue that faces Scotland. That is why I have been trying patiently—patience is not normally a quality of mine, but I have been patient—to persuade the Executive to devote exclusive debating time to the crisis that faces the NHS, but the answer is a consistent no.
We have spent four and a half hours debating the Holyrood project. Members have expressed concern that the project has undermined the public's confidence in the Parliament and in devolution itself, but how much more is confidence undermined by the perception that the Executive is running scared of a debate on the NHS? There will be many different views on how to resolve the crisis and competing ideologies about the future of the NHS, but surely we can agree on one thing: the Parliament needs to talk about it and if it does not, the Executive will deserve a reputation for ducking the difficult issues.
The Executive hides behind reserved matters when that suits it, but in an area in which it has power, there is nowhere to hide. It is unacceptable that members of Parliament can summon our Minister for Health and Community Care to a Parliament in Westminster but the Executive refuses to allow itself to be held to account in this Parliament at its initiative. I therefore ask members to oppose the business motion and invite the Executive to lodge another business motion that includes an NHS debate in Executive time to show that it is not running scared.
I understand that Ms Leckie was at the Health Committee meeting yesterday, but I am not sure whether she noticed that the committee had that conversation with our Minister for Health and Community Care at that meeting, which is right and fitting.
In the past year alone, since we were re-elected to the Parliament—or elected for the first time in the case of some members—there have been eight Executive-led debates on health, the last of which was only a fortnight ago during the debate on the legislative programme. In the same period, there were only two Opposition-led debates on health, both of which were initiated by the Conservative party. No such debates were initiated by any of the other parties in the Parliament, including that of which Ms Leckie is a member.
I hope that Ms Leckie, given her experience in the Parliamentary Bureau, now understands that, while the Executive determines what subjects are discussed in Executive time, it is for Opposition parties to decide what issues are discussed in their time. There will, no doubt, be further debates on health in the time to come. We on the Executive benches look forward to them.
The question is, that motion S2M-1731, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
No.
There will be a division.
For
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab)
Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Barrie, Scott (Dunfermline West) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab)
Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD)
Butler, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)
Curran, Ms Margaret (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)
Deacon, Susan (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)
Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Finnie, Ross (West of Scotland) (LD)
Godman, Trish (West Renfrewshire) (Lab)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab)
Home Robertson, Mr John (East Lothian) (Lab)
Hughes, Janis (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)
Jackson, Dr Sylvia (Stirling) (Lab)
Jackson, Gordon (Glasgow Govan) (Lab)
Jamieson, Cathy (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)
Jamieson, Margaret (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
Kerr, Mr Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (Lab)
Lyon, George (Argyll and Bute) (LD)
Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)
Macintosh, Mr Kenneth (Eastwood) (Lab)
Maclean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Macmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)
May, Christine (Central Fife) (Lab)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)
McCabe, Mr Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab)
McConnell, Mr Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
McMahon, Michael (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
McNeil, Mr Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)
McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Morrison, Mr Alasdair (Western Isles) (Lab)
Mulligan, Mrs Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab)
Munro, John Farquhar (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD)
Murray, Dr Elaine (Dumfries) (Lab)
Oldfather, Irene (Cunninghame South) (Lab)
Peattie, Cathy (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD)
Purvis, Jeremy (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Scott, Tavish (Shetland) (LD)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watson, Mike (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Wilson, Allan (Cunninghame North) (Lab)
Against
Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green)
Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green)
Ballard, Mark (Lothians) (Green)
Canavan, Dennis (Falkirk West) (Ind)
Crawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Curran, Frances (West of Scotland) (SSP)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)
Fabiani, Linda (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Fox, Colin (Lothians) (SSP)
Grahame, Christine (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Ingram, Mr Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Kane, Rosie (Glasgow) (SSP)
Leckie, Carolyn (Central Scotland) (SSP)
Lochhead, Richard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
MacAskill, Mr Kenny (Lothians) (SNP)
MacDonald, Margo (Lothians) (Ind)
Martin, Campbell (West of Scotland) (Ind)
Marwick, Tricia (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Central Scotland) (SNP)
McFee, Mr Bruce (West of Scotland) (SNP)
Morgan, Alasdair (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Muldoon, Bristow (Livingston) (Lab)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mr Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Scott, Eleanor (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow) (SNP)
Swinburne, John (Central Scotland) (SSCUP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Turner, Dr Jean (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
Abstentions
Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con)
Brocklebank, Mr Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Davidson, Mr David (North East Scotland) (Con)
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James (Lothians) (Con)
Fergusson, Alex (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallie, Phil (South of Scotland) (Con)
Goldie, Miss Annabel (West of Scotland) (Con)
Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con)
McGrigor, Mr Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McLetchie, David (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con)
Milne, Mrs Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Mundell, David (South of Scotland) (Con)
Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Tosh, Murray (West of Scotland) (Con)
The result of the division is: For 61, Against 33, Abstentions 17.
Motion agreed to.
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Wednesday 29 September 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Debate: Spending Review 2004 – Enterprise, Opportunity and Fairness
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 30 September 2004
9.30 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.00 pm Question Time—
Enterprise, Lifelong Learning and Transport;
Justice and Law Officers;
General Questions
3.00 pm Stage 1 Debate on the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 6 October 2004
9.30 am Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Business
followed by Members' Business
2.00 pm Question Time—
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport;
Finance and Public Services and Communities;
General Questions
followed by Committee Business
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 7 October 2004
9.30 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Business
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
and (b) that the period for lodging questions for Question Time on 6 October 2004 should end at 4.00 pm on Monday 27 September.