Business Motion
The next item is the business motion, S1M-167.
As is normal, the motion sets out the business for next week and the provisional business for the following week.
On the afternoon of Wednesday 29 September, it is proposed that there will be a debate on an Executive motion on manufacturing and industrial strategy for Scotland. That will be followed by any motions put forward by the Parliamentary Bureau in respect of Scottish statutory instruments—which will be taken without debate—and by any procedural motions to be considered by the Parliament. Decision time will take place at 5 pm. After decision time, there will be a members' business debate on motion S1M-153, in the name of Mr Donald Gorrie, on the involvement of football clubs in local communities.
Business on Thursday 30 September will begin at 9.30 am with a debate on a non-Executive motion from the Scottish National party on education. On conclusion of the debate, I will move a further business motion. The afternoon will start as usual with question time at 2.30 pm, and at 3.15 pm there will be a debate on stage 1 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill and the financial resolution that is required to accompany the bill. That will be followed by any motions put forward by the Parliamentary Bureau on SSIs, to be taken without debate. Decision time will take place at 5 pm, to be followed by a members' business debate on motion S1M-140, in the name of Mr Fergus Ewing, on the upgrading of the Mallaig road.
As I said, the business for the following week is provisional. On Wednesday 6 October, the first item of business at 2.30 pm will be a debate on an Executive motion on a subject yet to be announced. Decision time will take place at 5 pm. After decision time, there will be a members' business debate. The motion for that has yet to be selected.
On Thursday 7 October at 9.30 am, the first item of business will be a ministerial statement and debate on the Executive's expenditure plans. Immediately before lunch, I will move a business motion on future business. The afternoon will begin with question time at 2.30 pm. That will be followed by Executive business on a subject yet to be announced.
On both days of that week, provision will be made to enable Parliament to consider any motions put forward by the Parliamentary Bureau in respect of SSIs—which will be taken without debate—and by any other procedural motions required to be considered by the Parliament. Decision time on 7 October will take place at 5 pm, and will be followed by a members' business debate on a motion that has not yet been selected.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Wednesday 29 September 1999
2.30 pm Debate on an Executive Motion on a Manufacturing and Industrial Strategy for Scotland followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
Thursday 30 September 1999
9.30 am Non-Executive Business: Debate on a Motion by the Scottish National Party followed by, no later than 12.20 pm Business Motion
2.30 pm Question Time 3.00 pm Open Question Time followed by, no later than 3.15 pm Stage 1 Debate on the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill followed by Motion on a Financial Resolution required in relation to the provisions of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 6 October 1999
2.30 pm Executive Business followed by Parliamentary Bureau motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business Thursday 7 October 1999
9.30 am Ministerial Statement and Debate on the Executive's Expenditure Plans 12.20 pm Business Motion 2.30 pm Question Time 3.00 pm Open Question Time followed by, no later than 3.15 pm Executive Business
followed by Parliamentary Bureau motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members' Business
The question is, that motion S1M-167, in the name of Mr Tom McCabe, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Question, That the meeting be now adjourned until 2.30 pm today, put and agreed to.—[Mr McCabe.]
Meeting adjourned at 12:35.
On resuming—
Before we begin the afternoon session, I want to respond to the points of order that were raised at the end of the morning.
It is the policy of the chair to try to include as many members as possible in debates. That may sometimes mean that a debate will overrun by a few minutes. Frankly, the alternative is to do what they do at the House of Commons, which is to cut people off in mid-sentence. I believe that a bit of flexibility is to be encouraged.
I have read the report of the Procedures Committee's meeting on Tuesday, which indicates that during question time the chair should be stricter on irrelevant supplementaries and on members making statements instead of asking questions. I propose to follow the committee's advice.