Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, April 24, 2014

Official Report 832KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I refer to this afternoon’s members’ business debate on motion S4M-09191, on local knowledge under fire.

David Stewart’s debate on the restructuring of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would normally have benefited from a response from the justice portfolio. An explanation of the minister’s absence was duly offered, but without further explanation, the Parliament heard solely from the Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Female Employment. Is it within the Presiding Officer’s role to seek information from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on what other duty prevented his attendance at the debate to respond on behalf of the Scottish Government?

I thank Mr Pearson for the advance notification of his plan to raise that matter. That is not a point of order for me. It is entirely a matter for the Scottish Government to decide who is appropriate to represent the Scottish ministers during parliamentary debates in the chamber.

Meeting closed at 17:02.