Plenary, 25 Jan 2007

Meeting date: Thursday, January 25, 2007

Official Report 719KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wish to raise a point of order under rules 5.5 and 5.9 of standing orders in relation to the Business Bulletin. In today's bulletin, the words "Not Lodged" appear opposite question 4 in the list of general questions in the section announcing oral questions lodged for 1 February. That follows a similar offence—if I may use that word, Presiding Officer—by the same Labour back bencher in relation to question 1 on the list of enterprise, lifelong learning and transport questions asked on 18 January.

Presiding Officer, you will be aware of rule 5.5, which empowers the publication of a daily business list, and of rule 5.9, which includes the statement that

"the Business Bulletin may include any other information which the Clerk considers appropriate."

In the light of those powers, will you suggest to the clerk that, when the words "Not Lodged" are used in the Business Bulletin, they be followed by the name of the member who did not lodge the question? That would allow other members, the public and the press to identify more readily members who may be neglecting their duties and, in particular, to pull down a degree of public opprobrium on the heads of serial offenders such as the culprit in this case, Ms Wendy Alexander.

I thank Mr Stevenson for advance notice of his point of order, which I take seriously. For some time now, the Presiding Officers have monitored the issue of questions not being lodged and are concerned that procedures are being misused. The Presiding Officers will reflect on your suggestion of naming members in the Business Bulletin. However, in the meantime, I remind all members of their responsibility and duty to ensure that, when they succeed in the ballot, they lodge questions.