Plenary, 25 Mar 2009
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Official Report
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Point of Order
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I stand having consulted the business managers for the Labour Party and the Conservative party. We are concerned about a letter that you have sent to Ken Macintosh MSP and its implications for the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill. In the letter, you refer to Mr Macintosh's amendment 23. That is the only adjudication that has been made on the amendment. The letter states:
"As you may know, Rule 9.12.6 of the Parliament's standing orders states that, where the effect of an amendment to a Bill, if agreed to, would be that the Bill would require a financial resolution which it would not otherwise require, no proceedings can be taken on the amendment unless such a resolution has been agreed to."
It is my understanding that the Government is not willing to produce such a resolution. As I understand it from the clerks to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, if you were willing to call a meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau this afternoon we could extend the timetable for the committee's stage 2 consideration of the bill to enable the problem—clearly, there is a problem—to be dealt with. The issue cannot be dealt with if the timetable is not extended. I therefore request that you call a meeting of the business bureau this afternoon.
Thank you for the point of order. The matter raises complex issues that are new to us as a Parliament. I therefore think that it would be appropriate for the Parliamentary Bureau to meet this afternoon to discuss those issues, if we can all agree a time. I have no difficulty with that whatever. We will be in touch with the business managers on that.