Contents
- Scottish Parliament Thursday 25 May 2000
- Race Relations
- “Rural Scotland: A New Approach”
- Business Motion
- Question Time
- First Minister's Question Time
- Caledonian MacBrayne
- Points of Order
- Education and Training (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
- Education and Training (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution
- Decision Time
- Dyspraxia
Points of Order
On a point of order. It is with some reluctance that I raise this point of order, which is on the consistency of rulings that have come from the chair during this afternoon's business. On a number of occasions, Opposition members have been reminded of their obligation to stick to the subject of the main question, but ministers have not been required to stick to their obligation to answer the questions that have been posed. With courtesy and respect, Presiding Officer, I ask you to reflect on the rulings that you have given to the chamber this afternoon. [Applause.]
On the first point—questions asked by members—as always, I will look, with courtesy and respect, at the text that comes out tomorrow to see whether any such question is justified. However, I am not responsible for answers given nor do I ever rule on answers.
Further to that point of order. A minister, Mr Alasdair Morrison, today answered a question with a question back to the questioner. Will you give the minister some guidance about how he conducts himself in the chamber and how he should answer questions in future?
There is nothing in standing orders to say that ministers cannot ask rhetorical questions in the course of their answers. However, I appreciate that it is common that people asking questions do not like the answers they get—or even the answers they do not get. There is nothing that the chair can do about that.