Plenary,

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Official Report 416KB pdf

---

Point of Order

I understand, Ms Curran, that you have given notice of a point of order.

Yes. On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In response to the point of order raised earlier by Tricia Marwick, I indicate to the chamber that I am very surprised by the approach taken by her and by the Scottish National Party. Not for the first time in this chamber has the SNP relied—inappropriately, in my view—on second-hand information. Having failed to lay a glove on the First Minister at question time, the SNP has now reverted to questioning the behaviour and actions of an official. [Interruption.]

Order. This is important.

Let me re-emphasise that it is not appropriate to call into question the actions of officials who cannot answer for themselves in this chamber. I have looked into the matter and spoken directly to the official concerned. The official has assured me that, during the briefing for journalists, no specific figure on the security costs for G8 was mentioned. You will understand, Presiding Officer, that that is why some of us do not take it very seriously when people who are so insistent about having time for debate then waste the Parliament's time with frivolous points of order.

Today, on the domestic front, we have had a statement on the future of our nation's health; and, on the international front, the First Minister is representing Scotland in Malawi, considering issues of poverty and solidarity. It would be far better for this Parliament, and for the impression that we give to the people of Scotland, if we focused on issues of substance. Perhaps once in a while, the SNP could do that as well.

Just before I come to Ms Marwick, I wish to say that I regret that I did not catch the eye of the Minister for Parliamentary Business earlier. I would have preferred to have taken the point of order earlier, as was the minister's intention, but it did not happen.

Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer. You will recall that my point of order focused exclusively on the behaviour of the First Minister and on his discourtesy to the chamber.

With regard to the press articles that I quoted, I invite the Minister for Parliamentary Business and yourself, Presiding Officer, to examine the press coverage, all of which suggested a figure of £50 million. If that figure was not given by Executive sources, perhaps the Minister for Parliamentary Business will tell us where it came from.

I am afraid that I can only repeat what I said earlier. I have no way of establishing what was said or not said in this particular case. I am not responsible for what the First Minister says in this chamber, nor indeed for what his representatives say outside. You have heard the statement from the Minister for Parliamentary Business, Ms Marwick, and I suggest that we leave the matter there.