Plenary, 26 Sep 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 26, 2001

Official Report 407KB pdf

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Motion without Notice

I am minded to accept a motion without notice from Euan Robson to change business this afternoon.

I move motion S1M-2251.

At the moment you are just moving to introduce a motion without notice. I have a request from Fiona Hyslop to speak on the matter.

This is the second time that a Minister for Parliament has been forced to come to Parliament to move a motion without notice to provide for a ministerial statement on care development. Indeed, the first time that such a move was required was to establish the care development group. The SNP has been right to demand that the Parliament should have the opportunity to hear the results of that group's inquiry and the response from the Executive.

The SNP has offered its time on Thursday for the issue. We do not know what is in the statement—we will have to hear it—but if it is not satisfactory to the Parliament, we will have the opportunity, because of the provision made by the SNP in its own time, to debate this important issue and vote on it. We welcome the opportunity of a ministerial statement—a move that has been forced by the SNP—and we look forward to hearing that statement and having a debate tomorrow.

Is it agreed that a motion without notice be moved?

Members indicated agreement.

Motion moved,

That motion S1M-2251 be taken at this meeting of the Parliament.—[Euan Robson.]

Motion agreed to.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Would you be minded to accept a motion without notice from me, so that the Parliament can attempt to bridge the democratic deficit that has been left by the Westminster Government's refusal to scrutinise and discuss the great matters that are in front of us, with troops being committed to adventures that many of us know nothing about, and about which we want to know much more?

I am afraid that my answer is no, I am not minded to accept a motion without notice on that subject.