Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Thursday, June 27, 2013
Official Report
837KB pdf
Point of Order
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
In March, during a debate on policing, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice told the Parliament:
“High-level agreement on corporate functions was reached at the SPA board meeting on 18 January. There was further dialogue on the detail and staff designations were agreed at the SPA board meeting last Friday”—
that is, 8 March—
“I am sure that all members will join me in welcoming that agreement.”—[Official Report, 13 March 2013; c 17671.]
Within the past hour, we learned from the chairman of the Scottish Police Authority—here, in Parliament—that the arrangements were agreed only yesterday and that the SPA has still not finalised the role description for its chief executive, let alone started recruiting. We know that the interim chief executive resigned in February and that as a result the SPA must recruit a second interim chief executive.
The position is the exact opposite of the orderly situation that the justice secretary described. I do not think that Parliament would have voted to support the justice secretary’s welcome in March if he had been clear with us about the turmoil in the organisation.
Is there time this afternoon for the justice secretary to come to Parliament to explain himself? [Interruption.]
Order, please.
As Mr Rennie is no doubt aware, that is not a matter for me. However, I am sure that the Scottish ministers will have heard his point of order. It is for ministers to respond to the points that he has made, if they wish to do so.
Willie Rennie has the opportunity to raise the matter with his business manager, who is able to raise the issue at the next Parliamentary Bureau meeting, in relation to future business.