On a point of order, Presiding Officer. At First Minister’s questions today, the First Minister, in response to a question from me on the referendum on independence, stated the following, and I quote from the Official Report:
I thank Mr Fraser for that point of order, but he will be aware that in matters of veracity, members, including the First Minister, are responsible for what they say during proceedings. I note, nonetheless, what Mr Fraser has to say and I hope that all members will reflect on what they say and have said in the chamber. If they think that they may have misled Parliament, they may wish to address that.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. With reference to Mr Fraser’s point of order, would the Presiding Officers make time available should the First Minister wish to return at the earliest opportunity to the Parliament to clarify the comments that he made?
We would consider any such request through the normal channels.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. While I fully accept your ruling as regards the responsibility of each member to be truthful when he or she speaks on any particular topic, do we not have a responsibility as a Parliament to the people who elect us and who may not be in a position to hear corrections being made? Should we not make a correction plain to the people outside here, particularly on such an important constitutional question?
I refer the member to my previous answer to Murdo Fraser that members of Parliament are responsible to Parliament for what they say.
Will the Presiding Officers reflect on the fact that, in this case, it is not only that it appears that the Parliament was misinformed, but that somebody’s views were misrepresented, and that person is not in a position to make sure that the record is changed. I think that that is another issue that we would want you to consider.
I think that we have already essentially dealt with that point of order, but I thank you, nonetheless, for raising it.