Business Motion
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-824, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Wednesday 4 February 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Ministerial Statement - A Housing Standard for the 21st Century
followed by Motion on the Energy Bill - UK Legislation
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 5 February 2004
9.30 am Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.30 pm Question Time
3.10 pm Executive Debate on the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2004
followed by Motion on Gender Recognition Bill - UK Legislation
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 11 February 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish National Party Business
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 12 February 2004
9.30 am Procedures Committee Debate on its 2nd Report 2003: Oral Questions in the Chamber
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.30 pm Question Time
3.10 pm Stage 3 of the Budget (Scotland) Bill
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Motion on Higher Education Bill - UK Legislation
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business.—[Patricia Ferguson.]
I oppose the business motion because it is not appropriate for the Parliament to attempt to discuss the Sewel motion on the United Kingdom Energy Bill next week. Sewel motions are sometimes an appropriate way to legislate and to save the Scottish Parliament time and resources, but the UK Energy Bill process has been far too rushed for proper consideration. The bill will have a major impact on Scotland and the work of the Scottish Parliament. It will result in crucial issues, such as the environmental aspects of the management of nuclear waste and nuclear decommissioning, being taken out of the hands of the Scottish Parliament. Renewable energy companies have also said that they are concerned that there might be major implications for their ability to deliver the Scottish Executive's target of 40 per cent renewable energy by 2020 if the bill is passed.
Yesterday, only an hour was allocated for the Enterprise and Culture Committee to discuss the bill. That was not enough time to scrutinise it properly and to take proper evidence. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the Parliament to discuss the motion next week. The process is being rushed, but the issue is too important to be rushed. The bill will have too much of an impact on Scotland and so it would be inappropriate for the Sewel motion to be discussed next week.
On the Sewel motion, members have had longer to consider the issues relating to the Westminster bill than they have had with many other Westminster bills. At the Enterprise and Culture Committee's meeting yesterday, the convener correctly pointed out that the bill and its explanatory notes were published on 27 November, so they have been in the public domain for some two months. During that period, some MSPs have sensibly taken the opportunity to ask parliamentary questions about the bill. Those supplement the scrutiny that was given to the bill yesterday in the one-and-a-quarter-hour slot that the committee devoted to it and that will be given to it in the hour and a half that will be devoted to it in the chamber next week.
The timetable is tight, but manageable. We must give Westminster a view in accordance with the bill's timetable and MSPs have sufficient information to reach an informed conclusion next week about the Sewel motion. The proper course is to consider the motion and to let the Parliament determine whether it is content with it. If some committee members are concerned about a lack of time for considering the proposals for which consent is being sought, one wonders why they spent so much of their time yesterday discussing entirely reserved provisions that are not relevant to whether permission for a Sewel motion is granted or withheld.
The question is, that motion S2M-824, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, be agreed to. Are members agreed?
No.
There will be a division.
For
Adam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab)
Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Barrie, Scott (Dunfermline West) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab)
Brocklebank, Mr Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD)
Butler, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)
Cunningham, Roseanna (Perth) (SNP)
Curran, Ms Margaret (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)
Davidson, Mr David (North East Scotland) (Con)
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James (Lothians) (Con)
Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)
Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray) (SNP)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallie, Phil (South of Scotland) (Con)
Gibson, Rob (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Gillon, Karen (Clydesdale) (Lab)
Glen, Marlyn (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Goldie, Miss Annabel (West of Scotland) (Con)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Grahame, Christine (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab)
Home Robertson, Mr John (East Lothian) (Lab)
Hughes, Janis (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)
Hyslop, Fiona (Lothians) (SNP)
Ingram, Mr Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Jackson, Dr Sylvia (Stirling) (Lab)
Jackson, Gordon (Glasgow Govan) (Lab)
Jamieson, Cathy (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)
Jamieson, Margaret (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Mr Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (Lab)
Lochhead, Richard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
Lyon, George (Argyll and Bute) (LD)
MacAskill, Mr Kenny (Lothians) (SNP)
Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)
Macintosh, Mr Kenneth (Eastwood) (Lab)
Maclean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Macmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Martin, Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)
Marwick, Tricia (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Maxwell, Mr Stewart (West of Scotland) (SNP)
May, Christine (Central Fife) (Lab)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)
McCabe, Mr Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab)
McConnell, Mr Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
McFee, Mr Bruce (West of Scotland) (SNP)
McGrigor, Mr Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McLetchie, David (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con)
McMahon, Michael (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
McNeil, Mr Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)
McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Milne, Mrs Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mitchell, Margaret (Central Scotland) (Con)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Morgan, Alasdair (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Morrison, Mr Alasdair (Western Isles) (Lab)
Muldoon, Bristow (Livingston) (Lab)
Mulligan, Mrs Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab)
Munro, John Farquhar (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD)
Murray, Dr Elaine (Dumfries) (Lab)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Oldfather, Irene (Cunninghame South) (Lab)
Peacock, Peter (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Peattie, Cathy (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD)
Purvis, Jeremy (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)
Raffan, Mr Keith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
Robison, Shona (Dundee East) (SNP)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Smith, Iain (North East Fife) (LD)
Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow) (SNP)
Swinburne, John (Central Scotland) (SSCUP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Tosh, Murray (West of Scotland) (Con)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watson, Mike (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Wilson, Allan (Cunninghame North) (Lab)
Against
Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green)
Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green)
Ballard, Mark (Lothians) (Green)
Byrne, Ms Rosemary (South of Scotland) (SSP)
Curran, Frances (West of Scotland) (SSP)
Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Leckie, Carolyn (Central Scotland) (SSP)
Ruskell, Mr Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Scott, Eleanor (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 99, Against 10, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Further to Carolyn Leckie's earlier point of order and the resulting protests, I say that I fully support the right of all MSPs to express their views and I believe that the Presiding Officer—
I thought that your point of order was germane to this item. I will take your point of order once the voting has finished.