Plenary, 28 Jun 2001

Meeting date: Thursday, June 28, 2001

Official Report 692KB pdf

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Points of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In the budget statement this morning, we heard that ministers were to make further spending announcements over the next few weeks.

As you are aware, Presiding Officer, we go into recess this afternoon—many of us are happy with that fact. A key function of the Parliament is to scrutinise the Executive's expenditure. I suggest that the announcements that are to be made on expenditure by departmental ministers should be made to meetings of the relevant subject committees that have been convened for that purpose, rather than that we have no scrutiny over the next eight weeks, which—I am sure—the Executive would not wish and members should not tolerate.

That is not a point of order for me. It is up to each committee to decide whether it wishes to meet during the recess. If each convener wishes to contact the appropriate ministers, no doubt they could come to some agreement. It is certainly not a matter for the Parliament as a whole. It is a matter for each committee.

I think that there is another point of order.

Presiding Officer, I have written to you to explain my point of order. It concerns this morning's announcement about the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Bill, which I read with great interest on the front page of The Scotsman. I looked in vain for anything regarding the bill on the Scottish Executive or Scottish Parliament websites. I discovered that the document supply centre in the Scottish Parliament information centre had nothing and then endured a 45-minute radio programme, still with no information at all, during which I understand the Executive was having a press briefing about the bill.

I am still none the wiser on the detail of the bill. I seek your guidance on such matters. I do not expect a ministerial statement on everything, but, when the press is being advised, it is at least courtesy to ensure that members of the Parliament have the same advice as the press.

I have some sympathy with that point of order. I should explain that the delay may be partly my fault. No bill can be introduced in the Parliament, as members know, until I have signed a certificate of legislative competence. I received the bill only yesterday afternoon. I dealt with it this morning and signed the certificate at around noon today. After the certificate is signed, the bill has to go to the printers. Although, technically, it is introduced in the Parliament the minute that a copy is handed into the chamber office, no copies will be available until tomorrow.

That being the case, I will say that, when press briefing occurs, that ought to be simultaneous with the introduction of the bill, not the day before. I hope that that will be noted.

I think that there was a third point of order, but the member is not here.