Business Motion
The next item of business is business motion S1M-2489, in the name of Euan Robson. If any member wants to speak against the motion, they should indicate that now. I call on Euan Robson to move the motion.
Before I move the motion, Presiding Officer, I must explain that the change to tomorrow's business is to allow for the election of a new Deputy Presiding Officer, following the resignation of Patricia Ferguson.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) as a revision to the Business Programme agreed on 22 November 2001
Thursday 29 November 2001
after Business Motion, insert
12.30 pm Election of Deputy Presiding Officer
(b) the following programme of business
Wednesday 5 December 2001
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Equal Opportunities Committee Inquiry into Gypsy Travellers and Public Services
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business - debate on the subject of S1M-2175 Ms Sandra White: European Year of Languages 2001 & BSL
Thursday 6 December 2001
9.30 am Stage 1 Debate on the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution in respect of the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill
12.00 noon Ministerial Statement
followed by Business Motion
2.30 pm Question Time
3.10 pm First Minister's Question Time
3.30 pm Executive Debate on Improving Scotland's Youth Justice System to Build Safer Communities
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business - debate on the subject of S1M-2428 Mr Kenneth Macintosh: 2002, Autism Awareness Year
Wednesday 12 December 2001
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Executive Business
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 13 December 2001
9.30 am Scottish National Party Business
followed by Business Motion
2.30 pm Question Time
3.10 pm First Minister's Question Time
3.30 pm Executive Debate on Fisheries
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
and (c) that Stage 2 of the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill be completed by 4 December 2001 and that Stage 2 of the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Bill be completed by 19 December 2001.
As members might be aware, at the weekend there was a suspension of payments awarded in Scotland in respect of individual learning accounts, which has major implications for the college sector, for companies and for individual trainees. Would it be possible to have a ministerial statement tomorrow on the future of ILAs?
Further to—
I am sorry, Mr Gallie—I am allowed to hear only one speaker on the matter, but I take it that you support Mr Neil's point.
Presiding Officer, it is not possible to alter the business that has been set out; however, Mr Neil can make representations through the Parliamentary Bureau in due course.
The question is, that motion S1M-2489, in the name of Euan Robson, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
No.
I think that that is agreed.
No.
As I have said previously, if members are going to shout, they must shout louder.
No.
In that case, there will be a division.
For
Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con)
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab)
Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Barrie, Scott (Dunfermline West) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab)
Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD)
Butler, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)
Crawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Cunningham, Roseanna (Perth) (SNP)
Curran, Ms Margaret (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)
Deacon, Susan (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James (Lothians) (Con)
Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)
Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray) (SNP)
Fabiani, Linda (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Fergusson, Alex (South of Scotland) (Con)
Finnie, Ross (West of Scotland) (LD)
Fitzpatrick, Brian (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallie, Phil (South of Scotland) (Con)
Godman, Trish (West Renfrewshire) (Lab)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Gray, Iain (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Lab)
Hamilton, Mr Duncan (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab)
Home Robertson, Mr John (East Lothian) (Lab)
Hughes, Janis (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)
Hyslop, Fiona (Lothians) (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)
Jenkins, Ian (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
Johnstone, Alex (North-East Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Mr Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (Lab)
MacAskill, Mr Kenny (Lothians) (SNP)
Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)
Macintosh, Mr Kenneth (Eastwood) (Lab)
MacKay, Angus (Edinburgh South) (Lab)
MacLean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Macmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)
McAllion, Mr John (Dundee East) (Lab)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)
McCabe, Mr Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab)
McConnell, Mr Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
McGrigor, Mr Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McIntosh, Mrs Lyndsay (Central Scotland) (Con)
McLeod, Fiona (West of Scotland) (SNP)
McLetchie, David (Lothians) (Con)
McMahon, Mr Michael (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
McNeil, Mr Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
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)
Oldfather, Irene (Cunninghame South) (Lab)
Peacock, Peter (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Peattie, Cathy (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)
Raffan, Mr Keith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Rumbles, Mr Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Scott, Tavish (Shetland) (LD)
Simpson, Dr Richard (Ochil) (Lab)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Iain (North-East Fife) (LD)
Smith, Mrs Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Thomson, Elaine (Aberdeen North) (Lab)
Tosh, Mr Murray (South of Scotland) (Con)
Wallace, Ben (North-East Scotland) (Con)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watson, Mike (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Wilson, Allan (Cunninghame North) (Lab)
Young, John (West of Scotland) (Con)
Against
Adam, Brian (North-East Scotland) (SNP)
Canavan, Dennis (Falkirk West)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)
Gibson, Mr Kenneth (Glasgow) (SNP)
Ingram, Mr Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (North-East Scotland) (SNP)
MacDonald, Ms Margo (Lothians) (SNP)
Marwick, Tricia (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Central Scotland) (SNP)
McGugan, Irene (North-East Scotland) (SNP)
Morgan, Alasdair (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Paterson, Mr Gil (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Reid, Mr George (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Robison, Shona (North-East Scotland) (SNP)
Russell, Michael (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow) (SNP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Ullrich, Kay (West of Scotland) (SNP)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
Wilson, Andrew (Central Scotland) (SNP)
The result of the division is: For 90, Against 22, Abstentions 0.
Motion agreed to.
I want to make an announcement to the chamber. The business motion, which members have just agreed to, sets out a voting period for the election of a Deputy Presiding Officer. The period for nominations is from 12 noon to 12.15 tomorrow. It would be helpful if nominations were received nearer to 12 noon than to 12.15, because ballot papers must be printed. Nomination forms will be available from the clerks in room 5.16 in parliamentary headquarters and should be lodged with the clerks in the Presiding Officers' outer room of the assembly hall behind where I sit.
The election will be held at 12.30 tomorrow. Unlike any other election that we hold in the Parliament, it will be conducted by secret ballot. That is so that none of us knows who votes against us and we can retain our impartiality. Any two members may nominate a candidate. Thereafter, the rules that govern voting for candidates are similar to the procedures for the selection of a nominee for First Minister. Tomorrow's business bulletin will provide further details on the election procedures.
I hope that members will allow me to take the opportunity to express my personal thanks and, I hope, those of the Parliament to Patricia Ferguson for her period of service as Deputy Presiding Officer. [Applause.]
I want to say a wee bit more. The Deputy Presiding Officers undertake a great deal of work that is not known to the public and is probably not known to many members. Patricia Ferguson launched our education service, which has been one of the great successes of the Parliament. She hosts many overseas visits and shared conferences in the chamber. She led the all-party delegation to the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body. She has led twice the all-party delegation to tartan day in Washington. She chaired the Scottish Commission for Public Audit. Not least, at my request—members might bear this in mind when they are buying Christmas presents—she has been responsible for the quality of the products in our shop.
We thank Patricia Ferguson very much indeed. I give her my warm thanks for her service as Deputy Presiding Officer.