Plenary, 30 Jun 2005
Meeting date: Thursday, June 30, 2005
Official Report
840KB pdf
Complaint
I apologise to the Parliament for my non-appearance this afternoon and for the non-appearance for a substantial part of the afternoon of the other members of the Standards and Public Appointments Committee. That was a particular disappointment to me as a former convener of the cross-party group on tobacco control and the current convener of a working party on hepatitis C.
The committee met today—30 June 2005—to consider a complaint dated today from your good self, Presiding Officer, about the disorderly conduct of Colin Fox MSP, Frances Curran MSP, Rosie Kane MSP and Carolyn Leckie MSP. The complaint was referred to the committee under paragraph 10.2.43 of the "Code of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament". Under paragraph 10.2.44, we can deal with such a complaint in such manner as we deem appropriate.
After considering the complaint and the Parliament's wish to treat it as a matter of urgency, the committee unanimously agreed to uphold the complaint and to recommend that the Parliament agrees that Colin Fox MSP, Frances Curran MSP, Rosie Kane MSP and Carolyn Leckie MSP be excluded from all proceedings of the Parliament in September 2005 and that their right of access to the parliamentary complex, facilities and services and their salaries and allowances be withdrawn for that period.
The committee considers that the behaviour that was exhibited by the members who have been named was premeditated and disorderly and brought the Parliament into disrepute. Most important, it denied other members the right to follow democratic processes on behalf of the people whom we represent.
The committee recommends those sanctions as it feels that they reflect the insult to democracy that took place today. The sanctions that we recommend are proportionate.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that Colin Fox MSP, Frances Curran MSP, Rosie Kane MSP and Carolyn Leckie MSP be excluded from all proceedings of the Parliament for the month of September 2005 and that their right of access to the Parliamentary complex, their right of access to Parliamentary facilities and services and their salaries and allowances be withdrawn for that period.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I regret to have to make the point but, given that we are creating a precedent, perhaps we should consider whether the Standards and Public Appointments Committee had the opportunity to hear from any of the people who were mentioned in the complaint. We should also discover whether the committee considered treating those people as individuals and not as a group, because they behaved differently, as far as I was aware. I would welcome your guidance.
As the committee's convener, Mr Adam, made clear, the committee can deal with such matters in such manner as it deems appropriate. I should explain that, under the code of conduct, it is entirely for the committee to deal with such matters by whatever means it deems appropriate.