Plenary, 31 Jan 2002
Meeting date: Thursday, January 31, 2002
Official Report
638KB pdf
Point of Order
The first item of business will be a debate on motion S1M-2625, in the name of Andy Kerr, on the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman Bill.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I rise to lay down a marker in relation to a story that appears in The Scotsman today. As members will be aware, the Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Ross Finnie, appeared before the Justice 2 Committee yesterday and was questioned on tenants' right to buy. Quite rightly, he said that that would be best dealt with in agricultural holdings legislation. However, the article in The Scotsman states:
"He told The Scotsman after the committee session ended: ‘Pre-emptive right-to-buy for farm tenants will definitely be in that bill.'"
That rides roughshod over the consultation processes of which the Parliament is so proud. In the same article a large number of questions, which will result in insecurity for those who are involved in the farm tenanted sector, are raised by the leaders of the National Farmers Union of Scotland and others. It would have been far more appropriate if the statement had been made to Parliament, where those legitimate questions could have been put to the minister and such insecurities could have been put to rest.
I take note of what you say. It is early in the morning. I will have inquiries made and come back to you later in the morning.