Business Motion
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S2M-1126, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme. I ask any member who wishes to speak against the motion to press their request-to-speak button. I call Patricia Ferguson to move the motion.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—
Wednesday 21 April 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by European and External Relations Committee Debate on Enlargement of the European Union
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 22 April 2004
9.30 am Executive Debate
12 noon First Minister's Question Time
2.00 pm Question Time -
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport;
Finance and Public Services and Communities;
General Questions
3.00 pm Executive Debate on Developing Scotland's Renewable Energy
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Wednesday 28 April 2004
2.30 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Stage 3 of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motion
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business
Thursday 29 April 2004
9.30 am Scottish National Party Business
12 noon First Minister' Question Time
2.00 pm Question Time –
Environment and Rural Development;
Health and Community Care;
General Questions
3.00 pm Executive Business
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members' Business—[Patricia Ferguson.]
I oppose the business motion because it makes no provision for the Executive to make a statement on the continuing negotiations with the European Commission on changes to December's fishing deal. The Parliament rises for the Easter recess tomorrow, and we have been promised time and again by ministers that those changes were about to be announced.
The First Minister wrote to me on 29 January, stating that he remained
"confident that these discussions with the Commission can be concluded successfully and, importantly, without undue delay in order that Scottish fishermen can effectively plan ahead."
Two months on, we are no further forward. The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development told the Environment and Rural Development Committee on 3 March that he expected
"proposals … to be produced shortly."—[Official Report, Environment and Rural Development Committee, 3 March 2004; c 827.]
That was almost a month ago, and we have heard nothing since. Only last week, Allan Wilson met fishing industry representatives in Edinburgh and told them that he expected to make the announcement on the changes by the end of last week or, at the latest, by the beginning of this week. However, we have not heard a single thing from the ministers.
The SNP welcomes the fact that the Government has moved from saying that we should be congratulating ministers on the deal that they signed in December to admitting that the deal has to be renegotiated to give our fishing communities a future. The restrictions on where the fleet can catch its quotas have affected the white-fish fleet in particular. If the fleet wants to fish for cod, it has to dump haddock stocks, which are at a record level in the North sea and for which we have quota. If it wants to catch its haddock quota, it has to dump cod stocks—which the regime that was foisted on Scotland in December was supposed to protect. The white-fish fleet still has only 15 days a month at sea, which is not viable. That number has to be increased in the negotiations; however, the minister says that he is not going to make a decision on giving aid to the fleet until he has announced the changes. Time is dragging on.
We have to scrap the draconian permit system that remains in place. I remind Parliament that the issue does not affect only the white-fish fleet; it also affects the prawn fleet from Fife and other parts of Scotland, the onshore sector and the fish processors, and the scores of harbour businesses in all the ports around Scotland.
As we speak, the white-fish fleet is fishing in the North sea. If the changes are not announced during the next 48 hours, those boats will face two choices: they will either have to dump at sea fish from stocks that are at record levels in some cases and for which we are supposed to have a quota; or they will have to bring the fish back and land them illegally. Surely the minister does not want that. The fact that the delay has been so long appears to show that the minister is not fighting hard enough to save the white-fish fleet in Scotland.
There are thousands of jobs at stake—the white-fish fleet is currently hanging by a thread. The fishermen are desperate for announcements to be made and I understand that, if the announcements are made, the Executive might have to go formally to the April fisheries council, which is another month away. It is therefore imperative that, before close of play tomorrow and before Parliament rises for Easter recess, the Executive find an opportunity to explain to Parliament what will happen in the meantime, before the formal proposals go to Brussels in April. The Executive must explain what changes it expects will be made and what it is doing to ensure that the changes will save the future of our fishing communities and the fishing fleet.
I urge Parliament, all political parties and ministers to support amending the business motion so that we can discuss this vital matter tomorrow before it is too late and Parliament goes into recess.
The issue has been discussed in the Parliamentary Bureau for the past two weeks. On each occasion, I have provided all the information that I could to the parties assembled there. I am sorry that that information appears not to have been relayed to Mr Lochhead.
The question is, that motion S2M-1126, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
No.
There will be a division.
For
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab)
Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Ballance, Chris (South of Scotland) (Green)
Barrie, Scott (Dunfermline West) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab)
Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD)
Butler, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Byrne, Ms Rosemary (South of Scotland) (SSP)
Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)
Curran, Ms Margaret (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)
Deacon, Susan (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)
Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)
Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Fox, Colin (Lothians) (SSP)
Gillon, Karen (Clydesdale) (Lab)
Glen, Marlyn (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Godman, Trish (West Renfrewshire) (Lab)
Gorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)
Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab)
Home Robertson, Mr John (East Lothian) (Lab)
Jamieson, Cathy (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)
Jamieson, Margaret (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
Kane, Rosie (Glasgow) (SSP)
Kerr, Mr Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Leckie, Carolyn (Central Scotland) (SSP)
Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (Lab)
Lyon, George (Argyll and Bute) (LD)
Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)
Macintosh, Mr Kenneth (Eastwood) (Lab)
Maclean, Kate (Dundee West) (Lab)
Macmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)
McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)
McCabe, Mr Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab)
McConnell, Mr Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
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)
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)
Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD)
Purvis, Jeremy (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)
Raffan, Mr Keith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
Robson, Euan (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)
Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
Scott, Tavish (Shetland) (LD)
Smith, Elaine (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Smith, Iain (North East Fife) (LD)
Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD)
Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD)
Stone, Mr Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
Wallace, Mr Jim (Orkney) (LD)
Watson, Mike (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Wilson, Allan (Cunninghame North) (Lab)
Against
Adam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Aitken, Bill (Glasgow) (Con)
Brocklebank, Mr Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Canavan, Dennis (Falkirk West) (Ind)
Crawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Davidson, Mr David (North East Scotland) (Con)
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James (Lothians) (Con)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)
Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray) (SNP)
Fergusson, Alex (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallie, Phil (South of Scotland) (Con)
Gibson, Rob (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Goldie, Miss Annabel (West of Scotland) (Con)
Grahame, Christine (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Lothians) (SNP)
Ingram, Mr Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP)
Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con)
Lochhead, Richard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
MacAskill, Mr Kenny (Lothians) (SNP)
Martin, Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP)
Marwick, Tricia (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
Mather, Jim (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Maxwell, Mr Stewart (West of Scotland) (SNP)
McFee, Mr Bruce (West of Scotland) (SNP)
McGrigor, Mr Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
McLetchie, David (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con)
Milne, Mrs Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mitchell, Margaret (Central Scotland) (Con)
Monteith, Mr Brian (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Mundell, David (South of Scotland) (Con)
Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Robison, Shona (Dundee East) (SNP)
Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Scott, John (Ayr) (Con)
Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow) (SNP)
Swinburne, John (Central Scotland) (SSCUP)
Swinney, Mr John (North Tayside) (SNP)
Tosh, Murray (West of Scotland) (Con)
Welsh, Mr Andrew (Angus) (SNP)
White, Ms Sandra (Glasgow) (SNP)
Abstentions
Baird, Shiona (North East Scotland) (Green)
Ballard, Mark (Lothians) (Green)
Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)
MacDonald, Margo (Lothians) (Ind)
Ruskell, Mr Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Scott, Eleanor (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Turner, Dr Jean (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind)
The result of the division is: For 67, Against 43, Abstentions 7.
Motion agreed to.