There will be a division.

For

Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Against

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

I will clarify that, if she wants to, Clare Adamson can intervene by indicating in the normal way, and I will bring her in. However, she will be speaking next. I do not want to stifle debate, but, if Clare Adamson is happy with that, I will let the minister continue.

I turn to Maurice Golden to wind up, and to press or seek to withdraw amendment 1.

There will be a division.

For

Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Against

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

I hope that you take it in the way that it was meant.

My other point is on amendments 2 and 3, which have been lodged by Graham Simpson. They are interesting. The timescale that is set by amendment 2 is quite tight. Interestingly, we have the option of voting on amendment 2 before we vote on amendment 3. If amendment 2 fails, amendment 3 will have the opportunity to be passed. My problem, as a parliamentarian looking to the future, is that the timescale in the bill would mean that the issue that Graham Simpson is trying to address would not come up until May 2026, unless things go remarkably astray in May 2026, when there will be an election. The whole strategy would be launched after Parliament has gone into recess, which would mean a huge heap of problems in terms of allowing proper parliamentary scrutiny. Although I would love to turbocharge it, I think it is unrealistic to do so.

I would definitely support amendment 12 and the two-year period. If those fail, there are good grounds for using a period of 18 months to ensure that the Parliament can properly scrutinise legislation before it goes into recess for an election. Those are my views.

I am looking around to see whether there are other views: it appears that there are not, so I call the minister to make closing comments.

There will be a division.

For

Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Against

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

I call amendment 122, in the name of Ben Macpherson.

I call amendment 211, in the name of Clare Adamson.

Bob Doris wants to clarify something, which I am happy for him to put on the record.

Good morning, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2024 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

Today is day 1 of our consideration of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill at stage 2.??I welcome to the meeting the Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work, Gillian Martin, and her supporting officials, and the non-committee members who will be present to move amendments. Sarah Boyack and Maurice Golden are here in the room, and Clare Adamson is online. Graham Simpson will also attend the meeting. Sarah Boyack and Maurice Golden will speak in the first debate; Clare Adamson and Graham Simpson will not.

As this is day 1 of the stage 2 proceedings and this is the first time that the committee has had stage 2 proceedings, I will briefly outline how the proceedings work.

Members should have with them or on their laptops a copy of the bill as introduced. They should also have the marshalled list of amendments, which sets out the amendments in the order in which they will be disposed of, and the groupings of amendments, which sets out the amendments in the order in which they will be debated. For anyone who is watching the meeting, those documents are available on the bill page on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

There will be one debate on each group of amendments. The member who lodged the first amendment in the group will speak to and move that amendment and, if they wish to, they will speak to other amendments in the group. I will then call other members who have amendments in the group to speak to, but not to move, their amendments, and to speak to other amendments in the group if they so wish. I will then call any other members who wish to speak in the debate. If you wish to speak, you should indicate that to me or to the clerks. I will then call the minister if she has not already spoken in the debate.

Finally, I will call the member who moved the first amendment in the group to wind up. At that point, they should indicate whether they wish to press or withdraw the amendment. If the amendment is pressed, I will put the question on it; if they wish to withdraw the amendment, I will ask whether any member present objects. If there is an objection, I must put the question on the amendment.

If they are moved, later amendments in a group are not debated again when they are reached and I will put the question on them straight away. If a member whose amendment has already been debated does not wish to move it when it is called, they should simply say, “Not moved.” Unless anyone else then says that the amendment is moved, I will move on to the next amendment on the marshalled list.

If there is a division, I remind everyone present that it is only committee members who may vote. The choices are yes, no or abstain. As all members of the committee are present, voting will be by a show of hands; it is important that you keep your hands raised until the clerk has recorded your names.

It looks as though we are ready to go. I stress that it is day 1; it will be interesting to see how far we get today. I make no promises—I am in your hands.

Before section 1