Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, November 2, 2017

Official Report 931KB pdf

Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Yesterday the United Kingdom Parliament voted unanimously to instruct the UK Government to release in full 58 sectoral papers on Brexit and the impact assessments that accompany them. It now appears that the Tory Government will either refuse to do that or will release the papers heavily redacted, thus holding Parliament in contempt.

It is my understanding that, in light of that, today Opposition parties, including the Scottish National Party, and some Tory MPs who believe in defending the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, are discussing laying a contempt motion because of the dismissive arrogance of the Prime Minister and her Government.

Given that, since May 2016, this Parliament has defeated the Scottish Government on national health service cuts, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, fracking, council funding, the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 and failing educational policy, and that, just like the UK Government, the SNP Government has repeatedly ignored the will of Parliament—[Interruption.]

Order. Let us hear the point of order.

Given all that, will you advise me and the chamber whether you would accept a similar contempt motion if and when the SNP Government replicates the arrogance of the Tories and ignores the democratic will of this Parliament?

Thank you, Mr Findlay. I will consider any motion that is laid before the Parliament on its merits. The motions of this Parliament are not binding on the Government, but the Government is expected to pay attention to them. That is the point of order dealt with.