Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Official Report 973KB pdf

Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer, I seek your advice on what we are voting on at decision time today in relation to the motion on freedom of information. The motion that has been accepted in full and will be amended by the Government calls for an independent inquiry into the way in which the Government has dealt with freedom of information requests, not for a review by the Scottish Information Commissioner or anything else other than an independent inquiry and post-legislative scrutiny.

It is important that we know what we are voting for, because listening to the hapless minister today, he seems to be under the impression that we are voting for something else. I am sure that like me, Presiding Officer, you would not want members to vote for the wrong thing. Can you offer members some helpful guidance on what we are voting on?

I thank the member for advance notice of his point of order. I note the concerns that the member has raised, but in this case I do not believe that it is for the Presiding Officer to interpret the remarks made by the member or the minister.

The motion before the Parliament puts a proposition to members. It is up to members to debate that point and take a view on the proposition. If the proposition is agreed, it becomes a resolution of the Parliament and it is then up to the Government to decide how to respond appropriately to that resolution.

I thank the member for his point of order.