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On the process, I support the convener's position and oppose Bruce Crawford's suggestion that we make up our minds to delay consideration of the issue before we have the debate, but I want to have the debate. The best time to arrive at a conclusion is after the debate, not prior to it.
If ministers are accused of failing to bring about an improvement, they could say in their defence that they were nevertheless trying to bring about an improvement, even if their best efforts were clearly not good enough.
All that any Government can do—and this is what this Government has done—is to be true to its principles, to be honest about its priorities and to act in the best interests of the people whom it represents.
In effect, the bill would have little impact on the work of registration officers.My only words of caution concern the new timetable for absent voting. Previously, the latest time for lodging applications for a postal vote was 11 days before the day of the election.
Everyone would say amen to my not being a lawyer, because I would not be a very good one at the best of times.The business of the registration of who owns what alarms me.
Societal attitudes and the attitudes of those who are responsible for doing the best for the people of Scotland are important.I congratulate Richard Lochhead on bringing drug misuse to the chamber's attention.