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I want to close—because I am on time and I do not want to keep hard-pressed, tired-out Labour MSPs from getting home tonight—by addressing the issues that were raised by Allan Wilson.
Personally, I do not want to get into the details of why the Lord Advocate changed his mind. Margaret Mitchell and other MSPs who have been involved the case should pursue that matter—and rightly so.
For example, one of the submissions suggested that because we are a small Parliament of 129 MSPs, there will inevitably be friendships, especially within parties, that might cause potential difficulties.
They have made representations to me, as their MSP. They say that, regardless of his age, some other person should have been notified that he had been discharged from the hospital.
The comment was made that, although people would never consider not paying their MSP or asking them to be an MSP for the love of their country, they would expect that of their local councillor.
I tell the chamber that it would be wholly inadequate if MSPs were to be involved in that process.In place of clarity we get rumour and misinformation.
People are dissecting what went on in an independent procedure for which candidates came forward. MSPs, mindful of their duties to the Parliament, reached a view on those candidates.