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Ministers failed to ask the appropriate questions of their civil servants. Ministers—and Labour MSPs—voted to press ahead with the project in 1999.
That contrasts with the importance and urgency of the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Bill, which we have just debated.It does not usually take much to excite MSPs, but no MSP was excited enough by the bill to lodge an amendment or speak to the sections at stage 2.
Perhaps that response should have been expected. The good conduct of MSPs and of the Parliament does not rest in the hands of the members of the Standards Committee; it is the responsibility of us all.
We want more co-operation between the various bodies, and the Scottish Homing Union should be included in any research or discussions. Alex Neil MSP is trying to set up a body and I think that he will be successful.
Our responsibility as parliamentarians is to spread information as widely as we can. It is then down to MSPs to decide what weight to give to that information, because we have to bear in mind that every MSP will have issues pressing from the areas that he or she represents.
I have discussed the issue on several occasions with Margaret Smith, the local MSP, and I also discussed it recently with representatives of the society, whom I told quite clearly that if the showground is to stay where it is, I will not be unhappy.
That is double standards, it is rich and it is utter hypocrisy.I know that some MSPs took part this week in a special edition of "University Challenge".
We have previously discussed the idea that we should encourage the Executive to have a debate on the matter in the chamber every time the Commission publishes its work programme, in order to ensure that all MSPs are aware of what is happening in Europe.
That would not mean that staff in shops in Princes Street or every MSP would have to speak Gaelic. It would provide encouragement and some status, which the Welsh language has in Wales.