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The voluntary sector is keen to develop its role as a partner in policy making through the committee system of the Scottish Parliament and through direct contacts with individual MSPs, but our hope is that MSPs will recognise the difference between commercial lobbyists and voluntary organisation campaigners.
Amendment 224 would prevent a JP or stipendiary magistrate from exercising the signing functions of office if they were an MSP, an MP or a member of the House of Lords.
It is interesting to note that we have heard not a single word in the debate about the disabled. As MSPs, we featherbed ourselves. If an MSP is, or becomes, disabled, support is provided for as long as that MSP is a member of the Parliament.
I was taken by Duncan McNeil's speech and pleased that he is delighted by the partnership agreement, as are other Labour MSPs. I can assure him that Liberal Democrat MSPs are equally delighted with it.
Today's debate, initiated by the Tory group of MSPs, is surely one of the most blatantly opportunistic attempts at populism that we have seen in this Parliament—and that is saying something.