Meeting of the Parliament 01 December 2015
The Scottish Government bill that we are discussing today makes three very important proposals: the development of policies around tobacco, nicotine and smoking, in part 1, to further the Government’s anti-smoking strategy; a proposed duty of candour, in part 2; and the introduction of new criminal offences of ill treatment and neglect, in part 3. Concerns were expressed by witnesses about all parts of the bill, and particularly about parts 2 and 3. However, by and large, there was support for the policy intent of the bill and for its general principles, which should allow members to approve it at stage 1, although I have no doubt that significant amendments will come forward at the following stages.
As usual, the Health and Sport Committee clerks have done excellent work in assimilating the evidence that we received and in drafting the stage 1 report. However, this time, I am particularly grateful to them as I missed some of the evidence-taking sessions because of illness.
At this point, I want to put on record my increasing concerns about the pressures that are being put on Parliament, and particularly on members of the Health and Sport Committee, as we approach the end of the parliamentary session. The Government’s response to the Health and Sport Committee’s stage 1 report came into my inbox just before 5 pm yesterday, and it really has not been possible to give full and proper consideration to such a late and lengthy paper because, immediately preceding this debate, we had a full committee meeting in which we dealt with two other bills.
I know that, with six health bills to deal with before the dissolution of Parliament, time is of the essence but, in a unicameral Parliament and with no available time for post-legislative scrutiny, we need to give full consideration to primary legislation. Some of the pressure would be avoided if the Government could give us a little more time to consider its responses to our reports.
I am aware that I digress, Presiding Officer.