Meeting of the Parliament 05 September 2018
Thank you.
Since the Scottish Parliament’s inception, it has taken a family-friendly approach to the conduct of parliamentary business, including ensuring that our recess dates take cognisance of Scottish school holidays. That applies not only to elected members but to MSPs’ staff and all Scottish Parliament staff. Indeed, rule 2.3.2 of our standing orders states:
“In considering dates of any Parliamentary recess, the Parliamentary Bureau shall have regard to the dates when schools in any part of Scotland are to be on holiday.”
The parliamentary recess dates for 2019 were agreed by the Parliament when we met in June, and the motion that is before us seeks to change the agreed and publicly advertised Easter recess dates, which, for the past number of years, have been set as the first two weeks in April. I believe that the change is due to Brexit, but perhaps the minister can clarify that in summing up. If that is the case, the Brexit date is not a surprise. It was known when the Parliament agreed the dates in June and had been known for some time before that. The surprise was the minister’s intention to seek to overturn the previous decision of the Parliament on the issue. As far as I am aware, no advance notice was given to allow discussion of the decision by MSPs, staff trade unions or others with an interest in the matter.
After a decision at yesterday’s meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau, it is proposed that our Parliament’s Easter recess dates will now coincide with the English school holidays and those of the city of Edinburgh, but the majority of Scottish schools—[Interruption.] Members may wish to listen to this, because it covers their areas. The majority of Scottish school holidays are scheduled as usual for the first two weeks in April 2019.
Specifically, I ask what consultation the minister undertook with staff-side trade unions before proposing the change to the bureau. Although, at this late stage, I do not intend to vote against the motion, I want assurances that, in future, no decisions will be taken that impact on the Parliament’s family-friendly framework without full consultation and enough time to fully consult.