Meeting of the Parliament 07 May 2024
I very much welcome the support from Pauline McNeill and the support that we got from Labour and the Liberal Democrats last week. I will be listening with interest to her question and the responses on Thursday.
Is it really too much to ask for this Parliament to sit for an additional 30 minutes tonight? Indeed, I think that we might even finish early this evening. Is 30 minutes too much to ask to allow sub-postmasters in our constituencies and regions across Scotland to hear from the Lord Advocate on whether she still does not believe that mass exoneration is the right approach or whether she thinks that that is now the correct approach and has advised so in relation to the legislation that is coming up in just a couple of weeks?
I am encouraged that the SNP wants to work across the political spectrum. I was disappointed seven days ago that it voted down my reasonable amendment to the business motion. I hope that the SNP will reconsider today, and that it will vote with other parties in this Parliament to hear from the Lord Advocate, to allow that scrutiny from Parliament and, importantly, to give the answers that our sub-postmasters not only need but absolutely deserve.
I move amendment S6M-13118.1, after “3.00 pm Selection of First Minister” to insert:
“followed by Statement by the Lord Advocate on Post Office Horizon Prosecutions
delete
5.00 pm Decision Time
and insert
5.30 pm Decision Time”.
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.