Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 March 2011
22 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
First Minister’s Question Time
Secretary of State for Scotland (Meetings)
I strongly support our air bases, which are under threat.
I will respond to Tavish Scott’s broader point. I think that every member in the Parliament supports the position of our armed services who are called into combat, particularly when they are called into combat to protect the lives of others, as in the present circumstances. I fully accept and support Tavish Scott’s point about the importance of the UN mandate and the legality of conflict, as he well knows. That is important in terms of getting not just international support, which is of course reflected in the UN resolution, but as much domestic consensus as possible.
Tavish Scott and I agree that there is a world of difference between a situation in which brave men and women are sent into battle and conflict to pursue a UN mandate, with the united support of the population, in pursuit of the international community’s obligations, and a divisive and illegal conflict such as the Iraq war. That seems to me to be the most substantial difference of all: not just the honesty of purpose but the legality of the conflict.
I will respond to Tavish Scott’s broader point. I think that every member in the Parliament supports the position of our armed services who are called into combat, particularly when they are called into combat to protect the lives of others, as in the present circumstances. I fully accept and support Tavish Scott’s point about the importance of the UN mandate and the legality of conflict, as he well knows. That is important in terms of getting not just international support, which is of course reflected in the UN resolution, but as much domestic consensus as possible.
Tavish Scott and I agree that there is a world of difference between a situation in which brave men and women are sent into battle and conflict to pursue a UN mandate, with the united support of the population, in pursuit of the international community’s obligations, and a divisive and illegal conflict such as the Iraq war. That seems to me to be the most substantial difference of all: not just the honesty of purpose but the legality of the conflict.
In the same item of business
Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD)
LD
3. To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Secretary of State for Scotland. (S3F-2980)
The First Minister (Alex Salmond)
SNP
I have no plans to meet the Secretary of State for Scotland in the course of today.
Tavish Scott
LD
As happened eight years ago, the parliamentary session ends with men and women from our armed forces in conflict. This time, however, the war is not illegal ...
The First Minister
SNP
I strongly support our air bases, which are under threat.I will respond to Tavish Scott’s broader point. I think that every member in the Parliament supports...
Tavish Scott
LD
I support those words on the legality of the current position and I will continue to make that case.There is broad cross-party agreement about the importance...
The First Minister
SNP
As Tavish Scott should well know, we have never argued against conventional weaponry in the Faslane base. Indeed, he and I, along with the other party leader...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There is a supplementary question from Jack McConnell.
Jack McConnell (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
Lab
With your permission, Presiding Officer—and I expect that I am speaking for all retiring members of the Scottish Parliament—in advance of my question I take ...
The First Minister
SNP
I willingly congratulate Jack McConnell’s constituent. That is a tremendous and inspiring story for us all and an example that we should all follow.In a few ...