Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 03 March 2011
03 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Damages (Scotland) Bill
I am content with the Parliament’s scrutiny of the bill, on which the committee has done a tremendous job. I commend Bill Butler for his work on bringing the bill to the Parliament. He worked with others outside the Parliament, such as Thompsons Solicitors and Clydeside Action on Asbestos, which I am sure will be delighted with the result at 5 o’clock. I hope that everyone in the chamber will vote for the bill.
I commend Bill Butler, the committee and other members for the collegiate manner in which they have dealt with the bill. That constructive engagement shows what can happen in the Parliament when parties decide to work together. Post the Scottish election, I hope—and am sure—that the Parliament can continue that constructive approach to damages issues with whoever is in power.
In the stage 1 debate, I—along with other members—raised two issues: the 25:75 split in calculating compensation, and the income of surviving relatives. I am sure that the flexibility that is built into the bill on the first point will enable our citizens to achieve a sensible outcome, and I am convinced that the committee has fully addressed the second point.
The Parliament has a strong record in dealing with damages issues. It is a typical Scottish trait not to be too self-congratulatory but, when it comes to damages issues, we can set that aside for a moment. We know that there are still inequalities and injustices out there—there will be more for us to deal with when we leave the chamber—but, with the bill, the Parliament, the Justice Committee, Bill Butler and the Scottish Government have done a tremendous job, and I look forward to the motion to pass it being voted for unanimously at 5 o’clock.
15:25
I commend Bill Butler, the committee and other members for the collegiate manner in which they have dealt with the bill. That constructive engagement shows what can happen in the Parliament when parties decide to work together. Post the Scottish election, I hope—and am sure—that the Parliament can continue that constructive approach to damages issues with whoever is in power.
In the stage 1 debate, I—along with other members—raised two issues: the 25:75 split in calculating compensation, and the income of surviving relatives. I am sure that the flexibility that is built into the bill on the first point will enable our citizens to achieve a sensible outcome, and I am convinced that the committee has fully addressed the second point.
The Parliament has a strong record in dealing with damages issues. It is a typical Scottish trait not to be too self-congratulatory but, when it comes to damages issues, we can set that aside for a moment. We know that there are still inequalities and injustices out there—there will be more for us to deal with when we leave the chamber—but, with the bill, the Parliament, the Justice Committee, Bill Butler and the Scottish Government have done a tremendous job, and I look forward to the motion to pass it being voted for unanimously at 5 o’clock.
15:25
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-8028, in the name of Bill Butler, on the Damages (Scotland) Bill. I call the Cabinet Secretary for Justic...
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Kenny MacAskill)
SNP
For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Damages (Scotland)...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, cabinet secretary. I call Bill Butler to speak to and move the motion.14:59
Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)
Lab
I rise to speak to the motion in my name that the Damages (Scotland) Bill be passed.The bill, which was introduced on 1 June 2010, has the clear purpose of i...
The Minister for Community Safety (Fergus Ewing)
SNP
I begin by belatedly responding to Robert Brown’s earlier point by advising him that, under section 17, nothing affects proceedings that are commenced before...
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I begin by paying tribute to Bill Butler for bringing the bill before the Parliament. Without his intervention, the bill, following the excellent work by the...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
When someone is killed or dies as a result of an industrial accident or illness or in the short and fairly traumatic circumstances of a road traffic accident...
Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD)
LD
When I was in professional practice, I dealt with cases of this type across the board, including injury cases and some death cases. We must remember, as Bill...
Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I am content with the Parliament’s scrutiny of the bill, on which the committee has done a tremendous job. I commend Bill Butler for his work on bringing the...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Lab
Like others, I congratulate my neighbour Bill Butler on his outstanding work in introducing the bill. Like me, he has a very strong interest in asbestos issu...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
We move to the wind-up speeches. You have a very tight four minutes, Mr Pringle.15:27
Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD)
LD
I join everyone else in congratulating Bill Butler on all the hard work that he has done on the bill. Anyone who has put forward a proposal for a member’s bi...
John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
Like other members, I begin by stating that we should congratulate Bill Butler on his hard work and commitment and on bringing the bill to its final stages t...
James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)
Lab
Like others, I would like to congratulate Bill Butler on bringing this bill through to stage 3. I am sure that it will be passed at 5 o’clock. Bill has shown...
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I believe that in its approach to the bill this Parliament has done itself what Donald Dewar might have described as a modicum of credit. In a cross-party sh...
Bill Butler
Lab
This has been a good debate on an important area of the law of Scotland. The bill’s objective, as Mr Ewing succinctly put it in the stage 1 debate,“is about ...