Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 November 2024
13 Nov 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Business Motions
There will always have to be on-going consultation with stakeholders as to how we take forward the elements of bills that we seek to lay before Parliament. That is what we should get on with debating, because I laid out the context of the urgency of the situation, which requires an urgent response. We want to put in place a set of measures, which—if implemented in early 2025—will result in a sustained reduction of about 5 per cent in the sentenced population.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-15423, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a b...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Liam Kerr to speak to and move amendment S6M-15423.2. You have up to five minutes, Mr Kerr. 17:10
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I rise to speak to the amendment in my name to the minister’s business motion for next week. The minister has lodged a motion that suggests that, next Wednes...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The standing orders of the Scottish Parliament provide for emergency bills. They are very specific about the timetabling of an emergency bill, in that it sho...
The Minister for Parliamentary Business (Jamie Hepburn)
SNP
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that our prisons function safely and effectively for all those who live and work in our prison estate. The S...
Liam Kerr
Con
The minister appears to have completely missed the point. The representations from Martin Whitfield and me were about the setting of the business for next we...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
This is about scheduling to enable us to have that debate. The debate is what Liam Kerr wants not to happen. What I am doing—which was clearly not done by Mr...
Martin Whitfield
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I will happily give way.
Martin Whitfield
Lab
Does the minister also agree with the cabinet secretary that the emergency element related to short-term prisoners and, indeed, that the part that relates to...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
There will always have to be on-going consultation with stakeholders as to how we take forward the elements of bills that we seek to lay before Parliament. T...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the minister take an intervention?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Yes, I will give way very briefly.
Maggie Chapman
Green
Can the minister clarify and confirm that if we do not agree to the business motion this evening, we cannot proceed with the stage 1 debate next week? The mo...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I absolutely concur with that point. I make no assumptions about how people will vote, although it was interesting of Liam Kerr to suggest that he thinks tha...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I remind members that if the amendment in the name of Liam Kerr is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Martin Whitfield will fall. The question is, tha...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There will be a division. There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system. 17:14 Meeting suspended. 17:27 On resuming—
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I remind members that, if the amendment in the name of Liam Kerr is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Martin Whitfield will fall. We come to the vote ...
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
On a point of order, Presiding Officer, I would have voted yes.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Thank you, Mr Bibby. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (W...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The result of the division on amendment S6M-15423.2, in the name of Liam Kerr, is: For 48, Against 70, Abstentions 0. Amendment disagreed to.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The next question is, that amendment S6M-15423.1, in the name of Martin Whitfield, which seeks to amend motion S6M-15423, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on be...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There will be a division. For Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sara...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The result of the division on amendment S6M-15423.1, in the name of Martin Whitfield, is: For 51, Against 67, Abstentions 0. Amendment disagreed to.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The next question is, that motion S6M-15423, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme, be agreed...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There will be a division. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The result of the division on motion S6M-15423, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, is: For 68, Against 51, Abstentions 0. Motion agreed to, That the Parliament ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-15424, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on a stage 2 ti...