Meeting of the Parliament 18 February 2025
SNP members seem to think that this is funny. I think that it is serious that Parliament should be able to address an issue that is both topical and urgent. Presiding Officer, I use those words because topical, urgent and First Minister’s questions on this matter have been submitted to you, of which none were selected. I know that it is frowned on for members to challenge the ruling of the chair, but given that Parliament has just taken the decision not to allow the Government to give a statement on the issue, and given that you, as Presiding Officer, will not select questions on the issue, when can the Scottish Parliament and members of the Parliament debate this important issue?
Will you also advise whether there is an opportunity for Parliament to sit longer tonight? One of the three reasons that the SNP minister refused the Conservatives’ request for a statement was that Parliament is already sitting until 5.15 tonight. Is it really the Parliament’s decision that we cannot sit until, perhaps, 6 o’clock to debate the issue and get a response from ministers?
Will you also give advice on the sub judice point? The purpose of the question that I submitted on the issue this week, as both a topical question and a First Minister’s question, was to get advice and guidance for all national health service boards across Scotland, not just NHS Fife. Surely it is not right for constituents of all those health boards to have to wait until, potentially, after July for the employment tribunal to reconvene before they get the answers from Government ministers in this Parliament.