Meeting of the Parliament 28 October 2025 [Draft]
The Parliamentary Bureau appreciates that the member has a number of amendments at stage 3 and is keen to have an opportunity to discuss them all in the chamber. Equally, we must be realistic about the parliamentary time that is available in any given week and between now and the end of the session. The stage 3 in question is already slated to run into a third day.
I and my fellow business managers know that many members have concerns about late sittings. Providing longer speaking slots for members in each group is likely to mean that the number of late sittings between now and the end of the session will increase as we try to ensure that the legislation before us reaches a conclusion before March. Bureau members are very much alert to competing demands. I believe that the proposal that we have agreed and presented to members strikes the right balance.
I understand that the member did not feel able to lodge many of his amendments at stage 2, given his role as committee convener. However, we must recognise that the decision not to lodge them at stage 2 was a personal one, as it is possible for conveners to lodge amendments to bills that are before their committee. I believe that a number of the amendments in question were lodged by another member, Tim Eagle, at stage 2, so they have received consideration from the lead committee.
We must keep in mind the volume of legislation that we have left to consider in this session and we must ensure that we are being as efficient as we can be with the time that we have left and leave chamber time available for other bills that are coming down the line. I ask members to support the timetable motion.