Committee
Social Justice Committee, 25 Apr 2001
25 Apr 2001 · S1 · Social Justice Committee
Item of business
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I have no difficulty with the concept of meeting twice a week. The bill is important and it is important that it be got through, if at all possible, by the summer break. Having said that, members' needs have to be accommodated. I find myself disappointed by Sandra White's approach, which I do not think is helpful, as we are perfectly able to accommodate two committee meetings each week.The committee has frequently met on Mondays and Fridays and has occasionally met on Tuesdays. It has always been accepted that, if necessary, priority has to be given in parliamentary business to getting matters such as this dealt with. I had understood that I was the only one who had a problem with a Tuesday morning. A number of important issues come up at SPCB meetings and I am reluctant to be absent. I am not certain about the position of colleagues on Tuesday afternoons. If they are all alternate members of the Parliamentary Bureau, I would have thought that, against the greater demands of the bill, that was accommodable. If that is a problem, I have no difficulty with Monday or Friday.I am a bit concerned about the difficulties with back-to-back meetings and the marshalled lists. With the good will of colleagues, we could get over that if we did not lodge late amendments—that would mean that we could have one marshalled list. The clerks are the only ones who would suffer if we did not keep to that. It would not cause impossible problems to members, and I hope that that can be dealt with. Indeed, I hope that the Procedures Committee—or whoever has responsibility for this—could consider the difficulties that we are being caused by the late time scales and the inability to have back-to-back meetings.We should decide on the principle of the two meetings—that is perfectly reasonable—then consider how to bring that about week by week in a way that best suits members. None of us likes it. We will have to deal with a general election in which some of us have interests in various capacities. However, this is our first priority.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Johann Lamont):
Lab
Welcome to this meeting of the Social Justice Committee. We may get to know each other quite well by the end of this process. The first item to discuss is th...
Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Before we get to that—
The Convener:
Lab
Sorry, we will deal with item 1 first.
Brian Adam:
SNP
Convener, I—
The Convener:
Lab
No, I ask you to bide your time. You have raised an issue with me that we will deal with later, but I want to deal with the timetabling of the bill first. Wi...
Brian Adam:
SNP
I understand the desire and the need to make progress with the bill. It is not just Robert Brown who has a problem on a Tuesday. Bill Aitken and I are involv...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I do not want to reiterate what Brian Adam and Robert Brown have said, but members should think back to the beginning of the process. That was when I joined ...
The Convener:
Lab
I do not want us to rehearse another discussion about the timetable for the bill as it was introduced. That is something that has been well aired at the comm...
Ms White:
SNP
Convener, your interruption meant that I was unable to finish what I was saying.
The Convener:
Lab
I am asking members to discuss a specific question about the timetabling so that we can come to a conclusion—
Ms White:
SNP
No, the convener interrupted me and I was good enough to let her in. The convener mentioned that members have other commitments on Tuesdays, and it may be th...
The Convener:
Lab
I ask Sandra White to clarify whether her position is that we do not meet twice each week.
Ms White:
SNP
Yes.
The Convener:
Lab
Okay.
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
I was not at the last meeting, but the report that I have indicates that progress was tortuous, to say the least.
The Convener:
Lab
It was extremely well-convened torture. Laughter.
Bill Aitken:
Con
What is at issue this morning is how we manage the timetabling difficulty that faces us. I would find it virtually impossible to do the Tuesday stints. I rec...
Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD):
LD
I have no difficulty with the concept of meeting twice a week. The bill is important and it is important that it be got through, if at all possible, by the s...
Ms White:
SNP
That was a cheap swipe.
The Convener:
Lab
Sorry?
Ms White:
SNP
May I come in?
The Convener:
Lab
No.
Ms White:
SNP
Oh.
The Convener:
Lab
Can we have a bit of discipline here?
Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab):
Lab
We have spent 15 minutes discussing how we will meet. Our time is scarce and I am not sure that we are using it wisely. I support much of what Robert Brown h...
Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab):
Lab
It is important that the committee meets twice a week so that we get through the business. The committee has been preparing for the Housing (Scotland) Bill f...
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
Convener—
Bill Aitken:
Con
The clerk could advise us whether there is another solution to this. Perhaps it would be possible to obtain the permission of the Parliament to meet while th...
Mr Gibson:
SNP
The—
The Convener:
Lab
I will not allow you to come in on this discussion, Kenny. This is a matter for members of the committee.