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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
29 Mar 2007
The Future of Scotland
Order.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
29 Mar 2007
The Future of Scotland
Order. The member is clearly not giving way.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
28 Mar 2007
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Quickly.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
28 Mar 2007
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
I am afraid that the member has only one minute left.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
28 Mar 2007
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5785, in the name of John Scott, on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, on the reappointment of the Scottish public services ombudsman.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
28 Mar 2007
Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
You will now be winding up for the Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee, Mr Morgan.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
28 Mar 2007
Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
We come now to the winding-up speeches.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
It is a common error. Well spotted.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Yes.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
As far as the textual changes are concerned, they cover the points that were made last week.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Convener, I am momentarily stunned by your suggestion that we might all be gathered here again for a further four years.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Instruments Not Laid Before <br />the Parliament
Will we deal today with the Inshore Fishing (Prohibited Methods of Fishing) (Firth of Lorn) (No 2) Order 2007 (SSI 2007/240), or is the letter that was faxed to the committee about the order just for information?
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
We have not really been consulted—we have just noticed that it is happening on the way past. If we had been consulted and somebody could have said whether it is good practice, that might have been a better position for the Executive to find itself in. However, it is clearly ju...
Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
27 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
It is an interesting comment, and the conclusion is clearly that the Executive should amend primary legislation rather than tinker with secondary legislation, draw inferences and go beyond its powers.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
Members should not intervene from a sedentary position. I have never had the pleasure of expelling a member from the chamber and it would be embarrassing for us all if I were to begin with a member of the Cabinet.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
Order.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
Mr Henry, the member is not giving way.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
That just goes to show that one should never ask a question until one knows what the answer is.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
The minister is back in time for the closing speeches. That is, of course, good practice that the Presiding Officers encourage at all times.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Education
We come to the closing speeches. I call Frank McAveety to close for the Labour Party.
Murray Tosh: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Crichton University Campus
That suggestion sounds perfectly sensible. I do not know whether ministerial guidance is necessarily the right mechanism to use, but I have no doubt that the minister can play a very important role.This issue poses a very significant challenge to the minister's political skill...
Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Crichton University Campus
As a former member for the South of Scotland, I would have wished to participate in the previous debate on the subject that was held some weeks ago, which was initiated by Dr Elaine Murray but, as members will recall, personal circumstances prevented my being in Parliament. I ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Scotland in the United Kingdom
I express my regrets to the three remaining members who wished to speak in the debate, but we must move to closing speeches.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Scotland in the United Kingdom
No, the member was nodding to my visual signal that he has only five minutes in which to speak.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Scotland in the United Kingdom
We come now to open debate. I will not be able to call all the members whose names are on my screen, but we will see what we can get through.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Scotland in the United Kingdom
You must be quick.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
21 Mar 2007
Park-and-Ride Sites (South Edinburgh)
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5715, in the name of Mike Pringle, on the lack of park-and-ride sites in south Edinburgh. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
21 Mar 2007
Cairngorms National Park Boundary Bill: Stage 1
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5758, in the name of John Swinney, that the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Cairngorms National Park Boundary Bill.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Subject to a pronoun check.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
The last sentence of paragraph 26 is clear to us, but it would be better if it started, "The Executive's views". There is also a pronoun problem in paragraph 24. This is not just pedantry—the wording makes us wonder what exactly is meant. I think that "they" refers not to the ...
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Yes. We should replace the pronoun with "IRIS".
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
The middle sentence in paragraph 18 also needs to be adjusted. It is clear to us that we mean that IRIS should have an enhanced role but, as it is written, the sentence suggests that the committee should have an enhanced role.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
I think it is the Borders, Euan.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
I do not think that you need to identify the solutions. You could just express your concerns and the future committee could consider them.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
But you will have to express the thought for members of that committee to be able to do that.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Perhaps you would like to draft a paragraph for inclusion in our report. We could consider it next week.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Perhaps it is up to the committee clerks to understand what we mean when we say that something is defective, or that it is defective but does not affect an instrument's validity. There is a distinction to be made in that respect.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
But we already cover that. Our reports already draw attention to defective drafting and, with regard to the more minor cases, say that they do not affect the validity of the instrument. We could abbreviate that to a reference to "technically defective drafting" to signal insta...
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
But surely the Latin terms that we use have become loan words or phrases, and are therefore perfectly acceptable—quod erat demonstrandum.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Oh, I see. It is not obvious that the dash introduces the italicised subheadings on the next page.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
There might be a continuity problem in paragraph 10, which ends with a dash.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
Stewart Maxwell's suggestion is good, but we should also say that our handling of such issues has improved. Perhaps we should have started inviting officials earlier in this session of the Parliament; their evidence has benefited us recently.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
We should nod in the direction of Executive officials and ministers, who are perhaps more used to reading comments in the Official Report that are critical and express frustration. When things work well, we should acknowledge that.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
The phrase "the Committee's success" gives the impression that we made a point and the Executive gave way, but the approach has been more constructive. There has been improved understanding on the part of many Executive bill teams.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Legacy Paper
We note that there were a number of bills to which the committee lodged amendments or to which the Executive lodged amendments in response to our comments. It might be appropriate to add that we have had a reasonably good dialogue with the Executive recently and that ministers...
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment
There is a gender point there, which you might wish to raise and pursue, convener.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment
We should do so as a courtesy to Mr Ewing.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment
The issues raised in our briefing on the orders relate to the breach of the 21-day rule. In the circumstances, we can probably accept the explanation given. Mr Ewing's point was about the failure to consult adequately the Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association and the ...
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment
You could be in trouble for considering that point to be minor.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment
We wondered about that.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
I take it that you are ruling that that is an acceptable parliamentary term, convener.
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
That strengthens the argument for a single procedure, does it not?
Murray Tosh: Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
I agree. There is a slight difference in that the Executive has explained that, when an instrument contains negative procedure and no procedure, in the event that it is annulled the Executive may implement the no-procedure elements of the package from the same date if it so wi...
Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
20 Mar 2007
Executive Responses
I am happy with what is recommended.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Red Deer (Rum)
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5492, in the name of Jamie McGrigor, on Rum's red deer. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill
We come to closing speeches. We are behind the clock, so I am obliged to Jeremy Purvis for waiving his second speaking slot.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5632, in the name of Cathy Jamieson, that the Parliament agrees that the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill be passed.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Scotland Malawi Partnership
The final item of business this morning is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5725, in the name of Karen Gillon, on Malawi. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Group 9 is on the cross-border transfer of prisoners. Amendment 12, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendment 14.
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber
15 Mar 2007
Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
If amendment 67 is agreed to, amendments 29 and 30 are pre-empted.
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Committee

Subordinate Legislation Committee, 20 Mar 2007

20 Mar 2007 · S2 · Subordinate Legislation Committee
Item of business
Legacy Paper
Macintosh, Ken Lab Eastwood Watch on SPTV
Indeed. You make a fair point. We say in paragraph 4:"The Committee successfully pressed for amendments to a number of bills over the session",and in paragraph 5:"There are many examples of the Committee's success in this area",but perhaps we could expand a little on that.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Convener: Lab
I suggest that we go through our draft legacy paper page by page, but before we do that, do members have general comments about it? Has anything been missed ...
Members:
No.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I invite comments on the introduction, the section on our inquiry into the regulatory framework in Scotland and the section on bills, which starts at paragra...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
It is a shame that three years' work on our inquiry into the regulatory framework in Scotland has been reduced to two paragraphs. I hope that a future commit...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I agree. Given the amount of time and work we put into our inquiry and the importance of reforming and improving the regulatory framework, our efforts should...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
I am happy with that.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
Do members have comments on paragraphs 4 to 8, on bills, or paragraph 9, on instruments?
Murray Tosh: Con
We note that there were a number of bills to which the committee lodged amendments or to which the Executive lodged amendments in response to our comments. I...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
Indeed. You make a fair point. We say in paragraph 4:"The Committee successfully pressed for amendments to a number of bills over the session",and in paragra...
Murray Tosh: Con
The phrase "the Committee's success" gives the impression that we made a point and the Executive gave way, but the approach has been more constructive. There...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
We occasionally comment that there have been only one or two attempts to annul a piece of subordinate legislation, none of which has been successful—the same...
Murray Tosh: Con
We should nod in the direction of Executive officials and ministers, who are perhaps more used to reading comments in the Official Report that are critical a...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
That is right. People go to see their MSPs only when they have a problem, but we do not assume that everyone has a problem; our relationship with the Executi...
Ruth Cooper (Clerk):
Yes. Would members also like the paper to mention our evidence-taking sessions with Executive officials after a bill has been amended at stage 2, which seem ...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
In that context, in paragraph 8, we express concern about"the short time between the completion of stage 2 and the stage 3 debate".We should explain that we ...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
We could include that point in paragraph 8, but Murray Tosh's comments were not limited to that issue.
Murray Tosh: Con
Stewart Maxwell's suggestion is good, but we should also say that our handling of such issues has improved. Perhaps we should have started inviting officials...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
We recently discussed the production of supplementary delegated powers memorandums after stage 2. Sometimes no memorandum is produced or changes are incorpor...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I remember that we considered a memorandum that had been circulated internally, in which changes had not been highlighted. I think that the Executive accepts...
Murray Tosh: Con
There might be a continuity problem in paragraph 10, which ends with a dash.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
The dash is followed by subheadings—
Murray Tosh: Con
Oh, I see. It is not obvious that the dash introduces the italicised subheadings on the next page.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
Perhaps we should add a colon, or something.Do members have any points on page 3?
Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): LD
Paragraph 16 suggests that legislation should be consolidated"where principal regulations are amended on 5 occasions".I understand the point, but do we need ...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I do not know why that particular trigger was chosen, although it is, of course, important to have a trigger point. Last week, we dealt with a case in which ...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
It could be the wording of the paragraph, which says:"where principal regulations are amended on 5 occasions, they should be consolidated."That makes it soun...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
The clerk has suggested that "they should be consolidated" be changed to "they should be considered for consolidation". Members make a fair point that the cu...
Mr Maxwell: SNP
Although it is implied, paragraph 11 does not explicitly set out our view that the committee should produce what might be described as an annual report card ...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
Yes, perhaps. It might be better to change the heading of that paragraph to "Tracking reports".
Mr Maxwell: SNP
That was more the idea. The report was supposed to show whether the Executive had responded to our points.