Hansard

The Convener (Mr Andy Kerr): Lab

I begin the 28th meeting this year of the Transport and the Environment Committee by welcoming members, the Minister for Transport, press and public alike to...

The Minister for Transport (Sarah Boyack): Lab

I wish to make a brief apology to the committee. Some of you may have noticed that the Executive has not lodged the amendment on redetermination orders of fo...

The Convener: Lab

Minister, you can rest assured that we had all spotted that and we were awaiting your announcement.

After section 68

The Convener: Lab

We come to amendment 283, in the name of Helen Eadie, which is in a group of its own.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): Lab

I will not reiterate everything that I said in moving one of my amendments last week. This is déjà vu for me. It is the third time that I have raised this is...

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): Con

I came to this matter with an entirely open mind and did not react to the party political speech that was just made. The retail comparison is entirely flawed...

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): Lab

As I said last week when Helen Eadie moved a similar amendment, I sympathise with her position. I have opposed car parking charges at Glasgow royal infirmary...

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): SNP

I have not come to this amendment with an open mind; I have come with the same mind as I had last time. The committee process should be used to undo any wron...

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): Lab

I have some sympathy with what Helen Eadie is trying to achieve, as I do not have any wish to see unnecessary charges imposed on people attending hospital ap...

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): Lab

I endorse what Cathy Jamieson has said. Amendment 283 deals with a management issue for health boards rather than with a transport issue. The wording is sign...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

I have noted Helen Eadie's comments and I understand her concerns. However, this is not a case of déjà vu; we are debating not last week's amendments, but th...

The Convener: Lab

I now ask Helen Eadie to sum up and indicate whether she wishes to press or withdraw the amendment.

Helen Eadie: Lab

The bottom line, for me and everybody else in Fife, is whether there is political will. Despite what has been said today, that is the key question. If we hav...

The Convener: Lab

The question is, that amendment 283 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members:

No.

The Convener: Lab

There will be a division.

ForCrawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab)AgainstGorrie, Donald (Central Scotland) (LD)Hughes, Janis (Glasgow Ruth...

The Convener: Lab

The result of the division is: For 2, Against 7, Abstentions 1.

Amendment 283 disagreed to.

Section 69—Joint boards for management, maintenance etc of certain bridges

The Convener: Lab

We now come to amendment 273, in the name of Bruce Crawford, which is grouped with amendments 274, 275, 276 and 280, also in the name of Bruce Crawford.

Bruce Crawford: SNP

In speaking to amendments 273 to 276 and 280, I will deal with the principle of why the Scottish National Party lodged them, while Fiona McLeod will cover th...

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

I will deal with each amendment in turn in order to explain the reasoning behind them. Amendment 273 inserts the phrase "including a concessionaire" in secti...

Mr Tosh: Con

The case that has been made is that the Executive requires these powers to change its existing policy and its contract with the operators of the Skye bridge....

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): LD

My point is the same as Murray Tosh's. If the minister can demonstrate that the Executive has the necessary powers to change the situation with regard to the...

Des McNulty: Lab

Like Murray Tosh and Donald Gorrie, I am not sure that the amendments are required to achieve the end that Bruce Crawford talked about. I was interested in t...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

We believe that the amendments are completely unnecessary because current concessionary arrangements are already governed by contract—Murray Tosh, Des McNult...

The Convener: Lab

I ask Bruce Crawford to sum up and to indicate whether he wishes to press or withdraw amendment 273.

Bruce Crawford: SNP

I am not sure whether I can sum up or ask the minister a further question. Although she told us about the existence of the powers of termination, we were giv...