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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

The Future of Scotland

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber

The Future of Scotland

Order. The member is clearly not giving way.

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

I am afraid that the member has only one minute left.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber

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

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

Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill

We come now to the winding-up speeches.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

It is a common error. Well spotted.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

As far as the textual changes are concerned, they cover the points that were made last week.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

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

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

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

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

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber

Mr Henry, the member is not giving way.

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Con Chamber

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

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

We come to the closing speeches. I call Frank McAveety to close for the Labour Party.

Murray Tosh: Con Chamber

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

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

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

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

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

Scotland in the United Kingdom

You must be quick.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber

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

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

Subject to a pronoun check.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

Yes. We should replace the pronoun with "IRIS".

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

I think it is the Borders, Euan.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

But you will have to express the thought for members of that committee to be able to do that.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Perhaps you would like to draft a paragraph for inclusion in our report. We could consider it next week.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

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

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

Oh, I see. It is not obvious that the dash introduces the italicised subheadings on the next page.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

There might be a continuity problem in paragraph 10, which ends with a dash.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

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

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

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

Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment

There is a gender point there, which you might wish to raise and pursue, convener.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment

We should do so as a courtesy to Mr Ewing.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment

You could be in trouble for considering that point to be minor.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Instruments Subject <br />to Annulment

We wondered about that.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Executive Responses

I take it that you are ruling that that is an acceptable parliamentary term, convener.

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

Executive Responses

That strengthens the argument for a single procedure, does it not?

Murray Tosh: Con Committee

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

Executive Responses

I am happy with what is recommended.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh): Con Chamber

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

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

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

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

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

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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Chamber

Plenary, 22 Mar 2007

22 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary

Item of business

Crichton University Campus

Speaker Watch on SPTV

On resuming—

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid): NPA

The next item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5726, in the name of Alasdair Morgan, on Crichton campus and the University of Glasgow....

Motion debated,

That the Parliament welcomes the work to develop an academic strategy for higher and further education in Dumfries and Galloway but, conscious that the failu...

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

I thought for some time before lodging the motion for members' business because I was conscious that the proposed withdrawal of the University of Glasgow fro...

The Presiding Officer: NPA

I call Elaine Murray, to be followed by Murray Tosh.

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): Lab

Five weeks has elapsed since my members' business debate on the issue, on 15 February, and I am disappointed that the proposed meeting between the Scottish E...

The Presiding Officer: NPA

Murray Tosh has indicated that he will drop down the list in favour of his colleague Alex Fergusson.

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): Con

I would have been perfectly happy if Murray Tosh had spoken next, but I am happy to step in.I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate. Although t...

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): Green

I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing today's debate. It is important that we have another debate on the subject because, although it has been only five...

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): SSP

I thank Alasdair Morgan for securing a debate on Crichton campus and I thank Elaine Murray for doing so on a previous occasion.Usually towards the end of a d...

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): Con

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 wa...

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): SNP

Does the member agree that a constructive way forward might be to focus on Dumfries and Galloway's teacher recruitment problems? Perhaps ministerial guidance...

Murray Tosh: Con

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...

The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson): Lab

I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing this welcome debate, which allows us to continue to acknowledge the Crichton campus's important contribution to im...

Alasdair Morgan: SNP

Should it be an objective of public policy that higher education courses of the type that the University of Glasgow currently offers be available somewhere i...

Allan Wilson: Lab

It should be the objective of public policy to secure not a regional approach to higher education provision throughout Scotland, but an approach that determi...

Chris Ballance: Green

Does the minister accept that there is a difference between higher and further education and, if so, does he accept that if one of those no longer takes plac...

Allan Wilson: Lab

Through close working with Dumfries and Galloway College and other colleges, the newly merged institution will be able to provide strong transitional support...

Alex Fergusson: Con

I hear what the minister is saying, but can he confirm for the sake of clarity that he believes that the quality of educational provision, to which he referr...

Allan Wilson: Lab

I do not envisage the University of Glasgow's not being present on the campus. There is a danger in the member's point that he may be arguing that provision ...

Meeting suspended until 14:15.