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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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Chamber

Plenary, 29 Mar 2007

29 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
The Future of Scotland
Tosh, Murray Con West of Scotland Watch on SPTV
Order.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid): NPA
Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on the future of Scotland.
The First Minister (Mr Jack McConnell): Lab
There is a particular resonance to debating the future of a nation when one is that nation's First Minister. Like every Scot, I grew up proud of my country—o...
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Order. Is Mr McConnell speaking as the First Minister or as the leader of the Labour Party? He has been billed to speak as the...
The First Minister: Lab
The Scottish National Party calls for debates, but it does not like them when they happen.We will make leaving school at the ages of 16 and 17 conditional on...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP
The First Minister mentioned the child poverty statistics and his ambition to relieve child poverty by 2020. Has the journey towards achieving that ambition ...
The First Minister: Lab
The child poverty figures that were published this week should encourage us to redouble our efforts. Tackling child poverty should be a priority for the Scot...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): Con
On independence, will the First Minister join me in congratulating the organisers of last Saturday's march for the union in Edinburgh? Some 12,000 people mar...
The First Minister: Lab
It might be unwise for me to comment on the entire occasion, but I welcome the fact that there was no trouble, for which I congratulate the organisers of the...
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): SNP
Jack McConnell makes cheap jibes about Alex Salmond, but when Alex Salmond is First Minister, no one will forget his name. We relish the debate about Scotlan...
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Ind): Ind
If the SNP is so committed to reducing business rates, why, on the two occasions on which I sought an annulment of the increase in business rates, did the SN...
Nicola Sturgeon: SNP
The SNP's commitment not only to cutting business rates but to abolishing them for 120,000 small businesses is well known and will make a huge difference. Th...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): Lab
If the SNP wins the election, we will have a referendum in 2010. What happens if the people of Scotland say no?
Nicola Sturgeon: SNP
The difference between Karen Gillon and me is that I want to give the Scottish people the right to choose and she wants to deny them that right. If she wants...
Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): Con
The future of Scotland is indeed now in the hands of the Scottish people. There are two stark choices: devolution or isolation. Those are the only two games ...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): LD
Miss Goldie has repeatedly said that, under the Conservatives, people would serve the entire length of their sentence. Why is it that, under Conservative par...
Miss Goldie: Con
It is predictable that Mr Purvis, a representative of the desperately failed pact that has presided for eight years over the disintegration of our criminal j...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): LD
Will the member take an intervention on that point?
Miss Goldie: Con
I want to make progress.The Executive has also failed in its stewardship of the economy and our transport infrastructure. I cannot help noticing that those t...
Mike Rumbles rose— LD
Miss Goldie: Con
My party has a comprehensive manifesto of fully costed proposals to revitalise the economy, including an imaginative and positive scheme for business rates r...
Nicola Sturgeon: SNP
No, I said that we should not just judge a party by the sum of its policies.
Miss Goldie: Con
Ah well—a revised view from the SNP benches. Either way, the SNP's sums still do not add up, and there is nothing it can do to hide that. People in Scotland ...
The Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Nicol Stephen): LD
It has been an interesting debate thus far. As I look around the chamber, I wonder who the floating voters are whom we are trying to influence. It is more a ...
Phil Gallie: Con
Following Nicol Stephen's comments about the collapse of the eastern bloc, will he join me in congratulating Margaret Thatcher and her Governments on playing...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I congratulate those nations and peoples on the success and power of their democracies for the future of those countries.Scotland's past has not been as desp...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): Lab
I congratulate Nicol Stephen on not setting a rate of local income tax of 3p in the pound, which would result in devastating cuts in local government service...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I am happy to confirm that the Liberal Democrats support the abolition of the unfair council tax and that we support a genuine local income tax, which is not...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): SNP
In his party capacity, the Deputy First Minister has said that the Lib Dems are committed to scrapping red tape. Can he explain why representatives of his pa...
Nicol Stephen: LD
The more important question is why the Scottish National Party voted to introduce a third-party right of appeal. Why did the SNP want to place that burden on...
Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): Green
Will the minister give way on that point?