Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.
The meeting opened at 9.00 am.
1. Ministerial Statement: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon) made a statement and answered questions on Influenza A(H1N1).
2. Ministerial Statement: The Minister for Public Health and Sport (Shona Robison) made a statement and answered questions on Elder Abuse.
3. Marine (Scotland) Bill: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment (Richard Lochhead) moved S3M-4969—That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Marine (Scotland) Bill.
After debate, the motion was agreed to (DT).
4. Marine (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment (Richard Lochhead) moved S3M-4518—That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Marine (Scotland) Bill, agrees to any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rules 9.12.3(b)(ii) and (iii) and 9.12.4 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.
The motion was agreed to (DT).
5. General Question Time: Questions were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers.
6. First Minister’s Question Time: Questions were answered by the First Minister (Alex Salmond).
7. Themed Question Time: Questions on Education and Lifelong Learning, and on Europe, External Affairs and Culture were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers.
8. The Scottish Economy: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney) moved S3M-5071—That the Parliament recognises the impact of the recession on Scotland and notes the actions that the Scottish Government is taking to support jobs and communities, strengthen education and skills and invest in innovation and industries of the future to ensure that the nation is both protected from the worst of the downturn and well placed to take advantage of any recovery.
Andy Kerr moved amendment S3M-5071.3 to motion S3M-5071—
Leave out from "recognises" to end and insert—
"notes the concern of Scotland’s business organisations that the Scottish Government’s budget fails to prioritise sustainable economic growth, as the Scottish Government has made substantial cuts to the enterprise, tourism, regeneration and housing budgets and has decided to cancel the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, a decision that was taken without prior consultation, despite the fact that it is an infrastructure project of national importance; believes that all of these decisions compound the failure of the Scottish Futures Trust to deliver capital investment, to the detriment of jobs and infrastructure, and calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward new proposals to create jobs, increase infrastructure investment and grow the Scottish economy."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 48, Against 67, Abstentions 2).
Derek Brownlee moved amendment S3M-5071.1 to motion S3M-5071—
Insert at end—
"; further recognises the need to support existing and new businesses to create jobs; regrets the historic underperformance of the Scottish economy in new business creation; welcomes the positive and timely impact of the significant business rate reductions for small and medium-sized businesses and the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with all other levels of government and with the business community to do more to help raise the level of new business start-ups in Scotland."
After debate, the amendment was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 64, Against 52, Abstentions 1).
Jeremy Purvis moved amendment S3M-5071.2 to motion S3M-5071—
Leave out from "recognises" to end and insert—
"; believes that it is in the best interests of the Scottish economy to encourage a vibrant and competitive banking sector by separating the investment and retail functions of the biggest banks and giving customers and businesses the choice of smaller and more secure banks, for example by bringing the Bank of Scotland home to Scotland as a low-risk high street bank that serves the needs of local people and businesses."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 18, Against 99, Abstentions 0).
Patrick Harvie moved amendment S3M-5071.4 to motion S3M-5071—
Insert at end—
"; believes that the Scottish Government should be supporting only those projects that can promote true sustainability in the long term such as public transport, energy efficiency, low-carbon technologies, including renewable energy and its required infrastructure such as vital grid upgrades, and accepts that the benefits of a low-carbon economy must be achieved in a manner that ensures fairer distribution of wealth and opportunity and promotes wellbeing in the broadest sense, instead of continuing to promote an economy that is still based on ever more unsustainable levels of ecological and financial debt."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 3, Against 114, Abstentions 0).
The motion, as amended, was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 62, Against 54, Abstentions 1).
Accordingly the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament recognises the impact of the recession on Scotland and notes the actions that the Scottish Government is taking to support jobs and communities, strengthen education and skills and invest in innovation and industries of the future to ensure that the nation is both protected from the worst of the downturn and well placed to take advantage of any recovery; further recognises the need to support existing and new businesses to create jobs; regrets the historic underperformance of the Scottish economy in new business creation; welcomes the positive and timely impact of the significant business rate reductions for small and medium-sized businesses and the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with all other levels of government and with the business community to do more to help raise the level of new business start-ups in Scotland.
9. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 3, 4 and 8 as noted above.
10. New Secondary School for North East Fife: The Parliament debated S3M-4110 in the name of Ted Brocklebank—That the Parliament believes that the children, parents and communities of Tay Bridgehead in north-east Fife require a new secondary school and community facility in addition to the proposed single site at Madras College; highlights that the campaign for a new Tay Bridgehead school has been ongoing for more than half a century; considers, in light of recent leaked figures, that the proposed new Madras College will not be big enough to accommodate all the pupils, including those from the Tay Bridgehead area; notes that currently around 850 pupils from the Tay Bridgehead and Leuchars area have to be bussed to school and that this has affected their education and involvement in school activities, as has been the case for generations; congratulates The Courier, Fife Herald and St Andrews Citizen for highlighting the growing public support for a Tay Bridgehead school, and supports all those involved in the campaign.
The meeting closed at 5.40 pm.
P E Grice
Clerk of the Parliament
29 October 2009
Appendix
(Note: this Appendix does not form part of the Minutes)
Subordinate Legislation
Negative Instruments
The following instruments were laid before the Parliament on 29 October 2009 and are subject to annulment
The Railway Closures (Exclusion) Scotland Order 2009 (SSI 2009/371)
laid under section 56 of the Railways Act 2005
The Police (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2009 (SSI 2009/372)
laid under section 26(10) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967
The Feed (Specified Undesirable Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (SSI 2009/373)
laid under section 84(2)(b) of the Agriculture Act 1970
The Food Labelling (Declaration of Allergens) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (SSI 2009/374)
laid under section 48(3) of the Food Safety Act 1990
The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (Transitory Provisions in Consequence of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007) Order 2009 (SSI 2009/375)
laid under section 100(3) of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007
The Rural Payments (Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (SSI 2009/376)
laid under paragraph 2(2) of schedule 2 to the European Communities Act 1972
Committee Reports
The following report was published on 29 October 2009
Local Government and Communities Committee, 14th Report, 2009 (Session 3): Subordinate Legislation (SP Paper 330)