On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. On the programming of business for the remainder of the afternoon, I note that we are about to hear a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, which is scheduled to last for 20 minutes. I have seen the content of the statement and it amounts to little more than a party-political broadcast for the Scottish National Party. As is the case with all statements in the chamber, it requires to be heard without any interruptions or interventions. In this case, there is no capacity for questions to be put to the cabinet secretary on the content of her statement.
The statement will be followed by a debate in which Opposition members will be able to speak, but they will not be given the amount of time that would otherwise be available. Opposition members may also be intervened on in a fashion that the cabinet secretary will not face when giving her statement. That is clearly a departure from normal practice, and it puts the Opposition in this Parliament at an unfair disadvantage. I know that the arrangement has been agreed by the Parliamentary Bureau in this particular case. However, I would welcome an assurance from you, Deputy Presiding Officer—or, in due course, an assurance from bureau members—that it will not set a precedent for future business, given that it unfairly advantages members of the Government.
The matter has been agreed by the bureau, and it has also been approved by the Parliament. The other point that is worth making is that there will be no opening speaker—
Keep up.
Excuse me, cabinet secretary. I am answering a point of order. Thank you for respecting the chair doing that.
As I was saying, there will be no opening speaker from the Scottish Government in the debate, which I am sure that the member has also noted. I hope that that addresses the issue that has been raised and that we can move on.
On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. For clarity, can you confirm that this is a rare, if not unprecedented, situation in that we will have a lengthy, 20-minute statement but no ability for any member of the Parliament to question the cabinet secretary on it? Even in the case of budget and programme for government statements, there is an opportunity for members to question the person who delivers the statement. Can you confirm that this is without precedent?
I am aware that, in fact, in relation to other matters, this approach has been followed previously, but I reiterate that the matter has been approved by the Parliamentary Bureau and subsequently ratified, if you like, by the Parliament. On that basis, I am obviously required to follow what the Parliament has agreed that it wishes to see happen. I hope that we can now move to the next item of business.
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