Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Official Report 1233KB pdf

Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. You will be aware that, under chapter 9B of the standing orders, this Parliament refused to consent to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Last week, despite that lack of consent, the United Kingdom Government’s timetable allowed the UK Parliament just over 15 minutes to debate our concerns and, indeed, all issues that related to devolution in Scotland, Wales and the north of Ireland. I understand that no MPs representing Scottish constituencies had the opportunity to speak in that debate.

I am a member of the Parliament’s Justice Committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee. For several months, we have attempted—unsuccessfully—to get UK Government ministers to come before us. They have often cancelled at very short notice. I understand that other committees here have been treated with similar discourtesy.

This Parliament is being treated with utter contempt by the UK Government and, in particular, by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Under rule 3.1(1) of the standing orders,

“The Presiding Officer shall ... represent the Parliament in discussions and exchanges with any parliamentary, governmental, administrative or other body.”

Will you please advise members whether you have had, or plan to have, any discussions with the UK Government or the UK parliamentary authorities regarding the contempt shown to Scotland’s Parliament in recent times?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. You will be aware that, under chapter 9B of the standing orders, this Parliament refused to consent to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Last week, despite that lack of consent, the United Kingdom Government’s timetable allowed the UK Parliament just over 15 minutes to debate our concerns and, indeed, all issues that related to devolution in Scotland, Wales and the north of Ireland. I understand that no MPs representing Scottish constituencies had the opportunity to speak in that debate.

I am a member of the Parliament’s Justice Committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee. For several months, we have attempted—unsuccessfully—to get UK Government ministers to come before us. They have often cancelled at very short notice. I understand that other committees here have been treated with similar discourtesy.

This Parliament is being treated with utter contempt by the UK Government and, in particular, by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Under rule 3.1(1) of the standing orders,

“The Presiding Officer shall ... represent the Parliament in discussions and exchanges with any parliamentary, governmental, administrative or other body.”

Will you please advise members whether you have had, or plan to have, any discussions with the UK Government or the UK parliamentary authorities regarding the contempt shown to Scotland’s Parliament in recent times?

I thank Mr Finnie for giving me advance notice of his intention to make a point of order.

As Mr Finnie and perhaps other members will recall, in response to a point of order at the time when the Parliament’s position on the legislative consent memorandum was agreed to, I advised members that I would write to my counterparts at Westminster and in other legislatures around the UK to make them aware of this Parliament’s position on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. I did exactly that. In line with normal procedures, the clerk and chief executive of this Parliament also wrote to his counterparts in the UK Parliament. The UK Parliament is therefore fully aware of this Parliament’s position.

I thank Mr Finnie for giving me advance notice of his intention to make a point of order.

As Mr Finnie and perhaps other members will recall, in response to a point of order at the time when the Parliament’s position on the legislative consent memorandum was agreed to, I advised members that I would write to my counterparts at Westminster and in other legislatures around the UK to make them aware of this Parliament’s position on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. I did exactly that. In line with normal procedures, the clerk and chief executive of this Parliament also wrote to his counterparts in the UK Parliament. The UK Parliament is therefore fully aware of this Parliament’s position.