Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Official Report 958KB pdf

Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

Standing order rule 12.3, on committee meetings, says:

“A committee shall meet to consider such business on such days and at such times as it may from time to time decide, subject to any timetable specified in the business programme.”

Today, we have learned that the convener of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee has cancelled the stage 2 consideration of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill. This cancellation at the beginning of stage 2 of such an important bill will potentially delay legislation, with knock-on effects for the rest of the committee’s work programme and other current and forthcoming legislation.

A unilateral decision by the convener to do that, without consulting members, is an insult to the hard work of committee members, whose efforts are being undermined by the whims of a convener who is more interested in playing politics than in discharging the functions of his role. Will the Presiding Officer advise us on what action she and the Parliament can take to ensure that the committee meets tomorrow to consider this important bill at stage 2?

I am not aware of the circumstances to which you refer, Mr Fairlie, but that is a matter for the convener of the committee in the first instance, so I suggest that you take that up directly with the convener.