Seòmar agus comataidhean

Although Maggie Chapman has chosen not to move amendment 8, there was a debate on it. Does any other colleague wish to move amendment 8? The answer appears to be no.

Amendment 8 not moved.

Amendment 9 not moved.

I invite Ms Duncan-Glancy to work with the clerks to frame the questions that she seeks answers to.

Thank you, minister. I appreciate your brevity.

Thank you, colleagues. That ends our stage 2 consideration of the bill. The deadline for stage 3 amendments is 12 noon on Monday 4 October, and we expect to consider stage 3 on Thursday 7 October.

I thank the minister, non-committee members and the minister’s officials for joining us this morning, and I briefly suspend the meeting before moving on to the next agenda item.

Agenda item 5 is consideration of two Scottish statutory instruments under the negative procedure.

It might be helpful if I first clarify some procedural points. SSIs that are laid under the negative procedure come into force automatically unless the Parliament passes a motion to annul them or they are withdrawn by the Scottish Government. There is no procedure for amending such SSIs, and it is not possible for us to accept some parts of them but not others. The only way in which a committee member can prevent a negative SSI from coming into force is by lodging a motion to annul the instrument. That said, the committee can make recommendations for future changes to be brought forward through other instruments, or it can highlight any concerns that it might have to the Scottish Government.

The first set of regulations would allow large payments of arrears of devolved disability benefits to be paid in instalments to Scottish clients if consent is given by the clients. Further background information is outlined in paper 4.

If members have no comments, are we content simply to note the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

The question is, that amendment 5 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

There will be a division.

For

Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con)
Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con)
Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab)
Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab)

Against

Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)

I will suspend briefly.

Are members content for amendment 3 to be withdrawn?

Members: No.

The result of the division is: For 2, Against 6, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 3 disagreed to.