Seòmar agus comataidhean

I understand that there are strong feelings on both sides. I am looking to find areas in which there could still be compromise. I am trying to investigate that. I understand that, although we all agree that intimidation of witnesses should not happen, there does not appear to be a compromise, so I am happy to leave my questions there.

So, if it was put out to consultation as part of the democratic process and voter ID was agreed to, you as a Government would vote against it and would not push it through the Parliament. That is what you have just said to me. I understand your position, minister—thank you.

I have some quick questions for the minister. Does the Scottish Government believe that UK citizens who live abroad should be able to vote for more than 15 years?

Pardon?

Right—fine. Convener, I have had enough of—

I cannot hear you.

Okay. There are two things that I want to go back to, if I may. First, we know that holding different elections on the same day does not work. We have seen that, and I totally agree with you on that. I would be very surprised if anyone thought that it would be a good idea to run two different parliamentary elections on the same day. That just does not work.

Secondly, you said that we will not have voter ID in Scotland, which gives me a clear indication that you have decided what will be in your election bill. However, you could not answer a question that I asked earlier about what would be in the bill. You have decided to disclose some parts of it, but you cannot disclose other parts. Is that right?

I have a question on proxy voting. There is a proposal to reduce the number of people for whom an individual person can be a proxy. In the past, I have been a proxy for all my children, and the bill would stop that. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I am not asking whether the fact that I voted for my children, on their instructions, is a good or bad thing; I am asking whether the limit on proxies is a good or bad thing. The proposed limit of two would be quite minimal for a lot of families. I seek your opinion on that.

No, but I was going to move on to proxy voting.

Not on that, convener. I am wondering whether you will let me go on with my next question. I am not being impertinent—I am happy to move on.