The meeting opened at 9.30 am.

1. Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Bill - Stage 3: The Bill was considered at Stage 3.

The following amendments were agreed to without division: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

The following amendments were disagreed to (by division)—

1 (For 14, Against 69, Abstentions 0)

3 (For 14, Against 70, Abstentions 0)

4 (For 15, Against 71, Abstentions 0)

5 (For 17, Against 70, Abstentions 0)

Amendment 6 was moved and, with the agreement of the Parliament, withdrawn.

Another amendment was not moved.

2. Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Bill - Stage 3: Christine Grahame, on behalf of the Justice 1 Committee, moved S1M-2250—That the Parliament agrees that the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Bill be passed.

After debate the motion was agreed to (DT).

3. Business Motion: Euan Robson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M-2283—That the Parliament agrees—

(a) as a revision to the Business Motion agreed on 27 September 2001

Thursday 4 October 2001

after the "Executive Debate on Sports Promotion in Scotland’s Schools", insert

(b) the following programme of business

Wednesday 24 October 2001

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Ministerial Statement

followed by Executive Motion in respect of UK Legislation

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

Thursday 25 October 2001

9.30 am Scottish National Party Business

followed by Business Motion

2.30 pm Question Time

3.10 pm First Minister's Question Time

3.30 pm Executive Debate on National Cultural Strategy – One Year On

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

Wednesday 31 October 2001

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Executive Business

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

Thursday 1 November 2001

followed by Business Motion

2.30 pm Question Time

3.10 pm First Minister's Question Time

3.30 pm Executive Business

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members' Business

and (c) that Stage 1 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Bill be completed by 30 November 2001.

The motion was agreed to.

4. Question Time: Questions were answered by the First Minister, the Lord Advocate and other Ministers and junior Scottish Ministers.

5. Sports Promotion in Scotland’s Schools: The Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture moved S1M-2285—That the Parliament recognises the contribution sport makes to both the physical and mental health of young people as well as providing a positive and attractive alternative to anti-social and offending behaviour; endorses the various initiatives, such as the School Sports Co-ordinator and Active Primary School Programmes put in place by the Scottish Executive through sportscotland and the increasing opportunities for young people to participate in sports in schools; and calls on local authorities, and others, to engage fully with these initiatives.

Irene McGugan moved amendment S1M-2285.1 to motion S1M-2285—

Insert at end—

"; notes that other European countries prioritise sport in the curriculum but that Scottish schools do not even offer the recommended minimum of two hours of physical education per week and that children at one in seven secondary schools no longer have access to a grass playing field; further notes that almost 40% of schools do not have a football pitch and that the already unacceptably high obesity rates among young Scots are still rising, and therefore calls upon the Scottish Executive to cease lodging self-congratulatory motions, to take meaningful action to prioritise sport for children and young people and to ensure that locally available and appropriate facilities are accessible to all."

After debate the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 29, Against 75, Abstentions 0).

Murdo Fraser moved amendment S1M-2285.2 to motion S1M-2285—

Leave out from "and others" to end and insert—

"head teachers, teachers, school boards and other sports and educational bodies to embrace and participate fully in these healthy initiatives."

After debate the amendment was agreed to (DT).

The motion as amended was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 72, Against 0, Abstentions 28).

Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament recognises the contribution sport makes to both the physical and mental health of young people as well as providing a positive and attractive alternative to anti-social and offending behaviour; endorses the various initiatives, such as the School Sports Co-ordinator and Active Primary School Programmes put in place by the Scottish Executive through sportscotland and the increasing opportunities for young people to participate in sports in schools; and calls on local authorities, head teachers, teachers, school boards and other sports and educational bodies to embrace and participate fully in these healthy initiatives.

6. Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill - Financial Resolution: The Minister for Finance and Local Government moved S1M-2280—That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill, agrees to—

(b) any payments made to the Scottish Ministers under the Act.

After debate the motion was agreed to (DT).

7. Approval of SSIs: Euan Robson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M-2281—That the Parliament agrees that the following instruments be approved—

The motion was agreed to (DT).

8. Membership of Committees: Euan Robson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S1M-2297—That the Parliament agrees that Brian Fitzpatrick be appointed to replace Des McNulty on the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee.

The motion was agreed to (DT).

9. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 as noted above.

10. Borders Children with Special Education Needs: The Parliament debated S1M-2098 in the name of Christine Grahame—That the Parliament notes with concern that despite parental opposition Scottish Borders Council at its meeting on 1 August 2001 authorised, by a majority vote, further cuts of £1,579,255 to its education budget; notes that £200,000 was previously cut from the budget for the provision of special education auxiliaries; is concerned that part of these further cuts will impact on the provision of transport for children with special needs and that the intention to vire £525,000 from the Excellence Fund budget to the National Grid for Learning budget will impact directly on special education needs provision by raiding the budget for classroom assistants, early intervention and learning support; believes that this matter is causing undue distress and uncertainty to parents of children with special educational needs; further notes the recommendations in the 3rd Report 2001 by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Report on Inquiry into Special Educational Needs, in particular, recommendation 1 on "Maximising the participation of all children in mainstream schools", and therefore believes that the Scottish Executive should ensure that the provision of education for Borders children with special needs is not sacrificed to rescue the Borders administration from financial mismanagement and, if necessary, should provide additional, ring-fenced funding on appropriate terms in order to secure a fair and inclusive education for these vulnerable children.

11. Motion without notice: Michael Russell moved without notice under Rule 8.14.3 that the debate be extended by up to 10 minutes.

The motion was agreed to.

The meeting closed at 5.56 pm.

P E Grice

Clerk of the Parliament

4 October 2001

Appendix

(Note: this Appendix does not form part of the Minutes)

SPCB Papers

The following Report was published on 4 October 2001

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Annual Report 2001 (SP Paper 420)

Committee Reports

The following Reports were published on 4 October 2001—