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Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision
Time.
The meeting opened at 9.30 am.
1. Europe: Nicola Sturgeon
moved S2M-124—That the Parliament supports
the European Union as a confederation that collectively exercises
certain sovereign rights pooled by states but in which each
state retains its own sovereignty in respect of constitutional,
fiscal and other matters of national importance; believes that
decisions about pooled and retained sovereignty should always
be taken in Scotland’s national interest; therefore welcomes
the development of a European constitution but opposes the conferral
of exclusive European Union competence over the conservation
of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy;
considers that the terms of the final draft constitution should
be subject to the approval of the Scottish people in a referendum
prior to ratification; regrets that the decision by Her Majesty’s
Government to delay entry to the single currency does not take
account of Scotland’s economic interests, and believes that
Scotland’s interests would best be represented in the European
Union as an independent member state.
The Deputy Minister for Finance and Public
Services (Tavish Scott) moved amendment S2M-124.4 to motion
S2M-124—
Leave out from "supports"
to end and insert—
"welcomes the many benefits that the European Union
(EU) has delivered for Europe and for Scotland; continues to
believe that the EU should seek to become more effective, efficient,
democratic, transparent, accountable and easier to understand;
notes the work of the Convention on the Future of Europe towards
these objectives; further welcomes the submission to the convention
of the proposals on Europe and the regions drawn up by the Scottish
Executive in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Government and the
Welsh Assembly Government; further notes with approval the references
in the draft Constitutional Treaty under consideration in the
convention to the role of the regions, and to mechanisms for
consulting them; welcomes the intention of Her Majesty’s Government
to involve the devolved administrations in the operation of
the subsidiarity mechanism proposed by the convention, and calls
on the Scottish Executive to continue to work with other sub-member
state administrations and Her Majesty’s Government to ensure
that Scottish interests are fully taken into account during
the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference."
Phil Gallie moved amendment S2M-124.2
to motion S2M-124—
leave out from "confederation" to end and insert—
"partnership of nation states working together for the
common interest; expresses concern at the clearly federalist
objectives of the current proposals of the Convention on the
Future of Europe; pledges to analyse the detail of these proposals
as they affect devolved responsibilities and report back our
objections to Her Majesty's Government along with our view that,
given the conclusions drawn up by HM Treasury over the last
six years on the United Kingdom entering the European single
currency, there is no basis for the United Kingdom surrendering
the pound for the euro and that further uncertainty on monetary
union will be bad for Scottish interests, and urges Her Majesty's
Government to hold an early referendum on both the Convention
proposals and European monetary union."
Frances Curran moved amendment S2M-124.3 to motion S2M-124—
Leave out from "supports" to end and insert—
"believes in a socially just, democratic and accountable
Europe for citizens and not big business; further believes that
the structure of the current European Union undermines democracy
within Scotland and that any further attempt to centralise political
power in Brussels, or financial decisions at the European Central
Bank in Stuttgart, would not be in the interest of ordinary
Scots; is concerned that the economic agenda of European monetary
union has the intention of furthering the aims of capitalist
globalisation and the interests of trans global corporations,
resulting in lower wages, cuts in public services and a wholesale
onslaught against workers’ pensions; demands the right of the
Scottish people to make their views known through a referendum;
opposes entry to the euro, and calls on the Scottish Executive
to offer to host the 2004 annual anti-globalisation event, the
European Social Forum, involving up to 100,000 people, that
has already taken place in Florence and will meet in Paris in
November 2003."
After debate, amendment 124.4 was agreed to ((DT) by division:
For 61, Against 36, Abstentions 15). As a result amendments
S2M-124.2 and S2M-124.3 were pre-empted.
The motion, as amended, was then agreed to ((DT) by division:
For 64, Against 36, Abstentions 16).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament welcomes
the many benefits that the European Union (EU) has delivered
for Europe and for Scotland; continues to believe that the EU
should seek to become more effective, efficient, democratic,
transparent, accountable and easier to understand; notes the
work of the Convention on the Future of Europe towards these
objectives; further welcomes the submission to the convention
of the proposals on Europe and the regions drawn up by the Scottish
Executive in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Government and the
Welsh Assembly Government; further notes with approval the references
in the draft Constitutional Treaty under consideration in the
convention to the role of the regions, and to mechanisms for
consulting them; welcomes the intention of Her Majesty’s Government
to involve the devolved administrations in the operation of
the subsidiarity mechanism proposed by the convention, and calls
on the Scottish Executive to continue to work with other sub-member
state administrations and Her Majesty’s Government to ensure
that Scottish interests are fully taken into account during
the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference."
2. Question Time: Questions were answered
by the First Minister and other Ministers and junior Scottish
Ministers.
3. Investing in Public Transport: The Minister
for Transport (Nicol Stepehen) moved S2M-130—That the Parliament
welcomes the proposals set out in A Partnership
for a Better Scotland for a reliable, safe, efficient and
sustainable transport system to connect Scotland and encourage
economic growth; recognises the importance that the Scottish
Executive attaches to delivering improved public transport services
by increasing investment and establishing a strategic authority,
and recognises that the public transport system must serve the
environmental, health and educational needs of people of Scotland.
Mr Kenny MacAskill moved amendment S2M-130.3 to motion S2M-130—
Insert at end—
"notes that the delivery of tangible improvements
within defined timescales is essential; recognises, furthermore,
that in order to achieve these an integrated and inter-modal
public transport network is required, and therefore calls for
the transfer of the legislative and financial powers to the
Parliament that are necessary to address fully rail and aviation
services in addition to bus and ferry services in order to ensure
the delivery of the network sought."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division:
For 33, Against 82, Abstentions 1).
David Mundell moved amendment S2M-130.1 to motion S2M-130—
Leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert—
"believes that only a fully costed programme of investment
in transport infrastructure with detailed start and completion
dates, rather than platitudes, will deliver the improvements
to public transport that the travelling public and Scottish
business so desperately need and calls on the Scottish Executive
to present such a programme to the Parliament forthwith."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division:
For 22, Against 66, Abstentions 26).
The motion was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 89, Against
26, Abstentions 1).
4. Deputy Convener of Subordinate Legislation Committee:
Patricia Ferguson moved, on behalf of the Parliamentary
Bureau, S2M-127—That the Parliament agrees that the Deputy Convener
of the Subordinate Legislation Committee be appointed from the
Labour Party.
The motion was agreed to (DT).
5. Decision Time:
The Parliament took decisions on items 1,3 and 4 as noted above.
6. Closure of Animal Welfare
Centres: The Parliament debated S2M-0034 in the name
of Shona Robison—That the Parliament is concerned about
the possible closure of at least seven of the 13 animal welfare
centres across Scotland owing to financial difficulties being
experienced by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (SSPCA); believes that this would be detrimental
to animal welfare; notes with relief that the SSPCA board of
management has postponed making a final decision on the closures
of the centres for a further six months, and considers that
the Scottish Executive should hold urgent discussions with the
SSPCA to try to find a way of keeping the animal welfare centres
open.
The meeting closed at
6.01 pm.
P E Grice
Clerk of the Parliament
12 June 2003
Appendix
(Note: this Appendix does not form part
of the Minutes)
Subordinate Legislation
Affirmative Instruments
The following instruments were laid in draft before the Parliament
on 12 June 2003 for approval by resolution—
The Budget (Scotland) Act 2003 Amendment Order 2003
laid under the Budget (Scotland) Act 2003
The Landfill (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003
laid under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
Other Documents
The following document was laid before the Parliament on 12
June 2003 and is not subject to any Parliamentary procedure
Scotland’s Budget Documents: The 2003-04 Summer Budget Revision
to the Budget (Scotland) (No.4) Act for the year ending 31 March
2004 (SE/2003/76)
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