Meeting of the Parliament

Wednesday 10 December 2003

Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.

The meeting opened at 2.30 pm.

1. Time for Reflection: Mrs Janette Baird, Vice Convener of the Priority Areas Committee, Castlemilk, Glasgow led Time for Reflection.

2. Fisheries 2004: The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie) moved S2M-715—That the Parliament supports the Scottish Executive in its efforts to negotiate the best possible outcome from the EU Fisheries Council in December 2003 that delivers sustainable fisheries management, sustainable fisheries and sustainable fishing businesses based on total allowable catches and effort controls that are both fair and effective.

Richard Lochhead moved amendment S2M-715.4 to motion S2M-715—

Insert at end—

"but believes that the Common Fisheries Policy has failed and that it is in the interests of our fishing communities and fisheries conservation that fishing policy is repatriated to Scotland."

After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 29, Against 89, Abstentions 1).

Mr Ted Brocklebank moved amendment S2M-715.1 to motion S2M-715—

Leave out from second "that" to end and insert—

"in contrast to last year’s negotiations which saw draconian cutbacks in white fish quotas with accompanying hardship for our coastal communities and urges the Executive to support the view of the vast majority of Scottish fishermen that it is time to end the discredited Common Fisheries Policy and to regain national control of UK waters."

After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 43, Against 75, Abstentions 1).

Robin Harper moved amendment S2M-715.3 to motion S2M-715—

Insert at end—

"; believes that effort controls need to include limits to the total fishing capacity of the fleet, the establishment of regeneration areas, tighter controls over industrial fisheries and the widespread adoption of independent observers at sea and in ports as part of a European Union-wide recovery plan, and further believes that annual bartering is a fundamentally inappropriate approach to the sustainable management of fisheries and that multi-annual management planning is essential."

After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 13, Against 82, Abstentions 24).

The motion was then agreed to (DT).

3. Business Motion: Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S2M-720—That the Parliament agrees the following programme of business—

Wednesday 17 December 2003

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Ministerial Statement

followed by Finance Committee Debate on Stage 2 of the 2004-05 Budget Process

followed by Financial Resolution in respect of Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Thursday 18 December 2003

9.30 am Parliamentary Bureau Motion

followed by Stage 3 of the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill

12 noon First Minister’s Question Time

2.30 pm Question Time

3.10 pm Conclusion of Stage 3 of the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Wednesday 7 January 2004

2.30 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Stage 1 Debate on the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill

followed by Business Motion

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Thursday 8 January 2004

9.30 am Executive Business

12 noon First Minister’s Question Time

2.30 pm Question Time

3.10 pm Executive Business

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Bruce Crawford moved amendment S2M-720.1 to motion S2M-720—

Under "Thursday 8 January 2004", after "9.30 am", leave out "Executive Business" and insert—

"Debate on Future of Health Service in Scotland."

After debate, the amendment was disagreed to (by division: For 30, Against 81, Abstentions 8).

The motion was then agreed to (by division: For 90, Against 25, Abstentions 4).

4. Approval of SSI: Patricia Ferguson, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, moved S2M-717—That the Parliament agrees that The Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No.11) (Scotland) Order 2003 (SSI 2003/561) be approved.

After debate, the motion was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 73, Against 22, Abstentions 24).

5. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 2 and 4 as noted above.

6. Laurncekirk Railway Station: The Parliament debated S2M-600 in the name of Mike Rumbles—That the Parliament welcomes the recent announcement made by Aberdeenshire Council and Scotrail on the possibility of reopening Laurencekirk Station; recognises the support in Laurencekirk and the north east as a whole for the station’s reopening; notes the Scottish Executive’s commitment to encouraging the increased use of rail transport as an alternative to the car, and encourages Aberdeenshire Council, Scotrail and the Scottish Executive to continue to make progress towards the station’s reopening.

The meeting closed at 5.58 pm.

P E Grice

Clerk of the Parliament

10 December 2003

Appendix

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

Subordinate Legislation

Negative Instruments

The following instrument was laid before the Parliament on 10 December 2003 and is subject to annulment

The Miscellaneous Food Additives Amendment (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2003 (SSI 2003/599)

laid under section 48(3) of the Food Safety Act 1990

Not Subject to any Parliamentary Procedure

The following instrument was laid before the Parliament on 9 December 2003 and is not subject to any Parliamentary procedure

The Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No. 7) (Scotland) Revocation Order 2003 (SSI 2003/598)

laid under section 1(10) of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985

Other Documents

The following documents were laid before the Parliament on 8 December 2003 and are not subject to any Parliamentary procedure

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2002-03 (SE/2003/182)

laid under section 20(6) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education Annual Accounts 2002-03 (SE/2003/308)—

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2003 (SE/2003/318)—

Scottish Natural Heritage Audited Financial Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2003 (SE/2003/328)—

laid under section 22(5) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000

Report by the Auditor General for Scotland on the 2002-03 Audit of Scottish Natural Heritage (SE/2003/329)

 

The following documents were laid before the Parliament on 9 December 2003 and are not subject to any Parliamentary procedure—

Scottish Enterprise: special audit examination – A report to the Scottish Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland (AGS/2003/11)

laid under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000

Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2001-02 (SE/2003/316)

The following document was laid before the Parliament on 10 December 2003 and is not subject to any Parliamentary procedure

Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Accounts for the three months to 30 June 2003 (SE/2003/334)

laid under section 22(5) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000

Committee Reports

The following Reports were published on 5 December 2003—

Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee, 1st Report 2003 (Session 2): Preliminary Stage Report on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill (SP Paper 56)

Subordinate Legislation Committee, 14th Report 2003 (Session 2): Report on Subordinate Legislation (SP Paper 61)

The following Report was published on 10 December 2003

Finance Committee, 4th Report 2003 (Session 2): Report on Stage 2 of the 2004-05 Budget Process (SP Paper 62)