Section A – Today’s Business

Meeting of the Parliament

9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Supporting Families—

S3M-5112 Elizabeth Smith: Supporting Families—That the Parliament considers that the family is the natural building block of our society; notes the significant pressures facing families in Scotland today arising from relationship breakdown, poverty, unemployment and substance abuse; regrets that one in four Scottish children is growing up in a single-parent household and that 137,000 Scottish children have no parent in work, and believes that action is required to improve parenting support, to expand the role of health visitors, to fully harness the voluntary sector in this work and to recognise marriage in the tax and benefits system.

The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendment

S3M-5112.1 Adam Ingram: Supporting Families—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5112) in the name of Elizabeth Smith, leave out from "regrets" to end and insert "believes that the Scottish Government should focus on addressing the impact of the recession and take steps to ease the burden on families; recognises that long-term relationships provide stability in many families and acknowledges the status of marriage in society, and believes that the needs and best interests of the child should always be at the centre of policies to support and promote stable families and reflect the reality of family life in Scotland."

The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments to amendment

S3M-5112.1.1 Des McNulty: Supporting Families—As an amendment to amendment (S3M-5112.1) in the name of Adam Ingram, insert at end "and urges the Scottish Government to prioritise support for parents and extended families, ensuring that evaluation of these services is geared towards improving the quality and range of support that can be offered."

S3M-5112.1.2 Margaret Smith: Supporting Families—As an amendment to amendment (S3M-5112.1) in the name of Adam Ingram, insert at end ", and notes the valuable role of the voluntary sector in the delivery of services to children, parents and families, particularly those in vulnerable or disadvantaged circumstances."

followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Minimum Pricing of Alcohol—

S3M-5118 Murdo Fraser: Minimum Pricing of Alcohol—That the Parliament recognises that alcohol misuse cost Scottish society an estimated £2.25 billion in 2006-07, with almost one in three men and one in five women exceeding the recommended maximum level of consumption per week; believes that Scotland needs to examine its complex relationship with alcohol; further believes that to address this problem action needs to be taken that is properly targeted, effective, evidence based, and legally competent, and, accordingly, rejects the Scottish Government policy of minimum pricing on the basis that it will penalise responsible drinkers and damage Scotland’s vital drinks industry.

The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments

S3M-5118.2 Nicola Sturgeon: Minimum Pricing of Alcohol—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5118) in the name of Murdo Fraser, leave out from "action" to end and insert "effective enforcement of existing laws is needed, as is further action that is properly targeted, effective, evidence-based and legally competent, and, accordingly, is willing to examine, consider and debate all evidence and representations presented to it in seeking support for minimum pricing and the other measures in the Bill that will be introduced later in 2009."

S3M-5118.1 Jackie Baillie: Minimum Pricing of Alcohol—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5118) in the name of Murdo Fraser, leave out from "rejects" to end and insert "looks forward to considering the evidence of all the different approaches that can help to tackle the misuse of alcohol, and urges the Scottish Government to share the substance of all of the legal advice obtained."

S3M-5118.3 Robert Brown: Minimum Pricing of Alcohol—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5118) in the name of Murdo Fraser, insert at end "and fails to recognise the role of individual responsibility or meet the key test of bringing about fundamental, rather than marginal, cultural change."

11.40 am General Question Time—

1. Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make with regard to the BBC Trust’s review of BBC Alba. (S3O-8339)

2. Irene Oldfather: To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on Scotland’s cultural heritage. (S3O-8298)

3. John Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Transport Scotland, Network Rail and train operating companies about the development of rail services in Ayrshire. (S3O-8343)

4. Rhoda Grant: To ask the Scottish Executive whether all local authorities pay the minimum national allowance to kinship carers. (S3O-8282)

5. Alison McInnes: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council on the distribution of the remaining amount of additional revenue funding for colleges in 2010-11. (S3O-8352)

6. John Park: To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting concessionary travel schemes. (S3O-8299)

7. Cathie Craigie: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the protection of Scotland’s charities in the event that the Lloyds TSB Foundation and the Lloyds Banking Group fail to agree a settlement in their funding dispute. (S3O-8275)

8. Tricia Marwick: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the policing costs of the forthcoming meeting of the G20 finance ministers in St Andrews and what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government about meeting these costs. (S3O-8320)

9. Elizabeth Smith: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in supporting young farmers and helping new entrants to farming. (S3O-8338)

10. Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish Executive who will comprise its delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. (S3O-8346)

12 noon First Minister’s Question Time—

1. Iain Gray: To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day. (S3F-1976)

2. Annabel Goldie: To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Prime Minister. (S3F-1977)

3. Tavish Scott: To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S3F-1978)

4. Christine Grahame: To ask the First Minister how many referrals the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration has received regarding children held at the Dungavel immigration removal centre in the last 12 months. (S3F-1991)

5. Richard Baker: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on the view of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents that the draft budget will lead to cuts to frontline services and "an inability to respond appropriately to major civil or criminal contingencies". (S3F-1979)

6. Alex Johnstone: To ask the First Minister whether, in light of the severe flooding experienced across the north east at the weekend, the Scottish Government considers that provisions for flood management are adequate. (S3F-1980)

2.15 pm Themed Question Time

Health and Wellbeing—

1. Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been with implementation of the Energy Assistance Package. (S3O-8300)

2. George Foulkes: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision to put its homeless services out to tender. (S3O-8279)

3. Helen Eadie: To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it has taken in the last six months to remove the perceived postcode lottery and improve the availability of infertility services and standards for patients across Scotland. (S3O-8277)

4. Mr Frank McAveety: To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward proposals for the regeneration areas in Glasgow and details of how in particular the areas of Gallowgate and Laurieston in the Glasgow Shettleston constituency will be affected. (S3O-8288)

5. Angela Constance: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the non-statutory pilot to elect board members of NHS Lothian. (S3O-8311)

6. Robin Harper: To ask the Scottish Executive how many simultaneous users of the clinical portal the system is being designed to handle and how long it will take for a typical electronic patient record request to be completed and delivered when the system is used at maximum capacity. (S3O-8345)

7. Dave Thompson: To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to attract and provide incentives for NHS dentists to relocate to the Highlands and Islands. (S3O-8330)

8. Aileen Campbell: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in rural areas. (S3O-8309)

9. Shirley-Anne Somerville: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to combat fuel poverty. (S3O-8329)

10. Bill Kidd: To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to promote the development and promotion of healthy living centres in Glasgow given the long-term health inequalities that exist in the city. (S3O-8319)

11. David Stewart: To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to identify and support the 600,000 people estimated to have pre-diabetes. (S3O-8304)

12. Charlie Gordon: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider changing the method of classifying causes of stillbirth. (S3O-8281)

13. Not Lodged

14. Ken Macintosh: To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to recent figures showing more than 3,500 additional winter deaths in 2008-09. (S3O-8291)

15. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in building and bringing into use the new psychogeriatric hospital at Migdale, Sutherland. (S3O-8317)

16. Margaret Smith: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on tackling health inequalities. (S3O-8357)

17. Bill Aitken: To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the ruling by the European Court of Justice’s Advocate General that minimum pricing is "not necessary in order to protect public health" and represents a distortion of competition, whether it is satisfied that a policy of minimum pricing will not be ruled to contravene EC law. (S3O-8341)

18. Joe FitzPatrick: To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards reducing the number of smokers in Tayside. (S3O-8315)

19. Nanette Milne: To ask the Scottish Executive what additional capacity to help reduce waiting times will be created when the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre is taken into full NHS control. (S3O-8340)

20. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to bring forward legislation to introduce the principle of presumed consent for organ donation. (S3O-8327)

2.55 pm Ministerial Statement: Sex Offenders

followed by Scottish Government Debate: Autumn Fisheries Negotiations—

S3M-5119 Richard Lochhead: Autumn Fisheries Negotiations—That the Parliament notes the Scottish Government’s commitment to secure a fair deal at the forthcoming EU fisheries negotiations and to continue seeking radical and urgent changes to EU regulations to help cut discards and improve fisheries conservation and the industry’s profitability; calls for Scotland’s fishermen’s growing reputation for innovative fisheries conservation to be given due recognition, and notes the European Commission Green Paper on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which recognises the failures of the Common Fisheries Policy.

The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments

S3M-5119.2 Sarah Boyack: Autumn Fisheries Negotiations—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5119) in the name of Richard Lochhead, insert at end "welcomes the meeting of Inter Regional Advisory Council members, stakeholders and fisheries ministers from across the United Kingdom in Edinburgh this week; notes the growing support for ecosystem-based regional fisheries management amongst fisheries experts and interests, and agrees that the Scottish Government should put in place effective measures to support Scottish fishing communities in light of the outcomes of last year’s fisheries negotiations and the ongoing recession."

S3M-5119.1 John Scott: Autumn Fisheries Negotiations—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5119) in the name of Richard Lochhead, insert at end ", and believes that, in that context, a more regionally responsible approach to fisheries management is required and that, in order to achieve this, the Scottish Government and HM Government must work together in the interests of a sustainable Scottish fishing industry."

S3M-5119.3 Liam McArthur: Autumn Fisheries Negotiations—As an amendment to motion (S3M-5119) in the name of Richard Lochhead, leave out from first "notes" to end and insert "recognises the need for a complete overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy and action to address the environmental and economic folly of discards; believes, however, that the Government’s immediate priority must be to tackle the current crippling situation facing Scotland’s fishing fleet and the prospect of further cuts in effort and quotas, and therefore urges the Scottish Government to work urgently and constructively with the fishing industry and the UK Government on priorities for the forthcoming EU fisheries negotiations to secure the best possible outcome for the Scottish fleet and the longer term sustainability of fish stocks."

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions—

S3M-5136 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Committee Membership—That the Parliament agrees that Christina McKelvie be appointed to replace Bill Wilson as a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee.

S3M-5137 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Committee Membership—That the Parliament agrees that—

Rhona Brankin be appointed to replace Charlie Gordon as a member of the European and External Relations Committee;

Tom McCabe be appointed to replace Jackie Baillie as a member of the Finance Committee;

Malcolm Chisholm be appointed to replace James Kelly as a member of the Finance Committee;

James Kelly be appointed to replace Paul Martin as a member of the Justice Committee;

Rhona Brankin be appointed to replace Marlyn Glen as a member of the Public Petitions Committee;

Margaret Curran be appointed to replace Tom McCabe as a member of the Subordinate Legislation Committee;

Rhoda Grant be appointed to replace Malcolm Chisholm as a member of the Subordinate Legislation Committee.

S3M-5138 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Substitution on Committees—That the Parliament agrees that—

Dave Thompson be appointed to replace Andrew Welsh as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee;

Stewart Maxwell be appointed to replace Kenneth Gibson as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Finance Committee;

Bill Wilson be appointed to replace Christina McKelvie as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Public Petitions Committee.

S3M-5139 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Substitution on Committees—That the Parliament agrees that—

Rhoda Grant be appointed to replace Jackie Baillie as the Scottish Labour Party substitute on the Equal Opportunities Committee;

Margaret Curran be appointed to replace Paul Martin as the Scottish Labour Party substitute on the Local Government and Communities Committee;

Rhona Brankin be appointed to replace Rhoda Grant as the Scottish Labour Party substitute on the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee.

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business:

Debate on the subject of–

S3M-4986 Willie Coffey: Conduct of Inquiries into Fatalities at Level Crossings—That the Parliament regrets the continuing loss of life at railway level crossings, most recently at Halkirk in Caithness and, in January 2009, at Gatehead in Kilmarnock and Loudoun; notes the large number of organisations involved in the investigation of rail accidents and incidents in Scotland, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the British Transport Police, Scotland’s eight police forces and the Office of Rail Regulation, and considers that, following the Review of Fatal Accident Inquiry Legislation being conducted by Lord Cullen, a modernised system of fatal accident inquiries can contribute to greater coordination and scrutiny of any inquiries, including the implementation of any recommendations, by whichever agency, following such tragic incidents.