Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.
The meeting opened at 9.15 am.
1. Alternative Dispute Resolution: The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Kenny MacAskill) moved S3M-738—That the Parliament recognises the need to develop a broad range of appropriate dispute resolution schemes, as alternatives to the formal court system, which can offer more flexibility, quicker resolution, less stress and reduced expense for citizens.
After debate, the motion was agreed to ((DT).
2. General Question Time: Questions were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers.
3. First Minister’s Question Time: Questions were answered by the First Minister (Alex Salmond).
4. Themed Question Time: Questions on Justice and Law Officers and Finance and Sustainable Growth were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers and by the Scottish Law Officers.
5. Ministerial Statement: The Minister for Children and Early Years (Adam Ingram) made a statement and answered questions on Child Protection.
6. The Environment: The Minister for Environment (Michael Russell) moved S3M-739—That the Parliament notes the important relationships among Scotland’s natural and built environment, culture and history, which together make us who we are; recognises the achievements over the centuries of artists such as Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg, Alexander Naysmith, Robin Jenkins, Sorley MacLean, Joan Eardley and Ian Hamilton Finlay and, continuing those connections today, Angus Farquhar, Alasdair Gray, Andy Scott and Frances Walker among many others; is glad that so many artists from Scotland and from elsewhere have taken their inspiration from Scotland’s people, landscape and natural resources and the ways of life which they support and continue to do so, and recognises the need for the Scottish Government to work closely with cultural and environmental organisations, local authorities, community groups and individuals to celebrate, explore and reveal the diversity and ever-changing nature of Scotland, its people and its place in the world.
Des McNulty moved amendment S3M-739.1 to motion S3M-739—
Insert at end—
"further notes the involvement of artists, architects and urban designers with housing associations, local authorities and others in efforts to regenerate urban as well as rural environments; notes the importance of the Environmental Justice Fund and the Community Regeneration Fund in enabling communities that have suffered from degraded environments to gain support to regenerate their communities, and calls on the Scottish Government to do more to protect and enhance Scotland's landscapes, particularly in light of the challenges brought by climate change, and to link together cultural entitlements with environmental justice."
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 54, Against 63, Abstentions 0).
Mike Rumbles moved amendment S3M-739.2 to motion S3M-739—
Leave out "in the world" and insert—
"within the United Kingdom and the wider world".
The amendment was agreed to (DT).
The motion, as amended, was then agreed to (DT).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament notes the important relationships among Scotland’s natural and built environment, culture and history, which together make us who we are; recognises the achievements over the centuries of artists such as Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg, Alexander Naysmith, Robin Jenkins, Sorley MacLean, Joan Eardley and Ian Hamilton Finlay and, continuing those connections today, Angus Farquhar, Alasdair Gray, Andy Scott and Frances Walker among many others; is glad that so many artists from Scotland and from elsewhere have taken their inspiration from Scotland’s people, landscape and natural resources and the ways of life which they support and continue to do so, and recognises the need for the Scottish Government to work closely with cultural and environmental organisations, local authorities, community groups and individuals to celebrate, explore and reveal the diversity and ever-changing nature of Scotland, its people and its place within the United Kingdom and the wider world.
7. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 1 and 6 as noted above.
8. Crown Estate Taxation on Harbour Developments: The Parliament debated S3M-568 in the name of Tavish Scott—That the Parliament notes the vital importance to island and coastal communities of their ports and harbours which serve lifeline transport links and, by supporting such industries as fishing, aquaculture, offshore oil, tourism and renewable energy, provide major employment opportunities; further notes that ports and harbours in the Highlands and Islands are largely owned by local authorities, trusts or other public bodies that operate for the benefit of the communities they serve and reinvest any profits in these communities; views with concern the charges such ports and harbour owners have to pay to the Crown Estate for the rental of areas of seabed; further views with concern the royalty charges imposed by the Crown Estate when material dredged from the seabed to assist navigation is used productively by harbour owners for land reclamation rather than being wastefully dumped at sea, and believes that serious consideration should be given as to how the Parliament’s powers to legislate over the property rights of the Crown in Scotland, as outlined in the December 2006 report of the Crown Estate Review Working Group, could be used to lift this unjustifiable burden of Crown Estate taxation from ports and harbour operators.
The meeting closed at 5.35 pm.
P E Grice
Clerk of the Parliament
1 November 2007
Appendix
(Note: this Appendix does not form part of the Minutes)
Subordinate Legislation
Negative Instruments
The following instrument was laid before the Parliament on 1 November 2007 and is subject to annulment
The Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/487)
laid under section 133(2) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980
Committee Reports
The following report was published on 1 November 2007
Subordinate Legislation Committee, 8th Report, 2007 (Session 3): Report on Subordinate Legislation (SP Paper 20)