Plenary, 16 Mar 2005

Meeting date: Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Official Report 456KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. This point of order is further to the point of order that I made on 3 March.

On 24 February, the Parliament agreed to a Scottish Green Party motion on identity cards that, among other things called

"on the Executive to make a full statement on the intended use of the identity database by devolved institutions."

In my previous point of order, I raised the question of whether, under rule 13.2.1 of standing orders, the Executive had given you notice of its intention to make the full statement that the motion called for. The Presiding Officer indicated that he had received no such notice, but that making such a statement was

"a matter for the Executive".—[Official Report, 3 March 2005; c 15063.]

Have you now received any such notice of the full statement that was called for in the motion of 24 February?

No, I have not had such a request. I believe that the Minister for Parliamentary Business wants to make a response. In the circumstances, I think that that would be reasonable.

I thank Mark Ballard for giving me prior warning that he was going to raise this matter. It has been discussed in the Parliamentary Bureau and I have indicated to the bureau, as I indicate to members now, that it is receiving the Executive's on-going attention. We will communicate appropriately with the Parliament—[Interruption.] I reassure members, who might be a bit cynical—heaven forfend—that, as ever, the Executive is giving proper attention to the wishes of the Parliament.

There the matter must rest for now.