Chamber and committees

Thank you and welcome to the committee.

Section 5—Interpretation of Chapter

Good morning and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2022 of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee.

The first and only item on our agenda is consideration of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill at stage 2.

I welcome to the meeting the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, and his supporting officials. I also welcome Graham Simpson and Oliver Mundell.

I note that the officials who are seated at the table are here to support the Deputy First Minister, but are not able to speak in the debates on amendments, so members should direct their comments or questions for the Scottish Government to the Deputy First Minister.

Members should be aware that some officials who are supporting the Deputy First Minister are seated in the public gallery and will be swapping places, as required, with those who are seated at the table.

Parliament has agreed that stage 2 consideration of the bill will be split between this committee and the Criminal Justice Committee. The detail of how the bill has been split at stage 2 is set out in motion S6M-04477.

To summarise, I note that the Criminal Justice Committee met yesterday to consider the justice-related provisions in parts 3 and 5 and in the schedule to the bill. Today, this committee will consider the remaining provisions of the bill, including those in parts 1 to 4 and 6, as well as the long title.

Once we have made progress on the bill, if there is a good opportunity to take a short comfort break between groupings, I will allow that and briefly suspend the meeting.

I will allow the meeting to run until approximately 11.30 am. If we have not concluded stage 2 by that time, I will suspend the meeting and we will reconvene in this room at 5.30 pm. Decision time is currently scheduled to be at 5 pm, so that should allow time for members to get back to this room.

Before we begin, I will also briefly explain, for everyone who is watching, the procedure that we will follow this morning. The amendments that have been lodged have been grouped. There will be one debate on each group of amendments. I will call the member who has lodged the first amendment in each group to speak to and move that amendment, and to speak to all the other amendments in the group. I will then call other members who have lodged amendments in that group. Members who have not lodged amendments in the group, but who wish to speak, should try to catch my attention.

If he has not already spoken on the group, I will then invite the Deputy First Minister to contribute to the debate. The debate on the group will be concluded by my inviting the member who moved the first amendment in the group to wind up.

Following the debate on each group, I will check whether the member who moved the first amendment in the group wishes to press it to a vote or to seek to withdraw it. If they wish to press ahead, I will put the question on the amendment.

If a member wishes to withdraw their amendment after it has been moved, they must seek the agreement of the other members to do so. If any member who is present objects, the committee will immediately move to a vote on the amendment.

If a member does not want to move their amendment when called to do so, they should say, “Not moved.” Please note that any other member who is present may move the amendment. If no one moves the amendment, I will immediately call the next amendment on the marshalled list.

Only committee members are allowed to vote. Voting in a division is done by show of hands. It is important that members keep their hands clearly raised until the clerk has recorded the vote.

The committee is required to indicate formally that it has considered and agreed to each section of the bill, so I will put a question on each section at the appropriate point.

Now that we have covered the housekeeping matters, we can start the substantive business.

Before we do so, because Oliver Mundell has not joined our committee before, I ask him to declare anything that is recorded on his entry in the register of members’ interests that might be relevant to this committee.

The first grouping of amendments is entitled “Public health protection regulations: use of power and safeguards”. Amendment 4, in the name of Brian Whittle, is grouped with amendments 5, 23, 1, 24, 10, 25, 26, 11, 6, 12, 27, 28 and 7 to 9. I remind members that if amendment 10 is agreed to, I cannot call amendments 25 and 26, as they will have been pre-empted.

I ask Brian Whittle to speak to and move amendment 4, and to speak to all the amendments in the group.

Group 4 is on education regulations: exemptions for non-educational functions of further education and higher education institutions. Amendment 29, in the name of the cabinet secretary, is the only amendment in the group.

There will be a division.

For

Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

Against

Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)

As no members wish to comment, I invite the cabinet secretary to wind up.

I ask Mark Griffin to wind up and to say whether he wishes to press or withdraw amendment 109.

There will be a division.

For

Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

Against

Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 1, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 24 agreed to.

The question is, that amendment 10 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.