Chamber and committees

There will be a division.

For

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)

Against

Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)

The result of the division is: For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 4 disagreed to.

Section 6, as amended, agreed to.

Section 7—Diligence against earnings

Amendment 14 moved—[Tom Arthur]—and agreed to.

Amendment 5 moved—[Murdo Fraser].

The question is, that amendment 5 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

Good morning, and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. The sole item of business today is consideration of the Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill at stage 2. I welcome Tom Arthur, the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, who is accompanied by three Scottish Government officials. I also welcome Daniel Johnson and Paul O’Kane, who are not members of the committee but are here this morning to speak to their lodged amendments.

The officials who are seated at the table are here to support the minister but are not permitted to speak in the debates on amendments. Members are reminded to direct their comments or questions to the minister.

Before we begin, I will briefly explain the procedure for anyone who is watching. All amendments that have been lodged have been grouped for debating purposes into nine separate groups, as listed on the published groupings of amendments for stage 2, which is published on the Parliament’s website. The nine groups will be debated in turn.

After an amendment has been moved, it can be withdrawn only with the agreement of the committee. I will ask for agreement; if the committee does not agree, there will be a vote.

Only committee members are allowed to vote. Voting will be by a show of hands. Members should keep their hands clearly raised until the clerk has recorded the vote. I will then read out the result.

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

Section 1—Moratorium on debt recovery action: debtors who have a mental illness

Amendment 11, in the name of the minister, is in a group on its own.

Good morning and welcome to the ninth meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. We have received apologies from Evelyn Tweed.

Our first agenda item is to ask Bob Doris, in his capacity as a newly appointed committee substitute, to declare his interests. I welcome him to the committee and invite him to declare any relevant interests.

Our second item of business is the fourth evidence session in the committee’s post-legislative scrutiny of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

I welcome Gillian Cameron, who is programme manager at the Supplier Development Programme; Graeme Cook, who is the head of procurement services at the Scottish Government; Peter Hunter, who is regional manager at Unison Scotland, and joins us remotely; and Mary Mitchell, who is the chief procurement officer, and Julie Welsh, who is the chief executive, at Scotland Excel.

I understand that Kevin Stewart wishes to make a declaration of interests.

Thank you.

Peter Hunter, I will come to you now. There will be a chance to expand on your answers when other members ask their questions. For now, I ask you to comment on the key changes that have happened since 2014 and to outline the main challenges that remain.

How does that relate to the 2014 act? Does the act make that decision easier or harder or does it not have an impact on the scenario that you outlined?

We will make some progress.