Chamber and committees

There will be a division.

For

Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

Against

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)

Abstentions

Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)

Let me clarify. It is up to the minister to say who he will take an intervention from. However, I note the extremely polite behaviour of all committee members and I encourage that at all times.

With respect to both of you—I know that you are arguing and it is always great to have an informed discussion—I would like the discussion to be through me, rather than being head to head, because I struggle to hear both people talking at once.

Why would you have to change the whole act, if this is just a part of it?

When I was welcoming people to the committee, I should also have welcomed Graham Simpson, who has joined us today. He will get to ask questions at the end of the evidence session.

I thank the minister for his opening statement. It is interesting that we have a committee member who sat through the passage of what became the 2019 act as a member of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee and who therefore looked at that legislation in some detail. We also have an ex-cabinet secretary for transport who was responsible for the legislation, so we have some knowledge of it.

I do not think that the relevant section of the 2019 act was highlighted as a problem when it came before the REC Committee, but it is being highlighted now, as the system in question will be used in Scotland and nowhere else. Does that justify our using it in Scotland and sticking with something that the Parliament was perhaps not made aware of when it voted on the legislation?

It is up to Mr Lumsden whether he takes a question or continues to wind up.

I will ask Douglas Lumsden to briefly wind up.

Mr Lumsden, you said that you had a question, but you have asked two, at the last count.

I am sorry, Douglas—I have given you quite a lot of time on that, and other committee members wish to come in. I will bring you back in afterwards, but I would like to widen the discussion, rather than hear just from you and the minister. I will bring in Monica Lennon, and we will then see who is next.

There will be a division.

For

Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

Against

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)