After section 1 — Financial procedures: written agreements

Part of Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:15 pm on 1 December 1999.

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Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour 3:15, 1 December 1999

I address the specific point that I made, that this amendment would give more power to the ministers than has ever been envisaged by our drafting of the bill.

I do not have strong views on whether the procedure for agreeing written agreements should be in legislation, although I think that it is better that it is not. If the amendment had addressed that point, we could perhaps have gone ahead today. I do not think that it is necessary to break up the debate and adjourn, to revisit this amendment. I have said very clearly on the record today that these written agreements will be agreed. It will be up to the Parliamentary Bureau to decide how the Parliament agrees them. However, it will be for this Parliament as well as for the Executive to agree them.