St Andrew's Day

First Minister's Question Time — Scottish Executive – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 29 November 2001.

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Photo of Dennis Canavan Dennis Canavan Independent 2:30, 29 November 2001

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Executive has to celebrate St Andrew's day. (S1F-1434)

Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour

I am sure that Mr Canavan will be delighted to know that I will be making a webcast setting out the priorities for public services in Scotland and speaking directly to Scots throughout the world in doing so.

Photo of Dennis Canavan Dennis Canavan Independent

Given that a recent poll indicated that only 22 per cent of Scots know that tomorrow is St Andrew's day, will the Scottish Executive make an effort to give Scotland a higher profile internationally as well as nationally by declaring St Andrew's day a national holiday?

Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour

I thought that that question might be asked today. When I went back to Wishaw last night, I thought that I would test out the suggestion on the local population. There seemed to be a general feeling that public holidays in Scotland at this time of year are not necessarily the best idea, particularly for golfers such as Mr McLetchie and others who would, presumably, prefer better weather. The debate is interesting and I am sure that it will go on, but I think that we have a job to do in using St Andrew's day to raise Scotland's profile internationally. We also have a job to do in raising the profile of St Andrew's day within Scotland. I hope that that answer has been long enough to take up the 55 seconds that I had. The answer to the first part of Dennis Canavan's question, which was whether we should raise awareness, is yes.

Photo of Christine Grahame Christine Grahame Scottish National Party

Bad luck, Jack: I am in.

I remind the First Minister that, when asked whether he was new Labour or old Labour, he said that he was Scottish Labour. I suggest that he enhance his Scottish credentials by announcing tomorrow that the saltire, the flag of St Andrew, will fly at all times from all Scottish public buildings, beginning with Edinburgh Castle.

Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour

I notice that the fact that I had saltire cuff links on last Thursday achieved almost as much publicity as anything that I said. Although I consider the flag of Scotland and the fact that tomorrow is St Andrew's day to be important, I also consider it important that the Executive and the Parliament get to work on education, health, jobs, transport and crime. That is what we will do.

Photo of Elaine Smith Elaine Smith Labour

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. [Interruption.]

Photo of Elaine Smith Elaine Smith Labour

Is it in order for you to allow two men to preface their questions with a welcome but to cut me off when I tried to welcome a women's group, which was particularly relevant during the 16 days of protest against violence against women?

Photo of Lord David Steel Lord David Steel Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament

I assure you that there is no sex bias in the rulings that I give. [Interruption.] Order. The issue is important. Members must read out the question that is on the order paper. They cannot embroider it.

I will give the member advice. She could have slipped her welcome into a supplementary question, but it is not in order to precede the written question with other comments. I noticed that one or two other members slipped in good wishes to the First Minister, but that is rather exceptional. If I had been really strict, I would have stopped that as well.