Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:45 pm on 10 June 2025.
Jackie Baillie
Labour
3:45,
10 June 2025
I associate myself with Monica Lennon’s comments. There is cross-party consensus on the amendments in the group, which will give practical effect to Anne’s law. I thank the Minister for her work and co-operation on this key part of the bill. Again, I thank members of the care home relatives Scotland group for their persistence, and I thank Anne’s husband, Campbell, and her daughter, Natasha, for all their campaigning. All their combined efforts have led us to amendments that, taken together, should ensure that we do not have a repeat of relatives in care homes being kept away from loved ones, as we witnessed during the Covid pandemic. I urge members to support all the amendments in the group.
Amendment 30 agreed to.
Amendments 31 and 32 moved—[Jackie Baillie]—and agreed to.
Amendment 55 not moved.
Amendments 33 and 34 moved—[Maree Todd]—and agreed to.
Amendments 35 and 36 moved—[Jackie Baillie]—and agreed to.
Amendment 56 moved—[Sandesh Gulhane].
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
