DOCSLIB.ORG

Official Report, End of Life Margo Macdonald: It Is Written in a Different Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee, 7 September 2010; C Way

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Official Report, End of Life Margo Macdonald: It Is Written in a Different Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee, 7 September 2010; C Way END OF LIFE ASSISTANCE (SCOTLAND) BILL COMMITTEE Tuesday 5 October 2010 Session 3 Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body 2010 Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to the Information Policy Team, Office of the Queen’s Printer for Scotland, Admail ADM4058, Edinburgh, EH1 1NG, or by email to: [email protected]. OQPS administers the copyright on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. Printed and published in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by RR Donnelley. Tuesday 5 October 2010 CONTENTS Col. END OF LIFE ASSISTANCE (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 1 ................................................................................... 281 END OF LIFE ASSISTANCE (SCOTLAND) BILL COMMITTEE 9th Meeting 2010, Session 3 CONVENER *Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD) DEPUTY CONVENER *Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP) COMMITTEE MEMBERS *Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab) *Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) *Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con) *Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab) *attended THE FOLLOWING GAVE EVIDENCE: David Cullum (Scottish Parliament Chamber Office) Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind) CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE Douglas Thornton LOCATION Committee Room 2 281 5 OCTOBER 2010 282 emphasis on the requirement for the practitioner to Scottish Parliament know the patient and to be able to distinguish whether there was any undue internal or external End of Life Assistance (Scotland) influence on the patient’s choice. The clarification that Margo MacDonald has provided is at odds Bill Committee with the written evidence that we have received from various respondents to our call for evidence, Tuesday 5 October 2010 who believe that it is important for practitioners to have detailed knowledge of patients so that they [The Convener opened the meeting at 10:16] can determine whether there has been undue End of Life Assistance (Scotland) internal or external pressure. I invite you to respond to that concern. Bill: Stage 1 Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): First, the The Convener (Ross Finnie): Good morning. bill makes no reference to the medical practitioner Welcome to the ninth meeting of the End of Life in the practice with which the patient is registered. Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee. As usual, I We have tried to be as flexible as possible. We remind everyone in the room to switch off any went into detail for rather a negative reason: we electronic equipment that might interfere with anticipated that some people might think that there transmission. No apologies have been received. I would be suicide tourism, or something like that. apologise for the slight delay in commencing We wanted to ensure that the approach could not proceedings; traffic jams delayed members getting be regarded in that way, so we talked about the to the meeting. qualifying period and the need to be registered with an appropriate medical specialist and so on. There is only one item on the agenda. As a matter of courtesy, I note that members have It might well be that a person’s general received three communications since we last met. practitioner would not want to take part in the The first is from the Cabinet Secretary for Health procedure, so we did not want to be too and Wellbeing and relates to the applicability of prescriptive. However, we said that, if the person the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. was unable to contact someone who was willing to The committee has also received a helpful letter help, the GP would have a duty to help them. from the bill’s sponsor, Margo MacDonald, and a There is an entirely reasonable supposition that further letter from the Solicitor General for the person would be known to one or other of the Scotland clarifying issues relating to the practice of medical specialists, whether that was the person procurators fiscal in respect of post-death to whom they first mentioned the issue or the certification and investigation. person to whom they were subsequently referred. This is the final oral evidence session, subject to Helen Eadie: Do you think that the person to the committee not requiring to call further whom they were referred would be able to carry witnesses. We welcome the bill’s sponsor, Margo out checks via the other GPs? Would they know MacDonald, who is accompanied this morning by the patient well enough? David Cullum, head of the non-Executive bills unit Margo MacDonald: We have said that the in the Scottish Parliament, and Peter Warren, who requesting person would have to have two is a researcher for the member in charge. I invite witnesses, who would have to be able to say that questions from members. the person was not being coerced and so on. Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): My There must also be recourse to specialist question may be answered by any member of the psychiatric or psychological advice. There would panel. I thank Margo MacDonald and her team for be a network of support, so the person would be their letter providing us with further clarification. At unlikely to be unknown to everyone that they met. the bottom of the first page, it says: Mr Cullum is reminding me that there are “there is no requirement on the requesting person to General Medical Council guidelines on how seek assisted dying from a doctor at the practice with which professionals should act. they are registered or to involve the practice in any other way in the processes set out under the Bill. There is also no Helen Eadie: Let us consider the bill’s direction requirement on the requesting person to have been and purpose. It covers euthanasia and physician- registered with the designated practitioner for 18 months assisted suicide. Professors Mason and Laurie prior to seeking assistance. Section 4(1)(b) merely requires said that the approach is the requesting person to have been registered with any practice or series of practices in Scotland for this “largely uncharted territory for any jurisdiction.” continuous period of time.” Is it practicable to cover euthanasia as well as However, in the evidence that we have heard physician-assisted suicide? If so, are the throughout stage 1, there has been considerable provisions applicable to both practices? 283 5 OCTOBER 2010 284 Margo MacDonald: The bill’s intention must be are here when a double-effect draught of whatever weighed up in its entirety. There are two points to is given at the end of life has changed, and make. First, the bill talks about the autonomy of doctors now feel that they can declare what has the patient. Secondly, the possibility of anyone happened much more freely. I think that it is a else taking the decision for the patient would be question of how deaths are reported rather than of prevented by provisions throughout the bill. If more deaths being brought about by Dutch someone exercised their autonomy and decided physicians. that their life had come to an end for them and that The evidence is very shaky and it is questioned they were left with just a shell of intolerability, the by the people in the Netherlands. The experience bill would give them the legal right to seek help, there seems to me to run in quite close parallel but no other person could instigate that process or with the experience in Oregon, which has a make the decision. completely different legal system, but the end That is why, when we were drawing up the bill, it result is that a very small percentage—let us say was difficult to decide whether to use the word about 2 per cent—of deaths each year are brought “euthanasia”. This might be entirely personal, but I about through assisted death. maintain that euthanasia is associated with Helen Eadie: So as not to hog the questioning, I someone else taking the decision, rather than the have one last question for now, if that is okay with requesting patient. I accept that some people think the convener. that, in the final analysis, it is euthanasia if the requesting patient cannot self-administer the drug If you have seen the letter that we have and a clinician gives assistance at the very end. received from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, you will be aware I am trying not to split hairs, but the intention that she says that was to ensure that people understand that no clinician can do as they can do at present and “The Scottish Government takes the view that the make the decision by giving a double-effect dose provisions of end of life assistance as set out in the Bill of medication near the end of life to shorten life. would not be within the powers as set out in the 1978 act and therefore is not within the powers of Health Boards in The bill says that the only person who can make terms of that Act. It follows from this that the Scottish that decision is the patient. When Professor Government believes that NHS General Practitioners or McLean gave evidence, she said: any other health professionals who provide services through the NHS in Scotland could not provide such “If we accept the fundamental principle of choice at the assistance while acting in that capacity.” end of life, it would be illogical to limit the bill to assisted suicide ... If the bill were to cover only assisted suicide, That presents some difficulties for you. How would those who want to die but who need the simple assistance you see your bill operating when its provisions do of a doctor would be deprived of that assistance on the not fall within the scope of the National Health basis of a legal rule that even the highest judges in the land do not think is applicable in such circumstances.” —[Official Service (Scotland) Act 1978? Report, End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee, Margo MacDonald: It is not an unusual 14 September 2010; c 87.] circumstance; in fact, it is very common to have a Helen Eadie: At last week’s committee meeting, piece of legislation make another bit of legislation there was an exchange between you and John redundant or archaic.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Marc Sanjaume I Calvet
    Moral and Political Legitimacy of Secession: A Theoretical and Comparative Analysis Marc Sanjaume i Calvet TESI DOCTORAL UPF / ANY 2013 DIRECTOR DE LA TESI Dr. Ferran Requejo i Coll DEPARTAMENT DE CIÈNCIES POLÍTIQUES I SOCIALS ii Als meus pares i al meu germà. iii iv Agraïments Aquesta tesi doctoral no hauria estat possible sense el suport que he rebut per part de moltes persones, el mèrit és tan meu com de tots aquells a qui els dec afecte, esforços i recursos. Recordar totes aquestes persones, encara que sigui de forma genèrica, és just perquè així puguin sentir-se part d’aquest treball. Els meus pares Narcís i Núria, que han estat sempre al meu costat en aquest trajecte i m’han donat una educació que m’ha fet creure en mi mateix, en el valor de l’estudi i en la dedicació acadèmica. El meu germà Roger, de qui encara n’aprenc i n’he d’aprendre moltes coses, ha estat per a mi la veu de la consciència quan jo ja pensava que a la majoria d’edat calia tirar per la borda les conviccions de joventut. He tingut la sort també de comptar amb uns avis, tiets i cosins, meravellosos. Els avis em van ensenyar ja fa molts anys a estimar el meu país i a respectar tot allò que el seu temps ens ha deixat. En Valentí, tiet i padrí, marxà sense poder veure aquesta tesi doctoral acabada, però sabent que sempre ens va unir la passió per l’esforç del fondista. En aquest doctorat m’he retrobat amb la Cèlia que ha vist com ningú el meu dia a dia dels darrers anys i ha entregat tot el seu afecte a una relació de parella que també és una relació intel·lectual.
    [Show full text]
  • The Scottish Parliament Election
    The Scottish Parliament Election Report 3 May 2007 and Analysis The Scottish Parliament Election Report and 3 May 2007 Analysis The Scottish Parliament Election 3 May 2007 3 Preface The 2007 election produced a Parliament that Although the Electoral Reform Society would like broadly reflected the views of Scottish voters. to see the Scottish Parliament elected using the While the number of rejected ballot papers was Single Transferable Vote (STV) method, as was a serious cause for concern, it should not di- the case for the local government elections, the vert attention from an election in which the ac- Additional Member System (AMS) has given tual system worked tolerably well. No Scottish Scotland a representative Parliament. The mi- party had the support of anything like a major- nority SNP administration that has been formed ity of voters, and as a consequence, no party will need to seek the support of the other parties now has anything approaching a majority of in order to enact legislation, and that will ensure the seats. If the First-Past-the-Post system that decisions taken reflect the views of a much (which we still use to elect our MPs), had been higher proportion of voters than would otherwise used, Labour would have won an outright ma- have been the case – very much in keeping with jority of seats, despite only having had the sup- the four founding principles of devolution: the port of little more than 30 per cent of voters. sharing of power, accountability, openness and equal opportunities. This report has been prepared by Dr Martin Steven, Research Officer for ERS Scotland, with contributions from Christine McCartney and David Orr, and additional assistance from Ashley Dé, Dr Ken Ritchie, Amy Rodger, George Sheriff and Laura Woods.
    [Show full text]
  • MEMO Is Produced by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities in Partnership with BEMIS - Empowering Scotland's Ethnic and Cultural
    13 December 2010 ISSUE 243 Minority Ethnic Matters Overview MEMO is produced by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities in partnership with BEMIS - empowering Scotland's ethnic and cultural Supported b y minority communities . It provides an overview of information of interest to minority ethnic communities in Scotland, including parliamentary Activity at Holyrood and Westminster, new publications, consultations, forthcoming conferences and news reports. Contents Immigration and Asylum Other News Race Relations Bills in Progress Equality Consultations Racism and Religious Hatred Job Opportunities Other Holyrood Events/Conferences/Training Other Westminster Useful Links New Publications Note that some weblinks, particularly of newspaper articles, are only valid for a short period of time, usually around a month. Please send information for inclusion in MEMO to [email protected] and requests to be added to circulation to [email protected] Immigration and Asylum Holyrood Parliamentary Questions Asylum Seekers Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to hold discussions with the UK Border Agency regarding the ending of its contract with Glasgow City Council for asylum seekers in light of the impact on services in Glasgow. (S3W-37463) Reply from Alex Neil: The ending of the contract is a matter between the UK Border Agency and Glasgow City Council. However, the Scottish Government is clear that asylum seekers dispersed to Scotland are treated fairly and humanely and whilst they are in Scotland must be welcomed and supported. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/default.aspx?pq=S3W-37463 Human Trafficking Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on human trafficking.
    [Show full text]
  • Survey of Members of the Scottish Parliament
    Survey of Members of the Scottish Parliament December 2009 Maintaining relations with Members Good relations with MSPs Q What are the most important things companies and organisations can do to develop and maintain good relations with MSPs? All MSPs 2008 Communicate on subjects relevant to constituency 31% 29% Personal contact 26% 19% Write briefly/succinctly 22% 11% Advance warning before a problem 16% 5% Communicate on subjects of interest to MSPs 16% 20% Regular contact 15% 18% More email 14% 13% Meetings/seminars 13% 7% Maintain ongoing dialogue 13% 3% Base: All MSPs (73), Government MSPs (25) and Opposition MSPs (48), 3rd September – 6th November 2009 Good relations with MSPs Q What are the most important things companies and organisations can do to develop and maintain good relations with MSPs? Government Opposition All MSPs Communicate on subjects 48% relevant to constituency 22% 31% 28% Personal contact 24% 26% 16% Write briefly/succinctly 26% 22% Advance warning before a problem 20% 14% 16% Communicate on subjects of 16% interest to MSPs 16% 16% Regular contact 16% 15% 15% More email 8% 14% 17% 8% 13% Meetings/seminars 16% Maintain ongoing dialogue 12% 13% 14% Base: All MSPs (73), Government MSPs (25) and Opposition MSPs (48), 3rd September – 6th November 2009 Role of industry and commerce - 1 Q To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? “Industry and commerce do not pay enough attention to their social responsibilities” Strongly Tend to Tend to Strongly agree agree Neither disagree disagree
    [Show full text]
  • Mag/S3/08/37 PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU AGENDA FOR
    mAg/S3/08/37 PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU AGENDA FOR MEETING ON TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2008 2.00pm: Room Q1.03 1. Minutes (a) Draft minutes of 9 December 2008 (attached) (b) Matters arising 2. Future Business Programme (PB/S3/08/146) 3. Legislation (a) Legislative Consent Memorandum – Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill (PB/S3/08/147) (b) Legislative Consent Memorandum – Marine and Coastal Access Bill (PB/S3/08/148) (to follow) (c) Proposed End of Life Choices (Scotland) Bill – referral of draft proposal (PB/S3/08/149) 4. Publication scheme – consideration of any exempt papers 5. Date of next meeting – Tuesday 6 January 2009 PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU POSSIBLE MOTIONS FOR MEMBERS BUSINESS 1. Bureau Members will be aware that under Rule 5.6.1(c) the Bureau has a duty to ensure that there is a period of time available for Members’ Business following Decision Time. 2. Motions submitted for Members’ Business are shown below. S3M-3073# Bill Kidd: Knightswood Youth Theatre Announced as a Winner of Phillip Lawrence Awards—That the Parliament offers its congratulations to Knightswood Youth Theatre, which was announced a winner in the Phillip Lawrence Awards, a prestigious national awards scheme that celebrates outstanding contributions made by young people to their community; commends the Knightswood Youth Theatre for bringing together young asylum seekers and refugees with young people from the local area to talk and share feelings, and commends its use of drama as a medium to increase mutual understanding and help the wider community gain a better understanding of young people’s views and aspirations, on a wide range of controversial issues, including dawn raids, racism, alcoholism, divorce, bullying, teen suicide, friendship and romance.
    [Show full text]
  • Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palliative Care
    Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palliative Care Convener Vice Conveners Secretary Michael McMahon MSP Roseanna Cunningham MSP Patricia Wallace Jamie McGrigor MSP Approved minute of the meeting of the Cross-Party Group on Palliative Care in the Scottish Parliament Wednesday 7 January 2009 at 5.45 pm Committee Room 4, Scottish Parliament Headquarters Present: Michael McMahon MSP Hamilton North & Bellshill (convener) Roseanna Cunningham MSP Perth Helen Eadie MSP Dunfermline East Cathy Jamieson MSP Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Ian McKee MSP Lothians Dr Richard Simpson MSP Mid Scotland David Thomson MSP Highlands and Islands Joan Adam St Columba’s Hospice Ian Armstrong Marie Curie Cancer Care Dr Fred Benton St Columba’s Hospice Maureen Black Macmillan Cancer Support Lynda Blue British Heart Foundation Derek Blues NHS Forth Valley Dr Duncan Brown St Columba’s Hospice Elaine Burt NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Sandra Campbell NHS Forth Valley Dr Pat Carragher CHAS Andy Carver British Heart Foundation Scotland Rev Stuart Coates Strathcarron Hospice John Deighan Catholic Parliamentary Office Isabel Dosser Napier University Dr Derek Doyle Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Dr Rosalie Dunn NHS Lanarkshire Francis Edwards NHS Grampian Shirley Fife NHS Lothian Tom Gault St Andrew’s Hospice John Gerrie St Margaret of Scotland Hospice Ann Gourlay NHS Tayside Evonne Gourlay St Margaret of Scotland Hospice Anna Grady Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Shelley Gray LTCAS Irene Hillsden NHS Tayside Dr Elizabeth Ireland SGHD Bill Kerr
    [Show full text]
  • Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill
    Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill Stage 3 debate –key extracts The full official report can be viewed online at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/business/orsearch/ReportView.aspx?r=6007&mode =html Extracts that will be of interest for members of BEFS who have been following the Bill are listed below. Need for further legislation ‗I believe that a more comprehensive historic environment bill is now inevitable‘ (Ted Brocklebank) ‗What is clearly long overdue is legislation that completely updates the planning and listing procedures in relation to our historic environment‘. (Ted Brocklebank) ‗I conclude by mentioning the wider review of environment legislation that will be needed, perhaps during the next parliamentary session. The minister might not be too keen on that, but it was one of the things that was referred to by George Reid in his report for the National Trust for Scotland, ―Fit for Purpose‖ when he said that there was no ―immediate need for new NTS legislation‖ but that ―In several years‘ time, however, a new Act of the Scottish Parliament will be necessary to codify the reform process and to address any other issues which NTS then feels appropriate.‖ In that, George Reid was referring to some of the wider issues that his report referred to about the need for environmental bodies, such as Historic Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and the Historic Houses Association for Scotland to work together to help to protect our historic environment. That wider review is necessary and the next Parliament will have to come back to it.‘ (Iain Smith) ‗I want to use my remarks in closing the debate for Labour to highlight the worries that remain, despite the consensus on the bill.
    [Show full text]
  • Nationalism and National Identity: Informing Political Life 1
    Impact case study (REF3b) Institution: The University of Edinburgh Unit of Assessment: 23 Sociology 6: Nationalism and National Identity: Informing Political Life 1. Summary of the impact The members of the Nationalism and National Identity group at the University of Edinburgh have successfully brought their research into the public domain in Scotland, the UK and internationally, influencing the ‘public conversations’ concerning nationalism and national identity. For example, in November 2008, group member David McCrone was named in the Scotsman newspaper as one of 12 'academics [who] are helping to shape our political future'. Other evidence of impact includes: 1. research insights from our group being sought out by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the 2010-2015 UK Coalition Government’s Cabinet Office; 2. the appointment of a group member to a high-level governmental advisory group on tackling sectarianism; 3. detailed discussion of one aspect of our research at First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament. 2. Underpinning research Nationalism and national identity can be hotly debated issues. The Edinburgh group aims to produce impartial and evidence-based knowledge, which is publicly available but produced on its own terms. The study of nationalism and national identity has long been framed by debates about how ancient or recent these phenomena are, and whether they express enduring aspects of human nature, or historically contingent configurations of social life. Our research centres on the idea that nationalism and national identity are not fixed properties of social groups, but rather ways of making claims on and about the world: people lay claim to an array of identities, institutions and ideas in national ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Engagement on the Constitution in Scotland and Wales
    Political Studies Association Conference 2013 Consulting the Nation: Public Engagement on the Constitution in Scotland and Wales Malcolm Harvey ESRC Research Assistant University of Aberdeen [email protected] Paper prepared for annual conference of the Political Studies Association 25-27 March 2013 Cardiff Abstract With nationalist parties entering office in Scotland and Wales for the first time in 2007, the issue of constitutional change became a key part of political debate. The Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly Government attempted to engage the public in discussions on the issue through their respective consultations, A National Conversation in Scotland and the All-Wales Convention. This paper considers the impact and success of both in two key areas: setting the political agenda and shaping public opinion. It argues that while in Wales the public were broadly sympathetic to the objectives of the All-Wales Convention, the issue failed to command much interest, while in Scotland the opposite was true: the constitutional debate dominated the political agenda, yet the public remained unconvinced by the Scottish Government's objective. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Craig McAngus of the University of Strathclyde for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. 1 Introduction Devolution is, in Ron Davies oft-quoted phraseology, a “process, not an event”.1 As Davies explained further, devolution is neither a “journey with a fixed end point,” nor an “end itself, but a means to an end”.2 The process of administrative devolution to Scotland and Wales began long before legislative referendums in 1997, and even since the establishment of institutions in Edinburgh and Cardiff in 1999, considerations as to how further powers might be devolved to those institutions were never far from the political agenda.
    [Show full text]
  • Spice Briefing Election 2011
    The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Parliament Infor mation C entre l ogos. SPICe Briefing Election 2011 10 May 2011 11/29 Stephen Herbert, Ross Burnside, Murray Earle, Greig Liddell and Iain McIver This paper provides an analysis of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. In particular, it considers the Scottish Parliament electoral system, the election campaign, electoral behaviour, the impact of the result upon the political parties, and the new composition of the Parliament. The briefing also contains perspectives on the election from a range of external commentators. The views expressed by these authors are their own and do not represent the views of SPICe or of the Scottish Parliament. The external commentators are: Angus MacLeod, Scottish Political Editor, The Times Charlie Jeffrey, Professor of Politics and Director of the Academy of Government at the University of Edinburgh John Curtice, Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde Paul Cairney, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Aberdeen Peter Lynch, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Stirling The electoral data set out in this paper are provisional, based primarily upon the returns from Returning Officers, available at the time of publication. The authors wish to express their thanks to Professor David Denver, of Lancaster University, for permission to use his 2007 notional results data. CONTENTS THE ELECTION RESULT: SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 3 THE
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 3 16 December 2010 Msps: Historical Series
    The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Parliament Information Centre logo. Scottish Parliament Fact sheet Scottish Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 3 16 December 2010 MSPs: Historical Series This Fact sheet provides a list of all of the Scottish Ministers and Parliamentary Liaison Officer by Cabinet, during Session 3 from 17 May 2007 – 22 March 2011 This fact sheet provides a list of Ministers and Law Officers. The Scotland Act, 1998 refers to them as Scottish Ministers, junior Scottish Ministers and Law Officers. The current government calls them Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers and Law Officers. In addition to the First Minister there are five Cabinet Secretaries and 10 Ministers. Together they make up the Scottish Executive, the government in Scotland. The government is responsible for devolved matters and formulating and implementing policy in these areas. There are also two Law Officers who advise the government on legal matters and represent its interests in court. The final section lists Parliamentary Liaison Officers (PLO) (formerly Ministerial Parliamentary Aides). PLOs are MSPs appointed by the First Minister on the recommendation of Ministers whom they assist in discharging their duties. PLOs are unpaid and are not part of the Scottish Government. Abbreviations used: SNP Scottish National Party QC Queen’s Counsel First Cabinet: 17 May 2007 – 10 February 2009 Post Minister Party 1 First Minister Rt Hon Alex Salmond SNP Minister for Parliamentary Business Bruce Crawford SNP Minister for
    [Show full text]
  • Photographs of Msps Elected May 2007
    Photographs of MSPs elected May 2007 This document is also available on the Scottish Parliament website: www.scottish.parliament.uk The text pages of this document are produced from 100% elemental chlorine-free, environmentally-preferred material and are 100% recyclable. RR Donnelley B50924 05/07 Contents Page MSP Photographs ..........................................................................2 Index of MSPs by Party ..............................................................13 Index of MSPs by Constituency .................................................15 Index of MSPs by Region ...........................................................18 Brian Adam Bashir Ahmad Bill Aitken Wendy Alexander Keith Brown Robert Brown Derek Brownlee Bill Butler SNP SNP Con Lab SNP LD Con Lab Aberdeen North Glasgow Glasgow Paisley North Ochil Glasgow South of Scotland Glasgow Anniesland Alasdair Allan Jackie Baillie Claire Baker Richard Baker Aileen Campbell Jackson Carlaw Malcolm Chisholm Willie Coffey SNP Lab Lab Lab SNP Con Lab SNP Western Isles Dumbarton Mid Scotland and Fife North East Scotland South of Scotland West of Scotland Edinburgh North and Kilmarnock and Loudoun Leith Sarah Boyack Rhona Brankin Ted Brocklebank Gavin Brown Angela Constance Cathie Craigie Bruce Crawford Roseanna Cunningham Lab Lab Con Con SNP Lab SNP SNP Edinburgh Central Midlothian Mid Scotland and Fife Lothians Livingston Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Stirling Perth 2 3 Margaret Curran Nigel Don Bob Doris Helen Eadie Kenneth Gibson Rob Gibson Karen Gillon Marlyn Glen Lab
    [Show full text]