MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT Thursday 6 July 2000 Volume 7 No 10 £5.00 Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body 2000. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to the Copyright Unit, Her Majesty‘s Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ Fax 01603 723000, which is administering the copyright on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. Produced and published in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by The Stationery Office Ltd. Her Majesty‘s Stationery Office is independent of and separate from the company now trading as The Stationery Office Ltd, which is responsible for printing and publishing Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body publications. CONTENTS Thursday 6 July 2000 Debates Col. ENTERPRISE NETWORKS ................................................................................................................................. 1145 Statement—[Henry McLeish]. The Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Henry McLeish) ......................................................... 1145 NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ........................................................................................................................... 1162 Motion moved—[Susan Deacon]. Amendment moved—[Kay Ullrich]. Amendment moved—[Mary Scanlon]. The Minister for Health and Community Care (Susan Deacon) ................................................................ 1162 Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP) ........................................................................................................ 1170 Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ............................................................................................ 1177 Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD) .................................................................................................................... 1181 Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP) .......................................................................................................... 1187 Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab) ............................................................................................................. 1188 Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD) ................................................................................................................... 1191 Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ............................................................................................ 1193 Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 1195 Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 1197 Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab) ......................................................................................... 1198 David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con) .................................................................................................. 1200 Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 1202 Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD) ............................................................................. 1203 Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab) ............................................................................................. 1205 Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP) ............................................................................................................ 1206 Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab) .............................................................................. 1208 GOVERNMENT RESOURCES AND ACCOUNTS BILL ............................................................................................ 1211 Motion moved—[Mr McConnell]. The Minister for Finance (Mr Jack McConnell) .......................................................................................... 1211 Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) .................................................................................................. 1213 Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con) ....................................................................................... 1215 Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD) ........................................................................................... 1215 Mr McConnell ............................................................................................................................................. 1216 BUSINESS MOTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1218 Motion moved—[Mr McCabe]—and agreed to. QUESTION TIME .............................................................................................................................................. 1219 FIRST MINISTER'S QUESTION TIME .................................................................................................................. 1234 NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ........................................................................................................................... 1242 Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) .................................................................................................. 1242 Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab) ............................................................................... 1244 John Scott (Ayr) (Con) ............................................................................................................................... 1245 Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP) ........................................................................................................... 1247 Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 1249 Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab) ................................................................................................... 1250 Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD) ...................................................................................................... 1252 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) .......................................................................................... 1253 John Young (West of Scotland) (Con) ....................................................................................................... 1255 Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 1257 Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab) ........................................................................................................... 1258 Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD) .............................................................................................. 1260 Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................. 1263 Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) ................................................................................ 1266 The Deputy Minister for Community Care (Iain Gray) ............................................................................... 1270 CODE OF CONDUCT ........................................................................................................................................ 1276 Motion moved—[Mr Rumbles]. POLITICAL PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS BILL ............................................................................... 1280 Motion moved—[Mr McAveety]. WITNESS EXPENSES AND ALLOWANCES .......................................................................................................... 1281 Motion moved—[Robert Brown]. Amendment moved—[Dr Simpson]. Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD) ................................................................................................................... 1281 Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab) ............................................................................................................. 1281 POINT OF ORDER ............................................................................................................................................ 1282 DECISION TIME ............................................................................................................................................... 1283 UNIVERSITY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ................................................................................................. 1296 Motion debated—[George Lyon]. George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 1296 Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP) ..................................................................... 1297 Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ............................................................................................ 1298 Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD) ............................................................................ 1299 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 1300 Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ..................................................................................