 I mean I move on to the next item of business, which is consideration of motion 1254 in the name of Nicola Sturgeon on the appointment of a junior Scottish minister. I call on the First Minister to speak to you and move motion 1254. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to seek Parliament's approval of the appointment of Michael Russell as Minister for UK negotiations on Scotland's place in Europe. Early this afternoon I set out our programme for government, our clear commitment to deliver on the manifesto commitments that we were elected on, but we have to acknowledge, as I did earlier, that we do so in a context that's very different to the one that we expected in May. On 23 June the people of Scotland cast a clear and decisive vote to remain in the European Union, and this government is committed to ensuring that Scotland's interests are protected. As part of our response to that vote, Parliament mandated the Scottish Government to hold discussions with the UK Government, devolved administrations, EU institutions and other member states on how we do protect Scotland's interests in our relationship with Europe. Tomorrow I'll provide a full update to Parliament on recent developments and the work that the Government is undertaking. However, Parliament is already aware that we have a commitment from the Prime Minister that the Scottish Government should be involved in the development of the UK Government's position ahead of article 50 being triggered and beyond, and the options to protect our relationship with Europe will form part of those discussions. We intend to see that commitment honoured. Of course, there is still a woeful lack of detail from the UK Government on what Brexit will actually mean. Whenever somebody comes out with any semblance of detail, somebody else in the UK Government, as is the case today, seems to contradict them. However, as the position develops, it is essential that Scotland's voice is heard loudly and clearly. Today, I am seeking Parliament's agreement to the appointment of a dedicated Government minister, whose focus will be to represent and protect all of Scotland's interests throughout this process. Presiding Officer, this role does not require a shrinking violet, and I hope that Parliament will agree that I have not chosen one to perform this role. As Minister for Negotiations, Michael Russell will no doubt require to become almost as familiar with the corridors of White Hall as he is with Holyrood, but I have no doubt that he will make his presence felt. Michael brings to this position a wealth of experience as a Scottish Government minister. As Cabinet Secretary for Education, he completed implementation of curriculum for excellence, expanded free early learning in childcare and led the charge to keep tuition in Scotland free. As Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, he established Creative Scotland, and, as Minister for the Environment, he oversaw important reforms to crofting. He has a deep understanding of the EU's vital importance to all aspects of life in Scotland from research funding for our universities, to international support for our festivals and agricultural payments for our farmers. In his new role, I have asked him to engage alongside other colleagues with a wide range of individuals, communities, businesses and organisations to ensure that the broadest range of Scottish interests and concerns are taken into account as we move forward. In tandem with that work, Fiona Hyslop and Alasdair Allan will continue to engage with EU institutions and member states, and I will convene them and other relevant ministers in a new cabinet sub-committee to direct all of our work on EU-related matters. That, with the appointment of a new dedicated minister, will ensure that we are fully equipped and ready to protect Scotland's interests in Europe and in those discussions with the UK Government. I am happy to move the motion in my name. Thank you, I call on Jackson Carlaw. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Spernd and consigned to the back benches just two years ago, cast out from influence on the public eye, today he sees his career resurrected just like Lazarus. He is the Che Guevara to the First Minister's Evita. He is the David Essex to her Elaine Page. He is the rebel returned to the cause, a political romance reset by Brexit. If only the song they sang in the balcony of Bute House was as sweet. So Mr Russell returns to the heart of government where he decidedly believes he belongs. In truth, I find myself welcoming his appointment. Sometime intellectual, sometime muse, classic romantic, some would say romanticist, sometime tartan revolutionary, sometime diplomat, sometime partisan bruiser. Mr Russell is a big beast in a job that requires just that talent. Of course, the big decision for the First Minister was not his appointment, but was the beard. Conventional wisdom has it that no politician who aspires to be serious and recognised as such will sport a beard. But this is 2016, and we are living a country surrounded by political bearded giants like Jeremy Corbyn, like David Mundell. In a rather half-hearted, cultivated, stubble sort of way this afternoon, Mr Yousaf. This is an unforeseen appointment to an unforeseen EU referendum result. Few of us here sought this outcome, even if a million Scots voted with the majority in the United Kingdom to leave. There was undoubtedly a leadership vacuum at Westminster following the resignation of the Prime Minister, filled by the election of Theresa May. In one of her first acts, which I hope is all welcome, she came to Scotland to meet the First Minister. The substance of that discussion is that Scotland's voice demands our active representation in the planning of the UK negotiating strategy and beyond. That requires someone with the talent and the guile to listen to the broader and somewhat contradictory voices in Scotland that were required to be represented and not just exclusively to the results of any one party's questionnaire. There is undoubtedly a variable deal for Scotland that can be secured, and the tone and sincerity of Mr Russell's participation in the discussions and preparation for them that now take place will be crucial. We in this side believe him to be the man for that job and welcome and support his appointment this afternoon. Thank you, I call on Lewis MacDonald. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Well, Michael Russell's return to government today is not quite the mirror image of that of David Davies in another place, but the parallels may be instructive. Both have been leadership contenders in their respective parties. Both have more recently retreated to the back benches, and both have been brought back to the front line by the events of an extraordinary summer. However, do the parallels go further? The Secretary of State for Exit in the European Union and the United Kingdom Government will clearly consider it a success if he makes Brexit as definitive and irreversible as he can. There are perhaps, and Nicola Sturgeon seems to have a view on this, there are perhaps some in his own party who hope that he will fail, and not all of them sitting on the back benches. So what will constitute, and that is true of David Davies, so the question then is what will constitute success for Mr Russell, who is to enjoy the even grander title of Scottish Government Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's place in Europe. Protecting Scotland's place in Europe is an objective that we share, and we welcome the appointment of a minister with that specific task. We have said from the outset that engagement with UK ministers and other devolved Administrations will be critical to achieving that end. We have also said that the process of engagement in both Britain and Europe must be transparent and fully accountable to this Parliament, and we repeat that call today. We look forward to hearing from Mr Russell in due course what he thinks success will look like in his new post and how he will go about achieving it. But just as we know that the Secretary of State for Brexit is fully committed to exiting the European Union, we expect the minister for UK negotiations to be equally committed to making a success of those negotiations while recognising the challenges that he will face. That means doing all he can to achieve outcomes that truly respect the wishes of the people of Scotland on all the big issues that we face, and it is on that basis that we welcome today's appointment. I congratulate Mike Russell on his appointment on behalf of the Scottish Greens. Mr Russell followed my first speech in this Parliament by revealing that he defied his party to vote in in the first vote in the United Kingdom on the European Union. A sympathetic reader of history might say that he was a man ahead of his time in the 70s. I'm not going to say anything about what they might say about the intervening decades, so I think that Mr Carlaw summed a lot of it up quite well. On this issue, there won't be much room and much need for defiance against the party line. Achieving our common goal will be a challenge enough. It is simply unacceptable that we as the Parliament of this nation are forced to contemplate which will be the least worst form of Brexit for our economy, for our society, for our environment, and then we must persuade another Government—one that we did not elect—to choose that option, a Government that yesterday showed just how clueless it is about what it has unleashed. That is a simply farcical situation, and it yet again raises questions about where the power over Scotland's future should lie. Greens look forward to working with the Scottish Government and with other parties who are committed to our continued future in Europe—a future that our electorate voted for with a much larger mandate than for any one party in this Parliament. We look forward to examining every option that will secure that future. That yes includes our preferred option of an independent Scotland with its own seat at the European table—a Scotland that fights not just to retain workers' rights, environmental protections and limited financial regulation, but which can fight to strengthen them here and across the continent. I look forward to working with Mr Russell and others for our common goal of a Scotland that his European future is secure. Can I thank you? We will move straight to the vote. The question is that motion number 1254, in the name of Nicola Sturgeon, be agreed. Are we all agreed? We are all agreed. In that case, I may congratulate Mr Russell on his appointment. The next item of business is consideration of three parliamentary bureau motions, and I would ask Joe Fitzpatrick to move on block. That is motion 1264 on the variation of standing orders, motion 1265 on membership of the regional chamber of the congress of local and regional authorities of the council of Europe and committee of the regions, and motion 1266 on committee membership. The question on the motions will now be put at decision time to which we come. I propose to ask a single question on all three motions. If any member objects to a single question to be put, please say so now. No one objects. Therefore, the question is that motions 1264, 1265 and 1266, in the name of Joe Fitzpatrick, be agreed. Are we all agreed? We are all agreed. That concludes decision time today. And we now move to members' business. Members could leave quietly.