 A The next item of business, the next item of business is consideration in motion 7650, in the name of Christine Graham, on behalf of the Scottish Parliament's corporate body, on the appointment of a new commissioner for ethical standards in public life. I call on Christine Graham to speak to you, to move the motion that I call to Be I move the motion in my name, on behalf of the Scottish Parliament corporate body, to invite members to agree to the appointment of Ian Bruce as the Commissioner for Ethical Standards and Public Life in Scotland. As we know, the commissioner's role is an important one in the ethical standards framework, which is responsible for investigating complaints about the conduct of MSPs, councillors, members of public body and non-compliance with the lobbying regime. In addition to complaints work, the commissioner also regulates how people are appointed to the boards of public bodies in Scotland. Turning to our nominee Ian Bruce has been the acting ethical standards commissioner since April 2021, when the then commissioner was on extended leave. Ian has an honoured degree in mental philosophy from Aberdeen University, where he majored in ethics. He has held a number of roles in the public, private and voluntary sector, including as chief executive of Abbeyfield Scotland, and was from 2005 to 2021, the public appointments manager at the Office of the Ethical Standards Commissioner. The panel believes that Ian will bring to the post fairness, integrity and professionalism, and I am sure that the Parliament will want to wish him every success. Thank you. Thank you, Ms Graham. The question on this motion will be put at decision time. The next item of business is consideration of a parliamentary bureau motion 7666 on suspension of standing orders. I ask George Adam on behalf of the parliamentary bureau to move the motion. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and moved. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I rise to oppose the suspension of standing order 15.2.1, that will close the public gallery on Wednesday 1 February 2023. The founding principles of this Parliament are openness, accountability, the sharing of power and equal opportunities. Those were agreed as a way to establish this body and the role to the people of Scotland. By excluding the public from this Parliament's meetings, we are in direct contradiction of these principles, and therefore we should reject this motion. I accept, like everyone here, that this was necessary during the Covid pandemic for very serious and understandable health reasons. However, we should not be casually casting aside these principles of openness and accountability whenever it is inconvenient, especially when there are viable alternatives, just as our colleagues in the Welsh Senate have shown. If it is not safe on one day for the public to attend and be in that gallery, because of industrial action, we should not be meeting at all. This business can easily be allocated to other days. Regardless of your views on industrial action, surely we can all agree, as parliamentarians and as Democrats, that it is accountable to the people that this measure to close the public gallery is wrong. More than that, we are in danger of embarking on a slippery slope where it is deemed inconvenient to shut the people out of this Parliament. We are all temporary custodians of this institution and have a duty and a responsibility to uphold its founding principles. I therefore move against this motion and urge members to reject this motion. I can stand by what was said earlier on and move the proposal in front of everyone today. The question on this motion will be put at decision time and there are three questions to be put as a result of today's business. The first is that motion 7602, in the name of Kenneth Gibson, on behalf of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, on the Scottish budget 2023-2024, be agreed. Are we all agreed? The next question is that motion 7650, in the name of Christine Grahame, on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, on appointment of a new commissioner for ethical standards in public life, be agreed. Are we all agreed? The motion is therefore agreed. The final question is that motion 7666, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on suspension of standing orders, be agreed. Are we all agreed? The Parliament is not agreed, therefore we will move to vote and there will be a brief pause to allow members to access the digital voting system.