 Membership next to miss business, Which is consideration of motion 8732 in the name of Nicolai Sturgeon on appointment of jr. Scottish Minister. I call on the first minister to speak to and move motion 8732. I rise to move the motion in my name that parliament approved the appointment of Marie Todd as a Scottish minister. Before it turns into Marie's appointment, let me address Mark McDonald's departure. As minister for children and early years, Mark wrth bod i'r gifot o'r myw ar ddiogel innocenturio i ddorwgron yn meddwl i bethau ein rai sy'n edryhau i gyd-feyddol yng Nghraesloedd Cerlyniad-Gyneboedd, ac mae'r hyn o gyd-feydd o'r clywed ar y cychwyn ardal iawn. Mae hi gyd-feydd yn allu cyfnodol i ddechrau'r hyn. Rwy'r cyffredinid ymlaen i fyng oesbryd, ac yn ogyrch gyrsig o yw Neverfyn amdodol, Men, in particular, to reflect on their behaviour, and Mark has done that. Mark's departure was not in a manner that anyone would have wished, but it was the right decision. Turning now to Marie Todd's appointment. Marie isn't only a relative newcomer to our Parliament, she is also a relative newcomer to politics, one of the many people on both sides of the debate who was inspired to become politically active during the independence referendum campaign. Prior to her election last year, Marie had a long career working for NHS Highland as a mental health pharmacist. She also volunteered as an anti-natal teacher for the national childbirth trust and, indeed, was still teaching a weekly bumps and babies group right up until her election. Having supported mothers and their babies, Marie will now take on responsibility for ensuring that Scotland is the best place for those same children to grow up. Since becoming an MSP, Marie has shown herself to be a formidable advocate both for her constituents and for the causes in which she believes. Few could fail to have been moved by her passionate heartfelt appeal in this chamber to the UK Government to halt the roll-out of universal credit, based on what she herself witnessed in the Highlands. It is in her day-to-day parliamentary duties, as a whip and as a member of the Finance and the Health and Sport Committee, that Marie has developed a well-deserved reputation for diligence and hard work. To those in the Opposition benches who might be shadowing Marie, let me gently remind them that she is also an enthusiastic member of the Scottish Parliament's rugby team. If you believe that she can be pushed around easily, I suggest that you first consult her teammates to find out the truth. Government has few greater long-term responsibilities than to ensure that all of our young people get the best possible start in life. As such, the job that Marie is taking on is one of the most important in government. In doing so, she has my full confidence and I hope that she also has the best wishes of every MSP across this chamber. Presiding Officer, it gives me great pleasure to move that the Parliament agrees that Marie Todd will be appointed as a junior Scottish Minister. I call on Jackson Carlaw. Presiding Officer, the circumstances attending this ministerial resignation do not require editorial comment in the chamber from me this afternoon. I note only on behalf I hope of us all that this is the most depressing ministerial resignation in our relatively short history. I thank the former minister for his service and note in particular the focus he brought with real passion and feeling to the issues of children with autism and I thought he did a commendable job in that regard. We welcome the appointment of Marie Todd, a new member in 2016. She has worked hard in the chamber and has built her reputation across the parties as an effective and passionate MSP. I hope that those qualities will be reflected in her career as a minister, which we will all watch with interest. We support the nomination. The question is that motion number 8732, in the name of Nicola Sturgeon, be agreed. Are we all agreed? Yes. We are all agreed. I congratulate the minister on our appointment. We are now going to move to the next item of business, which is stage 3 proceedings on the child poverty Scotland bill. We are just going to take a few moments for members to change seats.