www.parliament.scot/about/how-parliament-works/parliament-rules-and-guidance/guidance-on-public-bills/part-4
Extending time limits in a timetabling motion
4.113 Rule 9.8.4A allows departure from deadlines set out in the timetabling motion under certain circumstances. However, using that Rule does not in itself lead to more parliamentary time being spent on Stage 3 overall. Its purpose is to allow the reallocation of the total time allotted at Stage 3 so as to give the Presiding Officer greater flexibility to manage the debate than the timetable would otherwise allow. So, any extra time used for debate on any grouping must be compensated for either in debates on subsequent groupings or in the debate on whether to pass the Bill, or in both.
4.114 However, where it is considered that more debating time on amendments is needed overall at Stage 3, Rule 9.8.5A may be invoked. This Rule applies at any time during Stage 3 proceedings subject to a timetabling motion (i.e. during the debate on amendments, but not during the debate on whether to pass the Bill). It permits any member present to seek to move a motion without notice proposing that the next time limit to arise be extended by such amount of time (which cannot exceed 30 minutes) as the member specifies. Such a motion, which cannot be debated or amended, may only be taken with the agreement of the Presiding Officer. Any number of such motions may be sought and moved, but the total amount of time by which a Stage 3 may be extended may not exceed 30 minutes. Additionally, where a motion to extend a particular time limit has been disagreed to, no further motion to extend that time limit may be moved.
4.115 While it is open to any member to seek to invoke Rule 9.8.5A at any time during timetabled Stage 3 proceedings, the Presiding Officer may be minded to refuse a motion moved early in those proceedings, on the ground that it might yet be possible to overcome apparent timetabling problems by use of Rule 9.8.4A. If the Presiding Officer refuses a motion this would not stop a member from seeking to move another one later.
Effect of agreeing to a motion to extend the time limits in a timetabling motion
4.116 The effect of a motion under Rule 9.8.5A being agreed to is that the next deadline is moved forward by whatever amount of time the motion specified, as are any subsequent deadlines in the timetabling motion. Any previous statement from the Presiding Officer under Rule 9.8.4A that a particular deadline is being departed from for a particular amount of time is superseded by the agreement to the motion.
4.117 Agreement to a motion under Rule 9.8.5A has no automatic effect on any subsequent deadlines in the daily business list. This means (assuming that the debate on the motion to pass the Bill immediately follows the debate on amendments), that any time gained in debating amendments is lost in the debate on passing the Bill. Rule 9.8.5B, however, empowers the Presiding Officer to make such alterations to the daily business list, including altering the time of Decision Time, as are considered necessary or appropriate as a consequence of a motion under Rule 9.8.5A being agreed to. In practice, the Presiding Officer is likely to move all remaining deadlines in the daily business list to later in the day, by the same amount of time as was specified in the successful motion under Rule 9.8.5A.
4.118 The wording of Rule 9.8.5B would also allow the Presiding Officer to lengthen the debate on whether to pass the Bill. But the Presiding Officer is only likely to use this discretion sparingly, where it is clear not only that there was insufficient time to debate the amendments, but that the time proposed for the debate on the whole Bill is clearly inadequate too. The Presiding Officer may decide not to use this power if, for instance, moving the deadlines to later in the day would cause significant disruption to members.
4.119 The Presiding Officer is required to notify the Parliament of any changes to the daily business list made by way of Rule 9.8.5B. A clear spoken announcement would constitute sufficient notification under the rule. Before advising the Presiding Officer about use of this Rule, the clerks would normally consult parties’ representatives on the Parliamentary Bureau.