Good afternoon, colleagues. We begin this afternoon’s business with First Minister’s question time, but before we turn to questions the First Minister will give the chamber a brief...

1. Two years ago this week, I raised with the First Minister the case of Michelle Stewart, who, in 2008, at the age of 17, was stabbed to death by John Wilson. Ever since, Michelle’s family...

2. I have been asked by workers in residential children’s units in Glasgow to raise their concerns with the First Minister. They have been told to self-isolate at home because they have had...

3. Test and protect is the foundation of Scotland’s strategy to contain Covid, but it does not work if people cannot get a test. The United Kingdom’s testing programme is collapsing...

4. Yesterday I met Cathie Russell. Her mother is in a care home. They are not allowed to meet for more than 30 minutes a week and they are separated by a plastic screen. They have not hugged or...

5. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that several of Scotland’s leisure trusts, which operate sports and other leisure facilities, are...

6. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the highest proportion of positive Covid-19 tests is among young adults. (S5F-04388)

7. To ask the First Minister what urgent action the Scottish Government is taking to restore and support contact between family carers and older and disabled people living in care homes, which is...

Will the First Minister indicate what support is available for teachers and other school staff, to help manage additional pressures resulting from the pandemic?

Last month, the Lord Advocate, who is a member of the First Minister’s Government, admitted in court that David Whitehouse and Paul Clark—formerly administrators of Rangers Football...

Does the First Minister share my concern that the United Kingdom Government’s blatant power grab, masquerading as the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, means that critical funding that...

The First Minister will be well aware that thousands of businesses across Scotland are struggling with the economic effects of coronavirus. However, Tuesday brought a rare ray of sunshine, when...

We know that unscrupulous and dangerous criminals will always seek to take advantage of people through scams, even—unbelievably—during a pandemic. That includes, for example,...

A constituent has raised an issue of disparity in the treatments that are available from national health service and private dental services. She told me that, as an NHS patient, she cannot get a...

What support measures are being put in place to help Dundee to recover and regenerate after the Covid-19 pandemic? Does the First Minister welcome the confirmation that Social Security...

Biscuit makers are moving into what they call the shortbread season, when they increase production in the run-up to Christmas and new year. Yesterday, low-paid key workers at Burton’s...

I would like to thank each and every person in my constituency for the work that they do in meeting emergency food need. However, I am sure that the First Minister will agree that no one should...

I do not know whether the First Minister has seen David Attenborough’s documentary “Extinction”, which dramatically lays bare the collapse of the natural world on which we all...

The Scottish Childminding Association has described the Scottish Government’s offer to childminders as “completely out of step” with what has been given to other parts of the...

Does the First Minister agree that the increase in the number of coronavirus cases creates a real worry for the economy and jobs, and makes it all the more important that the coronavirus job...

Earlier, the First Minister spoke about the effect of Covid on young people. Although they are less likely to suffer some of the severe physical effects of the virus, their mental health is...

The Advocate General for Scotland has quit, following the United Kingdom Government’s plans to breach international law by overriding parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Democrat...

The third major landslide at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful pass happened on Saturday night, which has caused yet more woe for residents and businesses in Argyll and the west Highlands. The Cabinet...

The next item of business is Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body question time. There are four questions and we have 20 minutes, so I should be able to take a couple of supplementaries.

1. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration it has given to re-establishing members’ ability to vire an element of office cost provision to staff cost provision...

2. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will pursue establishing an account to allow for the costs of Covid-19-related requirements at local offices to be paid directly by...

3. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has confidence in the hybrid system of voting. (S5O-04607)

4. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will publish the terms of reference and timeline of its review into the staff cost provision. (S5O-04608)

The next item of business is portfolio questions. As usual, in order to get as many people in as possible, short and succinct questions will be good. Members who are tuning in remotely and who...

1. To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance it has made available for cultural organisations in the north-east since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. (S5O-04597)

2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with Scottish Enterprise’s strategic approach to regional economic development in Ayrshire. (S5O-04598)

3. To ask the Scottish Government what additional action it is taking to protect apprenticeship schemes in the Highlands and Islands, and how this compares with the rest of Scotland. (S5O-04599)

4. To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £97 million in United Kingdom Government consequentials announced on 5 July for the arts, culture and heritage sectors is still to be...

5. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to businesses that have been impacted the most by Covid-19 restrictions. (S5O-04601)

6. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports home working in the public sector. (S5O-04602)

7. To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to stimulate greater investment in Scotland’s economy in the wake of Covid-19. (S5O-04603)

8. To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to grass-roots music venues in Glasgow since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. (S5O-04604)

The Deputy Presiding Officer: The next item of business is a debate on S5M-22731, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on employment support. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press...

The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S5M-22737, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument. I ask Graeme Dey to move motion S5M-22737 on behalf of the...

The first question is, that amendment S5M-22731.2, in the name of Maurice Golden, which seeks to amend motion 22731, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on employment support, be agreed to. Are we agreed?