Thursday, 20 March 2025
Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.
To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its assessment of the case for a new rail station at Newburgh. (S6O-04458)
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost would be of permanently extending free rail travel to companions of blind persons national entitlement card holders, in light of the...
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to build on the reported successes of the Aberdeen city region deal, which is due to conclude its 10-year plan next year. (S6O-04460)
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to mitigate any impact on disability payment recipients in Scotland of reported United Kingdom Government benefit reductions....
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the chief executive of Fife Council to discuss the housing emergency. (S6O-04463)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the deposit return scheme, including whether it will be appointing a deposit management organisation on schedule in April 2025....
Scotland should be able to build ferries here, in Scotland, to serve the islands of Scotland and to carry the people of Scotland, so why will seven new vessels for CalMac Ferries instead be built...
Scotland is a country renowned worldwide for its reputation for shipbuilding. For generations, we have been a leader in engineering, manufacturing and craftsmanship. Why, therefore, does John...
To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. (S6F-03919)
To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the recent “UK Living Standards Review 2025”, from the National Institute of Economic and Social...
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is marking endometriosis awareness month. (S6F-03924)
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle Islamophobia in Scotland, in light of reports of an attack on a mosque in Aberdeen at the weekend. (S6F-03920)
Under the United Kingdom Labour Government, most pensioners have lost their winter fuel allowance, women against state pension inequality have been cast aside and now we have had an attack on...
Last year, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 133 serious wildfire incidents between March and June, including 10 in my constituency. Despite a small increase in the latest budget,...
Many people have been shocked and saddened by BBC Scotland’s decision to cancel “River City”, with nearly 10,000 people having signed a petition by the trade union Equity to...
The success of Scotland’s offshore wind industry is, rightly, a priority of the Scottish Government, as it delivers on our climate obligations and unlocks new jobs and significant economic...
Research by Young Lives vs Cancer shows that children with cancer wait an average of six months for disability benefits in Scotland, leaving struggling families without support. Will the First...
I am sure that the First Minister will be as excited as I am to see the Tour de France come to Scotland in 2027. It will be the first time in the event’s 124-year history that it has...
Ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s spring statement, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has downgraded its United Kingdom growth forecast for 2025 to 1.4 per...
This week, evening bus services through Tillicoultry’s main bus stance have been suspended from 7 pm due to incidents of antisocial behaviour. McGill’s and Midland Bluebird have taken...
The First Minister will be very much aware of my disappointment that Ferguson Marine did not win the order that was announced on Monday, but I welcome the fact that there is a new chief executive...
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-16434, in the name of Michael Matheson, on awareness of criminal exploitation of children. The debate will be concluded...
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-34464, what its position is on whether MSPs should be able to participate in the armed forces parliamentary...
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider removing from its catering outlets any products made by companies identified by the United Nations human rights office as...
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what information it has on for what reason stamps that are issued in the Parliament’s post office are not Scotland country-definitive stamps...
I declare an interest as a former trustee of the Scottish parliamentary pension scheme. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had with the Scottish...
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what measures it is taking to support any LGBTQ+ staff whose welfare may be negatively impacted by any increase in the use of language in the...
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what recent assessment it has made of the resources given to the legislation team. (S6O-04475)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that schools in the Highlands and Islands are safe learning environments for pupils and staff. (S6O-04466)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is adequate access to support in schools for children with additional support needs in island areas, including the...
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports schools to ensure that pupils with additional support needs can access learning environments that meet their needs without being excluded from...
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities provide co-ordinated support plans for pupils who need extra support. (S6O-04469)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action being taken to support maths learning in secondary schools. (S6O-04470)
To ask the Scottish Government what support there is for the parents or guardians of children and young people with additional support needs who require a specific school placement. (S6O-04471)
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is carrying out with local authorities regarding the wellbeing of school pupils and staff. (S6O-04472)
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Scottish digital academy is having on improving digital skills in Scotland. (S6O-04473)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the project willow report.
There is one question to be put as a result of today’s business. The question is, that motion S6M-16852, in the name of Finlay Carson, on behalf of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee,...
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-16852, in the name of Finlay Carson, on behalf of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, on salmon farming in Scotland. I would be grateful...
The Scottish Parliament is the national legislature of Scotland, located in Edinburgh. The Parliament consists of 129 members known as MSPs, elected for four-year terms; 73 represent individual geographical constituencies, and 56 are regional representatives.
