The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-08062, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on changes to this week’s business.

Motion moved

,

That the Parliament agrees to the following revisions to the programme of business for—

(a) Wednesday 1 March 2023— after followed by

Scottish Government Debate: Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2023 insert followed by

Ministerial Statement: Update on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme after followed by

Scottish Government Debate: Dementia Strategy insert followed by

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Debate: Appointment of Members of the Standards Commission for Scotland delete

5.00 pm Decision Time and insert

5.30 pm Decision Time

(b) Thursday 2 March 2023— delete

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills and insert

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Education and Skills followed by

Ministerial Statement: Policing in Scotland – 10 Years on from Reform—[

George Adam

]

The Presiding Officer:

I call Stephen Kerr to speak to and move Amendment S6M-08062.1.

I am trying everything that I can, because I would have thought that members from all parties would want the issue of the teachers strike to be properly aired in our nation’s Parliament. What is this Parliament for if it is not to address the major issues of the day?

The people of Scotland are watching and listening. Today, right across Scotland, pupils are not at school, and parents and carers are doing their best to cope with yet another day of disruption. Have our young people not had enough disruption to their education over the past three years? Yet, despite that, this Scottish National Party Government will not agree to send a Minister to the chamber to make a statement and answer questions. Is it so unreasonable to expect the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, or the Deputy First Minister—he is the one who is really running this shambolic operation—to come to the chamber to make a statement and answer questions?

Will the member give way?

rose

—

The Government does not want to send the hapless Shirley-Anne Somerville anywhere near this chamber to make a statement or answer questions.

The member makes a lot of noise. Has he got a proposal to solve the problem?

John Mason asks whether I have a proposal. Yes, I do—it is to amend the business motion so that we can have a statement and questions tomorrow.

John Mason asked whether Stephen Kerr had a proposal to offer. Members of Stephen Kerr’s party joined me in meeting representatives of the Educational Institute of Scotland at the Scottish Poetry Library this afternoon. We were told that all the talks that Shirley-Anne Somerville and John Swinney have conducted contain absolutely nothing new. All that they say is, “There is no more money. What would you like us to cut?”

I agree with Ash Regan. She said that Shirley-Anne Somerville has not been—is not now—listening to the concerns of teachers and parents.

rose

—

Shirley-Anne Somerville has lectured me—she has lectured all of us—about how she was not going to negotiate with teachers’ representatives, because that is not how the negotiations are done, but what did we hear on BBC Radio Scotland this morning?

Will the member give way?

rose

—

The same Shirley-Anne Somerville telling listeners that she and John Swinney were finally going to negotiate with the EIS.

I give way to Michael Marra.

Does the member share Labour’s concerns about the—

Yes, he does.

I am glad that he will.

Does the member share Labour’s concerns regarding the number of young people who are losing extra days of education because they are schooled in areas where ministers of this Government are seeing targeted strike action? Does he think that the Minister should be in front of this Parliament telling us what accommodation can be made to ensure that those young people receive the grades and support that they require?

I absolutely agree with Michael Marra. [

Interruption

.] I absolutely agree. Suddenly, it is the done thing for the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to go to the negotiating table. We have been asking her to do that for months.

Given that Nicola Sturgeon praised her favourite, Humza Yousaf, for preventing strikes in the national health service because he was on top of his job—as if anyone believes that—I actually feel sorry for Shirley-Anne Somerville, because her boss clearly thinks that she is not up to her job. That is probably why John Swinney has been at the table with the EIS.

Will the member take an Intervention?

I do not think that I have time.

Members:

Ah!

Perhaps members would like to listen to a parent who wrote to me. They said:

“I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and frustration at the ongoing strike action by teachers. As a parent to S5 and S6 children sitting final year exams I am deeply concerned about the impact this is having on my children’s education and their future prospects ... I am particularly dismayed at the apparent lack of progress in resolving the dispute over teachers’ pay. It is unacceptable that our children’s education should be disrupted in this way, and I urge you all to do everything in your power to bring this situation to a swift and satisfactory conclusion ... I am also concerned about the Scottish Government’s handling of this issue. It is clear that additional resources are needed to support our children through this turbulent period, and I would like to know what steps the government is taking to address this”.

I could go on, but I respect the fact—

Don’t!

I could go on, because a lot of other parents have written to me to express their concern about the disruption to their children’s education. That might not mean very much to SNP members, but it means a great deal to Scotland’s parents and carers.

There is lots that could be said on this subject. Many questions need to be asked. What is the SNP Government doing to bring the dispute to an end, other than endlessly repeating—as the Cabinet secretary did on the radio this morning—how terribly disappointing it all is? What is the contingency plan to support pupils who face important exams? What plans are in place to ensure that the exam timetable is not disrupted? What is the contingency plan to ensure that exam papers are marked? That is not scaremongering; it is factually what we are facing.

The Presiding Officer:

You must conclude, Mr Kerr.

I will conclude. How can we credibly look the parents, young people and teachers of Scotland in the face when their Parliament is not even prepared to hold the SNP Cabinet secretary to account for this unfolding mess?

I move Amendment S6M-08062.1, to insert, after

“followed by

Ministerial Statement: Update on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme”:

“ followed by

Ministerial Statement: Teacher Strikes”.

The Presiding Officer:

I call George Adam to respond on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau.

Whoever thought that I would be the calm, cooling effect in any debate? However, here we are.

I remind members that we are supposed to be talking about bureau meetings and future business, but Mr Kerr’s outburst was nothing to do with the subject matter or the current negotiations. Mr Kerr asked what would solve the current issues with the union. The answer is cool heads; beating your chest and shouting and bawling in the chamber will not do it.

I encourage Mr Kerr to talk to his business manager. He knows how the system works. As you know, Presiding Officer, the Parliamentary Bureau is set up so that we can have discussions regarding parliamentary business and do not need to automatically drag those discussions to decision time at 5 o’clock in the evening. The Parliamentary Bureau is the ideal forum for those discussions. [

Interruption

.]

With regard to the actual issue, I think that Mr Kerr kind of said what he said last week—

The Presiding Officer:

Excuse me, Minister. Conversations are going on across the aisles. I would be really grateful if members could get out of that habit, because I am seeing it on too many occasions. Let us please hear the minister.

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

I think that what Mr Kerr finally said was very similar to what he said last week, so I refer him to the answer that I gave last week. I said that discussions are on-going and that negotiations remain at a sensitive and critical stage, so a statement would not be appropriate at this time. The Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet secretary—who both have cool heads—are speaking with the unions at this very moment.

The Presiding Officer:

The question is, that Amendment S6M-08062.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, which seeks to amend motion S6M-08062, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on changes to this week’s business, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members:

No.

There will be a Division.

There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.

17:14 Meeting suspended.

17:18 On resuming—

The question is, that amendment S6M-08062.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, which seeks to amend motion S6M-08062, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on changes to this week’s business, be agreed to. Members should cast their votes now.

The vote is closed.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Despite many attempts, I was unable to vote yes on that motion. That would have been my vote, if the app had registered it.

The Presiding Officer:

Thank you, Mr Whitfield. We will ensure that that is recorded.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted no.

The Presiding Officer:

Thank you, Mr Beattie. We will ensure that that is recorded.

The Presiding Officer:

The result of the Division on Amendment S6M-08062.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, is: For 55, Against 65, Abstentions 0.

Amendment disagreed to

.

The next question is, that motion

S6M-08062, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on changes to this week’s business, be agreed to.

Motion agreed to,

That the Parliament agrees to the following revisions to the programme of business for—

(a) Wednesday 1 March 2023— after followed by

Scottish Government Debate: Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2023 insert followed by

Ministerial Statement: Update on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme after followed by

Scottish Government Debate: Dementia Strategy insert followed by

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Debate: Appointment of Members of the Standards Commission for Scotland delete

5.00 pm Decision Time and insert

5.30 pm Decision Time

(b) Thursday 2 March 2023— delete

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills and insert

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Education and Skills followed by

Ministerial Statement: Policing in Scotland – 10 Years on from Reform