Annabelle Ewing
Scottish National Party
In relation to the first question to be put, I remind members that, if the amendment in the name of Jenny Gilruth is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy will fall by way of pre-emption.
The first question is, that amendment S6M-09126.3, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, which seeks to amend motion S6M-09126, in the name of Stephen Kerr, on ending violence in Scottish schools, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
There will be a division.
There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.
17:12 Meeting suspended.
17:16 On resuming—
The question is, that amendment S6M-09126.3, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, which seeks to amend motion S6M-09126, in the name of Stephen Kerr, on ending violence in Scottish schools, be agreed to. Members should cast their votes now.
Division number 1
Decision Time
The result of the division is: For 93, Against 18, Abstentions 0.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that motion S6M-09126, in the name of Stephen Kerr, as amended, on ending violence in Scottish schools, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament believes that no pupil, teacher or member of school staff should suffer physical or verbal abuse and that every child and young person has the right to an uninterrupted school day, free from violence and disruption; recognises the impact that violence in schools has on teachers and school staff, especially in relation to retention and mental health; further recognises that evidence relating to violence in schools was last gathered in 2016, and that data collection is now underway, and that this will be published later in 2023 as routine publication returns to pre-pandemic arrangements; recognises that there has been a shift in school culture over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic that affects a wide range of issues, including violence but also extending to issues such as attendance, and agrees that the Scottish Government should work with young people, parents and carers, schools, local authorities and unions to host a summit on the issue of violence in schools, to identify the work that is now needed to ensure that the right national framework for accurately reporting instances of violence and disruption within schools is in place, the right guidance on exclusions laws and policies is available, and the right resources that are needed to support schools, parents and carers and young people themselves are available to assist them in promoting acceptable behaviour and tackling violence and disruption.
The next question is, that motion S6M-09109, in the name of Maree Todd, on the Powers of Attorney Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Powers of Attorney Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 15 June 2022, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, should be considered by the UK Parliament.
If no member objects, I propose to ask a single question on the two Parliamentary Bureau motions.
The final question is, that motion S6M-09149, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, and motion S6M-09150, on parliamentary recess dates, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.
Motions agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Interim Target) Amendment Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees the following parliamentary recess dates under Rule 2.3.1: 10 to 18 February 2024 (inclusive), 30 March to 14 April 2024 (inclusive), 29 June to 31 August 2024 (inclusive),12 October to 27 October 2024 (inclusive), 21 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 (inclusive).
That concludes decision time.
Members’ business will be published tomorrow, Thursday 25 May 2023, as soon as the text is available.
