The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-11374, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme. I call George Adam to move the motion.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees—

(a) the following programme of business—

Tuesday 28 November 2023

2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Topical Questions (if selected) followed by

Ministerial Statement: Heat in Buildings Consultation followed by

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Debate: Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity followed by

Committee Announcements followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Wednesday 29 November 2023

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands;

NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care followed by

Ministerial Statement: Relationships and Behaviour Policy in Schools followed by

Scottish Government Debate: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Approval of SSIs (if required)

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Thursday 30 November 2023

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister's Questions followed by

Members’ Business

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:

Social Justice followed by

Stage 1 Debate: Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill followed by

Financial Resolution: Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

Tuesday 5 December 2023

2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Topical Questions (if selected) followed by

Scottish Government Business followed by

Committee Announcements followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Wednesday 6 December 2023

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture;

Justice and Home Affairs followed by

Scottish Government Business followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Approval of SSIs (if required)

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Thursday 7 December 2023

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister's Questions followed by

Members’ Business

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:

Education and Skills followed by

Reconsideration Stage Proceedings: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

(b) that, for the purposes of Portfolio Questions in the week beginning 27 November 2023, in rule 13.7.3, after the word “except” the words “to the extent to which the Presiding Officer considers that the questions are on the same or similar subject matter or” are inserted.—[

George Adam

]

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I call Stephen Kerr to speak to and move amendment S6M-11374.1. Mr Kerr, you have up to five minutes.

Having consulted my party’s business manager, I am pleased to bring the amendment to the chamber.

I have been quite shocked that there has been no attempt by the Government to seek to put into the business programme of the Parliament any kind of ministerial statement about the announcement that broke this morning on the end of refining at Grangemouth from the spring of 2025.

People who watch these proceedings have been shocked that any attempt to raise the matter in the chamber has not made any progress.

Constituents have been in touch with me. They are worried and concerned about their jobs and livelihoods. When people are faced with uncertainty and fear about their future, it is reasonable for them to look to their Parliament for some sort of assurance that their elected representatives are, at the very least, aware of the issues.

I

, too, as the constituency MSP for Falkirk East, am shocked by this. I have spent this afternoon in dialogue with Petroineos, I have a meeting tomorrow with the union, and I have submitted an urgent question to address exactly that issue. Perhaps the member would be willing to allow me to carry out my role tomorrow as the constituency MSP.

I would expect nothing less from Michelle Thomson. She has taken the interests of her constituents to heart and has set up those meetings. However, that does not negate the responsibility of the Scottish Government to make a ministerial statement in the chamber and allow members of the Parliament the right to ask questions and seek assurances and answers.

As I have said, people expect their Government to work to secure their best interests, so it is reasonable—and it is certainly reasonable of my constituents and Michelle Thomson’s constituents—to look for assurances from the Government, and the issue should be raised in Parliament. That is why I am asking ministers for a statement tomorrow. That is reasonable and proportionate, given the impact on the entire Scottish economy.

Grangemouth is responsible for 4 per cent of Scottish gross domestic product.

Will the member take an intervention?

I am not sure that I will get any time back if I give way. Will I, Deputy Presiding Officer?

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

Not really, Mr Kerr.

I will therefore continue, because some things need to be said about the importance of the issue.

Grangemouth fuels our cars, buses, ambulances, police cars, fire engines, agricultural equipment and emergency generators. Need it be said that fuel is important?

We know that the Scottish National Party and the Greens have shown blatant and open hostility to the oil and gas sector. We need to understand whether that has been a factor in Petroineos’s decision to end refining.

In 2016, the Scottish Government and the United Kingdom Government worked together to maintain gas processing at Grangemouth. It is worthy of the Parliament to ask ministers whether that is being explored now. Is there an option for the UK Government and the Scottish Government to work together in the best interests of our constituents? What policy does the Scottish Government have relating to the importance of the domestic production of petrol and diesel? How does the potential removal of large-scale refining from Scotland impact on emergency planning, our resilience and our economy? What will the Scottish Government do for the employees of the plant affected by the proposed change? What support will it make available for the people of Grangemouth?

Those are all questions that members—especially those who represent Grangemouth—have a responsibility to ask. They are questions that it is reasonable for our constituents to hear being asked, with answers from ministers.

One cannot help but wonder whether, if the plant and those jobs were at risk in Glasgow or Edinburgh, the Government would already have scheduled a statement for tomorrow. [

Interruption.

] Members may disagree with that point, but that is a consideration for people in central Scotland.

I note that the First Minister has seen fit to make a statement about the situation at Grangemouth. I understand that he did that at Bute house in front of journalists. I do not understand why a statement on the crisis cannot be made in the Parliament, with questions to come from elected members. I do not think that that is unreasonable.

I note that Neil Gray, who is the relevant cabinet secretary, has offered to meet some of us in a private Zoom meeting on Friday afternoon. That is good, but let us have an open discussion and a statement in the chamber ahead of any such private meeting.

I am grateful for the Deputy Presiding Officer’s indulgence. If our Parliament is not here to discuss such matters of importance to the people of Scotland, what is it here for?

I move amendment S6M-11374.1, to insert after “the following programme of business—”:

“Thursday 23 November 2023

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions followed by

Members’ Business

1.45 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

1.45 pm Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Questions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition followed by

Ministerial Statement: Grangemouth Oil Refinery followed by

Stage 1 Debate: Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time”.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I call George Adam to respond on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau. Minister, you have up to five minutes, please.

At the heart of the discussion and debate are the families and people who are employed at BP Grangemouth. Those are the people and the community that the Scottish Government and the cabinet secretary take very seriously when we discuss the matter. The cabinet secretary is currently seeking to meet the trade unions.

Let us not forget that the decision is a commercial decision that has been taken by the industry and that it is not a decision or a responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Today, the cabinet secretary has invited his shadow spokespeople and MSPs from the area to a meeting to discuss the matter. The cabinet secretary also answered questions on the important issue earlier today, and he is committed to updating the Parliament as the situation develops.

On the matter of parliamentary business, Mr Kerr’s amendment to business came in at 4.59 pm. It came in after the first division bell had rung.

Mr Kerr had the opportunity to ask questions about Grangemouth this afternoon, as other members did. However, after he made a point of order that was dealt with by the Deputy Presiding Officer, which he was unhappy with, he chose to flounce out of the chamber while others asked questions about Grangemouth. Would the minister like to comment on that?

Kevin Stewart makes a very important point. At 2 o’clock, Stephen Kerr made a point of order. The amendment came in at 4.59 pm, after the first division bell had rung.

First, let us first address the issue of what happened at 2 o’clock. I attempted to raise a point of order, which was dealt with by the Deputy Presiding Officer. I did not flounce out of the chamber. [

Laughter

.] I had another important obligation that I left the chamber to fulfil. Members may find that funny, but serving my constituents is something that I take seriously, and I hope that they do, as well.

To address what happened at 4.59 pm, the business manager for the Conservatives has been trying all day, since the announcement was made from Grangemouth, to get a minister to agree to timetable a statement. The fact that the minster has not done so and that we have come to this point reflects very badly on the priorities of the Scottish Government.

The Parliament has processes, one of which is parliamentary questions. Mr Kerr needs to have a look at himself and decide how he is going to interact with the Parliament. It is not acceptable on a matter of such importance for the individual to lodge an amendment to the business programme at 4.59 pm. [

Interruption

.] Mr Kerr is not showing the Parliament any respect, which is disgraceful.

I revert to what I said at the beginning. We are not important in this issue; we should be thinking about the families involved.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

The question is, that amendment S6M-11374.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, which seeks to amend motion S6M-11374, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members:

No.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

There will be a division.

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

17:29 Meeting suspended.

17:31 On resuming—

The question is, that amendment S6M-11374.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, be agreed to. Members should cast their votes now.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

The result of the division on amendment S6M-11374.1, in the name of Stephen Kerr, is: For 52, Against 64, Abstentions 0.

Amendment disagreed to.

The next question is, that motion S6M-11374, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme, be agreed to.

Motion agreed to,

That the Parliament agrees—

(a) the following programme of business—

Tuesday 28 November 2023

2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Topical Questions (if selected) followed by

Ministerial Statement: Heat in Buildings Consultation followed by

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Debate: Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity followed by

Committee Announcements followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Wednesday 29 November 2023

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands;

NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care followed by

Ministerial Statement: Relationships and Behaviour Policy in Schools followed by

Scottish Government Debate: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Approval of SSIs (if required)

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Thursday 30 November 2023

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister's Questions followed by

Members’ Business

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:

Social Justice followed by

Stage 1 Debate: Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill followed by

Financial Resolution: Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

Tuesday 5 December 2023

2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Topical Questions (if selected) followed by

Scottish Government Business followed by

Committee Announcements followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Wednesday 6 December 2023

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture;

Justice and Home Affairs followed by

Scottish Government Business followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by

Approval of SSIs (if required)

5.00 pm Decision Time followed by

Members’ Business

Thursday 7 December 2023

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister's Questions followed by

Members’ Business

2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:

Education and Skills followed by

Reconsideration Stage Proceedings: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill followed by

Business Motions followed by

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

(b) that, for the purposes of Portfolio Questions in the week beginning 27 November 2023, in rule 13.7.3, after the word “except” the words “to the extent to which the Presiding Officer considers that the questions are on the same or similar subject matter or” are inserted.