Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 22 May 2024.
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
Scotland’s migration service, which was launched in March, supports businesses to navigate the immigration system, including by providing advice from qualified advisers.
We are working with our partners, including Skills Development Scotland, to emphasise the opportunities and higher average salaries in this highly skilled sector. Recent examples include the funding of a pilot to ensure that people who apply for opportunities with large companies and are initially unsuccessful are redirected to smaller companies in the sector with recruitment needs. We also sponsored a recent event that was designed to boost educators’ knowledge of a modern and rewarding career in manufacturing.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
