Part of First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 12 December 2024.
Elizabeth Smith
Conservative
The First Minister will have received the many emails that have been sent to Mid Scotland and Fife MSPs and Constituency MSPs in the region from Perthshire residents who are complaining bitterly about the threatened closure of five public libraries, in Scone, Birnam, Alyth, Comrie and Auchterarder. I hope that he will also recall his appearance before the Public Petitions Committee in 2017, when he gave a firm commitment to support library access for our young people.
In a week in which new statistics show that two in five Scottish pupils require extra help with their learning, and when members of the public across Perth and Kinross are furious about the impending closures, given that their council tax is being hiked by 10 per cent, what does the First Minister believe should happen to keep those essential services open?
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.
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