Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 3 September 2025.
Richard Lochhead
Scottish National Party
We welcome the fact that the UK Government is now taking action on digital exclusion, and we want to work with it on that. We welcome the resource that will come to Scotland as part of the budget mentioned by the member. Once that cash is with us and we work things out with COSLA and those in other sectors regarding the refreshed strategy that I referred to, it will be put to good use on top of the existing budget for connecting Scotland. That work is already under way and the budget is being spent on tackling the issue.
We have to find new ways to proceed. The member is quite right in that a gap of 15 per cent is one that is too large by 15 per cent, especially in this day and age, when artificial intelligence and other technologies are becoming increasingly important. Everyone should have the same opportunity to take advantage of the digital world in which we now live.
It is important that the voluntary sector, the business community, the Government and the public sector are all working together on the issue. That is the solution going forward, and it will be at the heart of the new strategy. I very much welcome the partnership that was announced just last week, I think, between Virgin Media O2 and citizens advice bureaux. The Scottish Government has assisted that partnership, which will deliver thousands of free smartphones to vulnerable groups in Scotland. That shows what can be achieved by working together, and we have to support such initiatives going forward.
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.
