Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 October 2025.
Ruth Maguire
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government what representations non-governmental organisations have made to it regarding its work to support humanitarian assistance in Palestine. (S6O-05030)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The Scottish Government receives regular updates from a number of humanitarian organisations regarding the on-going humanitarian crisis in Palestine, including United Nations agencies such as UNICEF, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Disasters Emergency Committee and our humanitarian emergency panel members, which include the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Save the Children, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund and Tearfund. We are also collaborating with Kids Operating Room to establish the Gaza HOPES—healthcare for obstetrics, paediatrics, emergency, and surgical care—field readiness hub in Dundee, which will support a rapidly deployable hospital in Gaza to provide essential surgical, maternity and paediatric services and support the longer-term recovery of the healthcare sector in Gaza.
Ruth Maguire
Scottish National Party
The global sumud flotilla is a coalition of everyday people who believe in human dignity and the power of non-violent action. All 42 boats in that historic mission were illegally intercepted while attempting to break Israel’s siege on Gaza. Four hundred and sixty-two people were kidnapped in international waters, including Scottish citizens. Does the Cabinet secretary share my dismay at reports of the terrible treatment of those humanitarians, and what representations has the Scottish Government made, either directly to Israel or through the United Kingdom Government, and what response has it received?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
I begin my answer by paying tribute to the Scottish and international members of the humanitarian mission of the sumud flotilla. Scottish Government officials have been in daily contact with the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, including over the weekend, seeking urgent clarification on repatriation arrangements for the residents of Scotland detained by Israel. The FCDO told us that it had lobbied the Israeli authorities to make clear that it expected the situation to be resolved safely, in line with international law and with due respect for the rights of those on board. All four residents of Scotland have now been deported from Israel, and at least one is back in Scotland, with three deported to Jordan. The FCDO told us earlier today that consular officials are supporting all British citizens who have been deported to Jordan.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Conservative
In June, I asked the Cabinet secretary to assure Parliament that no funding from the Scottish Government to UNRWA had been used or was being used to treat Hamas terrorists. His response suggested that he could not give that assurance, but that he was meeting UNRWA the next day and would raise my concerns with it. Did he raise those concerns with UNRWA, and what assurances did it give him that Scottish taxpayers’ money, as humanitarian aid provided by Scottish National Party ministers, was not used to treat Hamas terrorists?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
First, I am sorry that the member could not find it in his heart to thank the UN agencies for providing humanitarian support in the genocide that is currently taking place in Gaza. Rather than casting shade—
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Conservative
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I asked that question in June, and I did not get an answer then. I have made it very clear. I appreciate that the Cabinet secretary would like to dance around, but I asked a fairly straightforward follow-up question.
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The member did not even listen to the answer to the question before he raised a point of order.
I am not aware of any humanitarian aid being used in the way that Mr Halcro Johnston suggests. If I receive any reports of that, I will share them with him. I am sorry that he could not also take the opportunity, in his point of order, to condemn the genocide that is being waged against the people of Gaza, and the humanitarian situation there—[ Interruption .]
Alison Johnstone
Green
Let us ensure that we hear one another.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
