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Hansard

Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129

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415

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2,095,827

Hansard contributions

1999–2026

Coverage span

Official Report

Search Hansard contributions

Showing 60 of 2,095,827 contributions. Latest 30 days: 2,655. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 09 Jun 2026.

Angela Constance SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

It is disappointing that Mr Hoy does not welcome the prospect of a GP walk-in service for Stranraer. The important point is that the purpose of GP walk-in services is to free up capacity in the primary care system, so that people across our constituencies and regions can be se...

Craig Hoy (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Con Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

It is 77 miles from Sanquhar to Stranraer, which is a journey that takes a minimum of two hours by car or at least four hours by bus. Given that my constituents will be expected to make that journey to access the GP walk-in centre in Stranraer, does that not expose the policy ...

Angela Constance SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

I expect the Glasgow site to open later this month. I very much appreciate the health board’s hard work to get the services up and running. I am sure that Michelle Campbell will join me in welcoming the opening of the sites and thanking our hard-working national health service...

Michelle Campbell (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

Work is well under way in preparation for Glasgow’s first walk-in clinic opening. Can the Scottish Government offer an update on when that wonderful resource for the good people of Cardonald will be open?

Angela Constance SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

Ms Gibson has made an important point about reducing health inequality by improving access to healthcare. The Government is committed to providing a North Ayrshire walk-in service, which was one of the 14 additional services that were announced. That brings the total number of...

Patricia Gibson SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

North Ayrshire’s people have Scotland’s lowest healthy life expectancy. The average adult remains in full health until just 53 years old. More than 28 per cent of people live with a long-term health condition, which is 6 per cent higher than the Scottish average. In view of th...

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care (Angela Constance) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

I have committed to expanding the walk-in service programme and will set out how I will do so in the first 100 days of this Government. Health boards were previously asked to generate proposals that considered their populations’ needs, taking into account local issues and circ...

Patricia Gibson (Cunninghame South) (SNP) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · GP Walk-in Centres (North Ayrshire)

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a general practitioner walk-in centre to open in North Ayrshire. (S7O-00023)

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

The short answer is yes. I am happy to meet Ms Minto or any other member to discuss the matter further. The challenge of multiple organisations drawing on small rural populations is not new. The SFRS works collaboratively with a range of partners, including the coastguard serv...

Jenni Minto (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

I appreciate that these are independent decisions to be made by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, but I am interested to know whether the Scottish Government is looking at the cumulative impact of those changes on, for example, other rescue services such as the coastguard,...

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

I am more than happy to explore that with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in order to ensure that we are in a position to respond to the changing nature of fire and flood risk across Scotland. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s very successful prevention activities, a...

Stephen Kerr (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

Ministers previously told Parliament that almost £1 million of specialist wildfire pumping units would be deployed within weeks. A Scottish Conservative freedom of information request later revealed that they were still not operational, during Scotland’s worst wildfire season ...

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

These are independent decisions for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to make, but it is open to Parliament to take a view on those matters—in the way that a view is normally taken, for example, on investigations undertaken through the committee structure—or otherwise. Obvi...

Joe Fagan Lab Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

There is profound concern about the potential outcomes of the service delivery review, not least from the firefighters and their union. Given the gravity of the decisions that are about to be made, does the Government agree that there should be full parliamentary scrutiny and ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Neil Gray) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

I met the SFRS board chair on 4 June, when we discussed the overall objectives of the service delivery review and the consultation and outreach process that the SFRS has undertaken. Recent large fires in Glasgow and Fife have been dealt with commendably by our front-line firef...

Joe Fagan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

General Question Time · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review)

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board regarding the outcome of the service delivery review that is due to be considered on 22 June. (S7O-00022)

Stephen Flynn SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I am happy to answer.If Mr Cole-Hamilton wishes to write to me, I will write back to him as swiftly as I possibly can.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

That was not quite on the nose for the general question, but do you want to respond, cabinet secretary?

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) LD Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I hope that the cabinet secretary will agree that one of the safest ways to get students from Kirkliston in my constituency to their catchment high school in South Queensferry is via the council-funded coach service that has been operating well there for several years. A decis...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I realise that everyone is finding their feet, including me. I remind members that they should only press their button if they want to ask a supplementary to the general question that has been asked.Alex Cole-Hamilton has a supplementary.

Lloyd Melville (Angus South) (SNP) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

My apologies, Presiding Officer. I pressed my button in error, thinking that I would have to do that for my general question later on.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

Lloyd Melville has a supplementary.

Julie MacDougall Reform Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

That is not relevant to this question. We are on supplementaries to the question that Patrick Harvie asked.

Julie MacDougall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Reform Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I recently met the chief executive of Forth Valley College. It was incredibly harrowing to hear about how apprenticeship courses are being cut—

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

Julie MacDougall has a supplementary.

Stephen Flynn SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

Mr Harvie will be pleased to know that £3.2 million is still going to regional transport partnerships—£1.6 million will be available for local direct awards and £1.4 million is going to bikeability schemes, which all our weans can benefit from. Of course, that forms part of a ...

Patrick Harvie Green Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I am sorry that the cabinet secretary did not choose to answer that question by explaining why the cut took place and why it took place during the election purdah period. I have returned to my job to meet local community organisations that are doing the work that the Scottish ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport (Stephen Flynn) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

I thank Patrick Harvie for his question, because it gives me the opportunity to restate what the First Minister said. We support cycling, walking and wheeling, which is why £226 million-worth of investment is going into sustainable and active travel. I am very proud of that—I ...

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green Chamber

General Question Time · Active Travel (Funding)

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of comments made by the First Minister in the Parliament on 2 June that the Scottish Government prioritises active and safe travel routes and the encouragement of cycling, walking and wheeling, for what reason Transport Scotland reporte...

Stephen Kerr Con Chamber

Committee Conveners

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Stephen Kerr (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con Chamber

Committee Conveners

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. For guidance, would it be possible for the same person to be nominated again in those circumstances?

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

The process is opened again for further nominations. However, to be clear, any other member who is nominated will have to come from the party from which the original member was selected.

Helen McDade Reform Chamber

Committee Conveners

What happens then?

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

If a candidate receives the majority of votes, that candidate will become the committee convener. If the majority is against it, that candidate will not be the committee convener.

Helen McDade (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Reform Chamber

Committee Conveners

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I just wonder what the process is. Can you explain what happens once a vote has been cast when there is only one candidate, so that we know what we are voting against?

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Willie Rennie’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Fifteen out of 15 convenerships will be subject to secret ballots.I have also received two valid nominations for convener of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. The nomin...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Craig Hoy’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Willie Rennie has been nominated as convener of the Transport Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was received.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Mark Ruskell’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Craig Hoy has been nominated as convener of the Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button n...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Bob Doris’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Mark Ruskell has been nominated as convener of the Rural Affairs Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was noted.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Paul Sweeney’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Bob Doris has been nominated as convener of the Public Service Reform Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was noted.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Neil Bibby’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Paul Sweeney has been nominated as convener of the Public Petitions Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was noted.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Helen McDade’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Neil Bibby has been nominated as convener of the Public Audit Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was noted.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Clare Haughey’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Helen McDade has been nominated as convener of the Health, Care and Sport Committee. If any member objects to her election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection wa...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Patrick Harvie’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Clare Haughey has been nominated as convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee. If any member objects to her election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Katie Hagmann’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Patrick Harvie has been nominated as convener of the Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Karen Adam’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Katie Hagmann has been nominated as convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. If any member objects to her election as convener, please press your point-of-order button n...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Duncan Massey’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Karen Adam has been nominated as convener of the Education and Gaelic Committee. If any member objects to her election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was no...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Calum Kerr’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Duncan Massey has been nominated as convener of the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Alyn Smith’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Calum Kerr has been nominated as convener of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objectio...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Stuart McMillan’s election as convener will be subject to election by secret ballot.Alyn Smith has been nominated as convener of the Criminal Justice Committee. If any member objects to his election as convener, please press your point-of-order button now.An objection was noted.

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Colleagues, we turn to the election of committee conveners. When more than one nomination for convener of a committee has been received, an election will be conducted by secret ballot. I will give you instructions on this shortly.When a single nomination has been received, the...

Speaker unknown Chamber

Committee Conveners

Rabbi Moshe Rubin (Rabbi of Giffnock Synagogue and Senior Rabbi of Scotland) Chamber

Time for Reflection

Thank you, Presiding Officer. On behalf of the Scottish Jewish community, I wish you and all newly elected MSPs every success in your service to our beautiful country of Scotland.It is no secret that Jewish communities across the United Kingdom are facing increasing hostility....

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Time for Reflection

Our first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection, and our time for reflection leader today is Rabbi Moshe Rubin of Giffnock synagogue, the Senior Rabbi of Scotland.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

That concludes decision time.Meeting closed at 17:20.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on motion S7M-00249, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on wealth taxation for public services, as amended, is: For 84, Against 28, Abstentions 10.Motion, as amended, agreed to,That the Parliament believes in fair, progressive and sustainable taxation to ...

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForAdam, George (Paisley) (SNP)Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP)Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP)Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)Barratt, David ...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The final question is, that motion S7M-00249, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on wealth taxation for public services, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 08 December 2016

08 Dec 2016 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Disability Delivery Plan

Rowley, Alex Lab Mid Scotland and Fife Watch on SPTV

As the minister did, I thank everyone who was involved in the consultation and in the production of the fairer Scotland report, which we absolutely support, as Mark Griffin said.

There needs to be a level of honesty on the part of Tory members in the Parliament about the impact of welfare reforms on disabled people. I took Jeremy Balfour’s point about the need for more than warm words from politicians but, if politicians are to be taken seriously, we have to acknowledge the scale of the problem that is out there. Adam Tomkins does the Tories in Scotland no service by being in complete denial about the impact of welfare reforms on disabled people.

The Disability Agenda Scotland alliance said in its briefing for this debate that

“The changes to the social security system in recent years have undermined disabled people’s right to live independently and their right to family life in contravention of article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities ... and Article 8 of the United Nations Convention on Human Rights ... This affects disabled people, carers and others around them and the wider society and economy.”

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-02948, in the name of Jeane Freeman, entitled “Creating a Fairer Scotland: Our Disability Delivery Plan”....

The Minister for Social Security (Jeane Freeman) SNP

I am pleased to open the debate on “A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Perso...

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) LD

We are supportive of the introduction of a framework for families who are affected by disability, but the title suggests that it might not include young peop...

Jeane Freeman SNP

Yes, I can. The strategy will be worked through with disabled people and people who care for children with disabilities. It will include all such children, b...

Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con) Con

I welcome the fact that this debate is being signed, which is something that I hope we can do much more often in Parliament, and indeed in public life in Sco...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP

Will the member give way?

Adam Tomkins Con

I am happy to give way to Sandra White.

Sandra White SNP

I thank the member and hope that we can continue with the agreement that he has mentioned. Does he agree with the UN report that mentions that the UK Governm...

Adam Tomkins Con

No, I do not, and I shall explain why in a few moments. It is not a matter of law making alone, but also of public expenditure. Under the Conservatives, th...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

Will the member take an intervention?

Adam Tomkins Con

No, I want to develop the point. The figures are even worse in Scotland, where the disability employment rate is a shocking 42 per cent. That is an injustic...

Jeane Freeman SNP

Will Mr Tomkins acknowledge what I also said yesterday about the Westminster cross-party working group’s assessment of how long it would take the UK Governme...

Adam Tomkins Con

I agree that it is taking too long to close the disability employment gap, and that is why our amendment welcomes not only the Scottish Government’s fairer S...

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I thank the Presiding Officer and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body for their good offices in again making the Parliament an exemplar in the provisio...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We move to open speeches of around six minutes, please. We have some time in hand, so I can give extra time for interventions or for anyone who has something...

George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is nice to know that I have a wee bit of time today. I welcome this debate and I am glad to take part in it. Many members w...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

I apologise to you, Presiding Officer, and to the minister for being late. It was nothing to do with disability—I just cannot read a watch. I have met a num...

Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) SNP

I, too, thank the hundreds of people who responded to the fairer Scotland consultation. One of the most important lines in Jeane Freeman’s motion is the dete...

Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

As the minister did, I thank everyone who was involved in the consultation and in the production of the fairer Scotland report, which we absolutely support, ...

Adam Tomkins Con

Does the member accept the fact that £6 billion a year more is being spent on disability benefits in the United Kingdom than was the case when the Labour Par...

Alex Rowley Lab

We just heard Kate Forbes talk about the constituent who came to her office. A constituent of mine spoke to me just last week, along with his mother. He has ...

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I, too, am concerned about care charges, which is why I spoke in the members’ business debate on them earlier this week. Mr Rowley mentioned Fife Council. Is...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

I cannot take another speech. Mr Rowley, you are in your last minute—you need to finish in the next 30 seconds.

Alex Rowley Lab

I will do so. Having been proud to serve as a Labour councillor over many years, I just say to Joan McAlpine that the fact is that this year local councils a...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the publication of “A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons wit...

Adam Tomkins Con

Will Sandra White take an intervention on that point?

Sandra White SNP

I will—if the member will first let me finish my point, please. How will taking £30 a week from disabled people who are moving from DLA to PIP help them?

Adam Tomkins Con

Would Sandra White care to reflect on there being 360,000 disabled people in work in the United Kingdom who were not in work two years ago? Is that an achiev...

Sandra White SNP

Mr Tomkins used the word “condemn”. He should speak to disabled people, because then he will see exactly who is being condemned by the UK Government. I will ...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Does Sandra White agree that cutting three of the four jobcentres in the east end of Glasgow is not going to help disabled people?