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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.

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2,095,827

Hansard contributions

1999–2026

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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,095,827 contributions. Latest 30 days: 3,026. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 10 Jun 2026.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Urgent Question

That concludes the urgent question. We will have a one-minute break to switch over, after which we will resume with portfolio questions.The rest of this Official Report will be published progressively as soon as the text is available.

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

I understand the motivation behind Mr Smith’s questions. He will understand that Police Scotland, the Courts and Tribunals Service and the Crown are rightly independent of Government. However, what we are able to see from the footage that Mr Kerr and Mr Smith have alluded to s...

Alyn Smith (Stirling) (SNP) SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

I commend Paul Sweeney for his contributions in the chamber. There is a lot of unanimity across the Parliament, and we should all be careful with our words in general when discussing such matters.These are aggravated offences. I commend the cabinet secretary for his response, ...

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

I agree with Mr Kerr’s points. Of course, there is a right to protest and to organise peacefully, but that is not what we saw last night. We saw thuggery and intimidatory tactics seeking to divide communities. They will not succeed in Scotland.Last night, I was in live dialogu...

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

Urgent Question

Looking at the footage of last night’s events, we see that it was not protest but criminal disorder. Families should be able to go about their daily lives in Scotland without fear of violence, intimidation or public disorder from a gang of balaclava-clad hooligans.Will the cab...

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

In the first instance, those efforts are being led by Police Scotland in the work that it is doing to reassure communities across Scotland. Work is ongoing in Government to ensure that we are able to protect and enhance communities, including minority ethnic groups and religio...

Clare Haughey (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

The scenes in Glasgow city centre and in other parts of Scotland—and, indeed, in Belfast—were truly shocking. Those scenes and all racism must be condemned by all parties in the chamber. Shame on those who choose not to do so.How will the Scottish Government reach out to and w...

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

I fundamentally and completely agree with what Paul Sweeney has said—I believe that to my core. We are a welcoming nation. We have benefited from migration to this country and we continue to benefit from it. I say that particularly given the offices that I have held in health ...

Paul Sweeney Lab Chamber

Urgent Question

Some members of the Parliament have sought to fan the flames of division with continual talk of “strangers” and calls for further protests tonight. Does the cabinet secretary agree that every one of us in the Parliament has a duty to calm tensions in this country and not to in...

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Urgent Question

Before Paul Sweeney comes back in, I say to him that I am looking for questions rather than speeches. Other members are keen to come in, so it is important that we keep questions as brief as possible.

Neil Gray SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

I completely agree with everything that Paul Sweeney has put on the record in his supplementary question. The Scottish Government’s approach is grounded in tackling hate consistently and proportionately across all communities, which is underpinned by a zero-tolerance stance on...

Paul Sweeney Lab Chamber

Urgent Question

Last night, racist thugs stormed through the centre of Glasgow under the white nationalist slogan “White lives matter”. Members of the public were attacked indiscriminately because of the colour of their skin, and two police officers were injured. My prayers are with those who...

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Neil Gray) SNP Chamber

Urgent Question

The actions of a very small number of individuals in parts of Scotland last night, which included the assaulting of police officers and members of minority ethnic communities, are shocking and unacceptable. Violence and racism have no place on our streets, and I utterly condem...

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Urgent Question

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it will take in response to the reported violent racist demonstrations that took place last night in Glasgow.

Speaker unknown Chamber

Urgent Question

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Committee Conveners

Today’s business begins with the results of the elections for committee conveners. I will announce the results for each committee in turn.Stuart McMillan has been elected as convener of the Climate Action Committee. The total number of ballots was 121 and the results were as f...

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.

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 16 March 2021

16 Mar 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Covid-19

Sturgeon, Nicola SNP Glasgow Southside Watch on SPTV

People want some clarity about the indicative timeline, which we are trying to give them. All of that is predicated, though, on the data continuing to go in the right direction. Clearly, if the data starts to go wildly in the wrong direction, all bets are off. That is why it is so important for all of us to continue to convey the message about the importance of sticking with the discipline for a little bit longer.

On the move down from level 4 for all of mainland Scotland and some parts of our island communities, we want to try to do that as one country, because that will allow us to lift travel restrictions. Even though some parts of the country are at lower levels of prevalence now, because vaccinations are not yet at a critical point it would still be very risky to lift the restrictions more quickly in those parts of the country.

When we have done that, if there are outbreaks or variable transmission across the country, we will have the option of using the levels, and we will publish shortly the latest indicators that we would intend to use. As I had to say repeatedly before, it is not an exact science. However, at the moment, for the whole country, it is about getting the virus as low as possible and keeping it there, recognising that, as I said, easing restrictions is not neutral. We need to keep in mind a combination of all of that, as we try to navigate our way through the next few weeks.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh) NPA

The next item of business is a statement by Nicola Sturgeon on Covid-19. The First Minister will take questions at the end of her statement, and I encourage ...

The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) SNP

My statement will set out our next steps out of lockdown and back towards a way of life that is much closer to normality. I intend to set out in some detail ...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Thank you, First Minister. We turn to questions.

Ruth Davidson (Edinburgh Central) (Con) Con

Today’s update, as briefed, has started to give some clarity on when various sectors can reopen. Frankly, they were calling for and expecting that clarity th...

The First Minister SNP

First, had I announced three weeks ago everything that I have announced today, I would have been doing so without the confidence I now have that we would hav...

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I thank the First Minister for advance sight of her statement and I, too, pass on my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one. Steps to reopen our...

The First Minister SNP

First, we all want this to be the last lockdown, but making that happen is not as easy as a politician simply saying that, as a soundbite. Making sure that t...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

The fact that we are in a position to start planning to reopen things and get our lives back will be welcomed by everyone. As always, the Scottish Greens sup...

The First Minister SNP

There will be a gradual return of students to further and higher education and we will use lateral flow testing as appropriate and in a targeted way to suppo...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I am sure that people will feel a little bit of hope today. Their sacrifices, and the brilliance of the vaccine scientists, mean that our liberty may return ...

The First Minister SNP

People want some clarity about the indicative timeline, which we are trying to give them. All of that is predicated, though, on the data continuing to go in ...

Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) SNP

The setting of indicative dates for the initial easing of lockdown is welcome news. However, the First Minister has struck a cautionary note. Will she clarif...

The First Minister SNP

We would aim, as we have generally done throughout the pandemic, to confirm, hopefully—or otherwise, if things were not going in the right direction—a week b...

Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con) Con

When will the Scottish Government publish updated guidance on restrictions that are contained in the tier system, especially the restrictions in level 0?

The First Minister SNP

We will publish some of that later today, which will back up what I have said today. The update to the document is possibly already published. In relation to...

Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) SNP

What reassurance can the First Minister give to parents, carers and staff following reports of an outbreak of coronavirus at St Ignatius primary school campu...

The First Minister SNP

One of the difficult things with the virus on an on-going basis is that, even as we get its prevalence and incidence down—as I hope that we will—we will see ...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab

Age Scotland, Engender, Inclusion Scotland and around 20 other civil society organisations have written to the First Minister, welcoming her commitment to a ...

The First Minister SNP

I have already given a commitment to a human rights-based approach to a public inquiry. I believe that we still might be the only Government in the UK that h...

Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) SNP

I thank the First Minister for her statement. Many businesses across Scotland will appreciate the clarity that was given on the course out of lockdown and—I ...

The First Minister SNP

The approach to business support that I set out is intended to combine, on the one hand, on-going support for businesses that must remain closed or that stil...

Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

The First Minister will know that a recent report said that, during the second wave of the pandemic, more than half of severe Covid cases involved transmissi...

The First Minister SNP

There is a direct correlation between community transmission of the virus and nosocomial infection and transmission. As community transmission rates have fal...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

I was delighted to get the AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday. I guess that I am slightly older than the First Minister, so I might have been vaccinated before ...

The First Minister SNP

I do not want to be churlish, but I think, from memory, that Mr Mason is significantly older than the First Minister. I anxiously await my vaccination appoin...

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab

I am considerably older than the First Minister, and I am delighted to say that I have had my vaccination. Does the First Minister share my view that the goo...

The First Minister SNP

It is good news. I was paying close attention to the news from the European Medicines Agency earlier today. The agency is carrying out further review over th...

Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP) SNP

Today’s announcement is positive, but many families—particularly those on low incomes—who are sick or find themselves in vulnerable circumstances are struggl...

The First Minister SNP

That is an important reminder that, in many different ways, the impact of the pandemic will be felt long after the Covid restrictions have been lifted. That ...

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) Con

Does today’s framework announcement confirm that we are moving out of lockdown nationally at the same pace, with no scope for local easing? Can the First Min...