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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 23 September 2025 [Draft]

23 Sep 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Rennie, Willie LD North East Fife Watch on SPTV

I want to discuss drawing purpose-built student accommodation into the rent control measures. I attended the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee when that issue was being discussed. It was an important example of clear communications from Government ministers being essential in giving the committee confidence and avoiding frustration that leads to decisions that have a knock-on effect on not only the purpose-built student accommodation sector but the wider housing sector. I am glad that the cabinet secretary has given absolute clarity, as her predecessor did, on the Government’s policy on purpose-built student accommodation. Trust in the Government on housing was slowly being restored after quite a few rocky years, but lack of clarity in the direction of travel of not only the Government but the Parliament knocked the confidence of the PBSA sector and the wider housing sector.

Having clarity from, and trust in, the Government is essential if people who are planning to invest are to follow through on investment decisions. Overnight, investors decided to put projects on hold as a result of one vote in the committee that day. Therefore, I am pleased that we have clarity that purpose-built student accommodation should not be subject to rent controls, because that sector is very different. It is institutionally managed, and the accommodation is purpose built, with wraparound services and enhanced safety and security.

Throughout discussion on the bill, I have been clear that we can have the best standards in the world but, if we do not have people to build the houses, we will not have houses for people to live in. We can cast our minds back a couple of years, when there was a crisis in student accommodation. People at the University of St Andrews were living in Dundee, and people at the University of Glasgow were unable to get a home near that institution. We cannot afford to go back to that position, but we cannot do this by ourselves. We must have the support of the private sector, as well as the state providers of accommodation, if we are to deal with the housing emergency. That is why I am in favour of having a regime that builds confidence among investors and that sets good standards for tenants, whether they are students or private tenants.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA

The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Housing (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as amended at s...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Group 1 is on student tenancies and accommodation. Amendment 123, in the name of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, is grouped with amendments 124, 137, 150,...

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan) SNP

I am pleased to begin our stage 3 consideration of the Housing (Scotland) Bill with group 1. Amendment 105, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, seeks to provid...

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) Green

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Màiri McAllan SNP

I will finish this point, and then I will be glad to do so. It is not appropriate to specify that certain groups of students can end a tenancy whereas other...

Ross Greer Green

For the sake of time, I clarify to the cabinet secretary that, given that we all agree on the outcome, I am happy not to move my amendments 372 and 388 and f...

Màiri McAllan SNP

I, too, believe that amendment 105 and its consequential amendment 116, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, present the best, most balanced approach to the iss...

Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

Does the cabinet secretary understand that introducing rent controls in the way that the Scottish National Party Government has done in recent years has left...

Màiri McAllan SNP

My amendments seek to remove an erroneous Conservative amendment that was agreed to at stage 2, which immediately caused considerable upset and concern in th...

Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I appreciate the minister’s point. However, on that basis, can she comment on the fact that, for example, since 2015, 28 per cent of approvals for accommodat...

Màiri McAllan SNP

I absolutely take note of the point and the statistics that Pam Duncan-Glancy puts to me, and I do not doubt for a second that there are pressures to be work...

Ross Greer Green

I am glad that the cabinet secretary mentioned that much of the work on drafting model terms and conditions is already under way. That is why amendment 373 i...

Màiri McAllan SNP

First, it is not necessary to do so. The work is well under way—it is well progressed. A range of experts have been involved in its formulation and the work ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I point out to members that if amendment 136, in the group on rent conditions and designation of rent control areas, is agreed ...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green

I will just take a wee moment to thank everyone on the legislation team for all their meticulous work, over many, many months, on this bill. I thank the cabi...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Ind

What would the member say to my constituent, who wrote to me this week to say that she has one flat with a tenant who has not paid rent for six months, with ...

Maggie Chapman Green

I thank the member for that intervention—maybe. Later in the bill process—probably not today, but tomorrow or next week—we will come to comment specifically ...

Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

Every time that we discuss the bill, I will remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests. To be perfectly clear, and so that there is no ...

Maggie Chapman Green

What does Edward Mountain think happens if a landlord sells a property because they no longer wish to continue being a landlord? Does he not accept that that...

Edward Mountain Con

That is a wonderful idea, Ms Chapman—just come up to the Highlands and have a look round. I am sure that other members in this chamber, such as Ms Forbes, wi...

Pam Duncan-Glancy Lab

I thank the cabinet secretary for her indication that the Government will support my amendments 105 and 116, which will provide for the creation of regulatio...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Reform) Reform

I have just one amendment in the group, which is amendment 239. At the moment, councils do not have to factor in the needs of students when producing local h...

Ross Greer Green

The issues that are raised by amendments 372 and 388 have been covered, so I will not move those amendments. Amendment 373 and the consequential amendment ...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I want to discuss drawing purpose-built student accommodation into the rent control measures. I attended the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee...

Ross Greer Green

As I have acknowledged, it is clear that Graham Simpson’s stage 2 amendment will be undone, by majority, today. However, given what Mr Rennie has said, how d...

Willie Rennie LD

I do not think that the voluntary scheme has been scrutinised effectively. Graham Simpson’s amendment has brought greater Government focus on trying to get t...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I call the cabinet secretary to wind up.

Màiri McAllan SNP

In the interest of time, I will be brief. I associate myself with Willie Rennie’s contribution, particularly in relation to the balance that he is seeking to...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

The question is, that amendment 123 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

There will be a division. There will be a five-minute suspension to allow members to log into the digital voting system. 15:35 Meeting suspended. 15:41 On ...