Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 February 2026 [Draft]
24 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Business Motion
Let me tell the minister that I have the utmost respect for Scotland’s Parliament. Ministers should have a bit more respect for this place.
Douglas Ross, on behalf of many of us, is voicing concern about our ability to hold this Government and ministers to account. There is nothing out of order in that—nothing at all. If we are going to get caught in a web of process every time we raise an issue—and particularly one that is as timely as this, which has just occurred in the past few minutes—what does that say about the status of this Parliament as Scotland’s place where ministers and this Government are held to account?
In the same item of business
14:03
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-20897, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on a change to bus...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I rise to make a plea to the minister to consider granting a statement in the Parliament, either later today or tomorrow, from the Lord Advocate. The ministe...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Does Douglas Ross agree that a Government minister has the power to indicate an intention to make a statement in order, at the very least, to clarify stateme...
Douglas Ross
Con
I am very concerned about that. I have had literally a few minutes to go through 70 pages. There may be yet more questions, but some questions certainly alre...
The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Graeme Dey)
SNP
Presiding Officer, the email from the Lord Advocate has barely warmed the Parliament’s inbox and Douglas Ross is on his feet, complaining about being dumped ...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the minister give way?
Graeme Dey
SNP
In a moment.What we have just heard tells us all that we need to know about Douglas Ross’s motives, because some of the questions—Interruption.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear the minister.
Graeme Dey
SNP
The Conservatives can shout as loudly as they like. That is their tactic, normally.Douglas Ross actually knows the answers to some of the questions that he p...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the minister give way on that point?
Graeme Dey
SNP
I will give way to Mr Kerr in a moment.A mechanism is available through business managers to request a statement, and if a majority—Interruption. I hear Mr K...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Let me tell the minister that I have the utmost respect for Scotland’s Parliament. Ministers should have a bit more respect for this place.Douglas Ross, on b...
Graeme Dey
SNP
Let me thank Mr Kerr for today’s performance. We get this every day from Mr Kerr and Mr Ross. These are serious matters and they have been dealt with serious...