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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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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,097,005 contributions. Latest 30 days: 4,406. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 17 Jun 2026.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

That concludes decision time. I would just like to say that, in about one and a half minutes, a reception, which I am to chair, for the consular corps, who have been invited to the Parliament, will begin. If we had not changed our standing orders, we would have had to wait for...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on motion S7M-00397, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on the suspension of standing orders, is: For 108, Against 10, Abstentions 0.Motion agreed to,That the Parliament agrees that, for the purposes of consideration of the legislative consent memorandum ...

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForAdam, George (Paisley) (SNP)Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab)Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP)Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP)Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)Baker, Claire (Mid Scot...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The final question is, that motion S7M-00397, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on the suspension of standing orders, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The next question is, that motion S7M-00379, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on the designation of a lead committee, be agreed to.Motion agreed to,That the Parliament agrees that the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of th...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The next question is, that motion S7M-00378, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on the suspension and variation of standing orders, be agreed to.Motion agreed to,That the Parliament agrees—(a) under Rule 17.2.1(b) to suspend and vary Standing Orders as follows for the purpose of De...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on motion S7M-00367, in the name of Stephen Flynn, on affordable bus fares, as amended, is: For 93, Against 26, Abstentions 0.Motion, as amended, agreed to,That the Parliament recognises the importance of affordable bus services connecting people to ...

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForAdam, George (Paisley) (SNP)Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab)Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP)Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP)Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)Baker, Claire (Mid Scot...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Your vote will be recorded.

Katherine Sangster (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Lab Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the digital voting platform. I would have voted yes.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division.The vote is closed.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The next question is, that motion S7M-00367, in the name of Stephen Flynn, on affordable bus fares, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on amendment S7M-00367.4, in the name of Craig Hoy, is: For 10, Against 107, Abstentions 0.Amendment disagreed to.

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForBriggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con)Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con)Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con)Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Your vote has been recorded.

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs (Gillian Martin) SNP Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted no.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division.The vote is closed.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The next question is, that amendment S7M-00367.4, in the name of Craig Hoy, which seeks to amend motion S7M-00367, in the name of Stephen Flynn, on affordable bus fares, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on amendment S7M-00367.3, in the name of Daniel Johnson, is: For 84, Against 26, Abstentions 9.Amendment agreed to.

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForAdam, George (Paisley) (SNP)Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab)Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP)Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP)Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)Baker, Claire (Mid Scot...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Your vote has been recorded.

Kate Nevens (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Green Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My technology did not work. I would have voted yes.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division.The vote is closed.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The next question is, that amendment S7M-00367.3, in the name of Daniel Johnson, which seeks to amend motion S7M-00367, in the name of Stephen Flynn, on affordable bus fares, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on amendment S7M-00367.1, in the name of Graham Simpson, is: For 23, Against 78, Abstentions 15.Amendment disagreed to.

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForBannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform)Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD)Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform)Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform)Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD)Currie, Victor (Highlands and I...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division.

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

There are seven questions to be put as a result of today’s business.The first question is, that amendment S7M-00367.1, in the name of Graham Simpson, which seeks to amend motion S7M-00367, in the name of Stephen Flynn, on affordable bus fares, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Membe...

Speaker unknown Chamber

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The question on the motion will be put at decision time.

Jamie Hepburn SNP Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

Again, I say with respect that it is not the Government’s place to handhold a committee and talk through the entire process of how it might want to consider such matters. There is a limit to how far I can undertake that exercise. The point is that the Government has engaged wi...

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

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The minister will forgive me, because Liberal Democrats are not represented on the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee, so we are unclear as to the process that has been followed on this occasion. Is he clear that, when he asked the convener of the committee, the convener ha...

Jamie Hepburn SNP Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

With the best will in the world, I say to Mr Sweeney that that sounds very much like a matter for the substantive debate on the LCM next week, when Parliament decides to grant or withhold consent. The Scottish Government has taken a position and is presenting that to Parliamen...

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The only consideration operationally in Scotland in relation to the bill would be the Dalzell steelworks in Motherwell, which is a critical industrial facility. Does the minister have an indication of whether the bill will have a direct impact on the operation of and efforts t...

Jamie Hepburn SNP Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

I believe that that was communicated to all business managers—that is my understanding—and it was certainly communicated to me. With the best will in the world, I can do only so much to try to facilitate committee consideration. At every opportunity that I have, I will seek to...

Rachael Hamilton Con Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The minister will know that the committee has not yet met and that the committee members were not aware that the convener had rejected the possibility that we could bring in witnesses next week.

Jamie Hepburn SNP Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

I was going to come on to that. I recognise that point, and it was considered, given Ms Hamilton’s concerns. There was engagement with the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee, and the convener of that committee indicated that he was content for the committee not to consider ...

Rachael Hamilton Con Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

We are a powerful Parliament. The Parliamentary Bureau should consider that the committee can request to sit on another day. We have a full week left next week. The committee could request that witnesses give evidence on a day when it does not normally sit—that is entirely pos...

The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Jamie Hepburn) SNP Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

I recognise that it is regrettable that I must stand before Parliament today and ask that it suspend standing orders to allow the first motion on legislative consent in this parliamentary session to come straight to the chamber.By way of background, the UK Government introduce...

Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Con Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

First, I acknowledge that the Scottish Government requested that the United Kingdom legislation be amended to require consent for the exercise of powers in relation to steel undertakings in Scotland, where those powers are exercised for a devolved purpose. That request was not...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The questions on the motions will be put at decision time.The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S7M-00397, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on suspension of standing orders. I ask Jamie Hepburn, on behalf ...

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The next item of business is consideration of two Parliamentary Bureau motions. I ask Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, to move motion S7M-00378, on suspension and variation of standing orders, and motion S7M-00379, on designation of lead committee.Motions ...

Speaker unknown Chamber

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA Chamber

Business Motion

The next item of business is consideration of business motion S7M-00377, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.Motion moved,That the Parliament agrees—(a) the following programme of business—Tuesday 23 June 20262....

Speaker unknown Chamber

Business Motion

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

The result of the division on motion S7M-00380, in the name of John Swinney, on the appointment of law officers, is: For 102, Against 16, Abstentions 0.Motion agreed to,That the Parliament agrees that it be recommended to His Majesty that Ruth Charteris KC be appointed as the ...

Speaker unknown Chamber

ForAdam, George (Paisley) (SNP)Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab)Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP)Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP)Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)Baker, Claire (Mid Scot...

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Your vote has been recorded.

The Minister for Public Finance (Hannah Mary Goodlad) SNP Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes as well, but I was not able to.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Your vote has been recorded.

Paul McLennan (East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs) (SNP) SNP Chamber

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to connect; I would have voted yes.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

We come to the vote on motion S7M-00380, in the name of John Swinney, on the appointment of law officers. Members should cast their votes now.The vote is closed.

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

There will be a division. There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.17:34Meeting suspended.17:38On resuming—

The Presiding Officer NPA Chamber

Thank you. That concludes the debate on the appointment of law officers.The question is, that motion S7M-00380, in the name of John Swinney, on the appointment of law officers, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

The First Minister SNP Chamber

I thank colleagues for their contributions to the debate. On the specific point that Amanda Bland raised about the conduct of criminal cases, I confirm on the record, as has been confirmed on many occasions in the past, that wherever there is a legal issue in connection with a...

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

Before I come to the appointments before the Parliament today, I, too, on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, pay tribute to Dorothy Bain KC—the second woman to hold the post of Lord Advocate in our country. She was very generous with her time with me, and forgiving of m...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green Chamber

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recommending the appointment of Ruth Charteris KC as Lord Advocate and Brian Gill KC as Solicitor General for Scotland.Before I turn to the appointments before us, however, I will take a moment to recognise, as other members have,...

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

I put on the record my thanks, and the thanks of the Scottish Labour Party, for the work done by Dorothy Bain KC as Lord Advocate over the past five years. Dorothy Bain is a highly regarded professional who has given dedicated service to her country and her profession, and we ...

Amanda Bland (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Reform) Reform Chamber

The First Minister seeks Parliament’s agreement to recommend to His Majesty the King the appointment of Ruth Charteris KC to the role of Lord Advocate and Brian Gill KC to the role of Solicitor General.The Lord Advocate has a unique position as both the chief legal adviser to ...

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 16 June 2026 [Draft]

16 Jun 2026 · S7 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Jo Cox’s Death (10th Anniversary)

Young, Jenny Lab Central Scot and Lothians West Watch on SPTV

I thank Liam McArthur for that intervention and pay tribute to him for the way in which, in the previous session, he led the debate on assisted dying. That was another fine example of what we are talking about.

As I have said, not all of us will manage to take the approach that I set out, and certainly not every day. It requires making a choice to be respectful and honour the other. I know that I will need help to keep doing that over the next five years, especially on the hard days, when I feel cynical and when opposing forces are pressing in. However, if we genuinely want things to be better, we each have to try.

Before I entered politics, I was a secondary school French teacher in West Lothian. My former pupils will tell you that I had high standards for behaviour—they might describe it a little more colourfully than that. Respect was the watchword of my classroom: respect for ourselves and respect for each other.

Let that be the mantra of this place, of this session and of our national discourse. Let us honour the memory of Jo Cox by remembering that, as she said,

“we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”—[Official Report, House of Commons, 3 June 2015; Vol. 596, c. 675.]

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson) SNP

I ask members leaving the chamber to do so quietly, please.The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S7M-00180, in the name of Jenny...

Jenny Young (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Lab) Lab

I thank members from all six parties who added their support to the motion and helped secure tonight’s debate.I want to start by recognising that, first and ...

Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I thank the member for giving way—she is giving a very fine speech and tribute to Jo Cox.Has she been struck, in recent days, by what has been revealed by th...

Jenny Young Lab

I thank the member for that intervention, and I absolutely agree with him. We all need to be wise to the fact that there are outside influences, and indeed o...

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

I thank Jenny Young for taking my intervention, and I want to echo Michael Marra’s comments—it is an exceptional speech. She has drawn attention to how diffi...

Jenny Young Lab

I thank Liam McArthur for that intervention and pay tribute to him for the way in which, in the previous session, he led the debate on assisted dying. That w...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson) SNP

I inform the chamber that, understandably, very many members wish to speak in tonight’s debate. I intend to let everyone in, given the number of friends and ...

David Linden (Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

I start by paying tribute to Jenny Young and thanking her for securing this debate. Members’ business motions often talk about celebrating something, but the...

Katherine Sangster (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Lab

I thank Jenny Young for securing the debate.I remember hearing the news about Jo’s death as I was driving home from work. At that point, I was not involved i...

Q Manivannan (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Green

I thank Jenny Young for lodging the motion and for the chance, on the 10th anniversary of Jo Cox’s death, to allow ourselves a moment of pause. Grief is a dr...

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

I thank Jenny Young for bringing this debate to the chamber. It is an immense privilege to have the opportunity to speak to the motion. I refer to my entry i...

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

Jenny Young made an outstanding speech. Undoubtedly, she is a rising talent in the Labour Party—and quite rightly so.It is a privilege to be able to particip...

Adam Harley (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) LD

I am pleased to speak in today’s debate and I thank Jenny Young for bringing it to the chamber. It is a privilege to follow on from some fantastic speeches i...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson) SNP

Before moving to our next speaker, who will be Patricia Gibson, I am minded to accept a motion without notice, under rule 8.14.3, to extend the debate by up ...

Patricia Gibson (Cunninghame South) (SNP) SNP

I join others in congratulating Jenny Young on securing this evening’s debate to commemorate the political contribution of Jo Cox and to pay tribute to her l...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson) SNP

You must conclude.

Patricia Gibson SNP

Today, we pay tribute to Jo Cox, who is often quoted as saying that there is more that unites us than divides us. Truly, if we could remember that and live w...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson) SNP

Earlier, I omitted to put the question on the motion to extend the debate, so I will put it now. Do members agree to extend the debate by up to 30 minutes?Mo...

Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I thank my colleague Jenny Young for bringing this important and thoughtful debate to the chamber.I did not know Jo Cox, but I was privileged to meet many pe...

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I, too, congratulate Jenny Young on bringing the debate to the chamber. I had not originally intended to speak in the debate; I wanted just to sit in and lis...

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

I thank Jenny Young for bringing this important motion to the chamber. There have been important, heartfelt and moving contributions in the debate so far.Abo...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Reform) Reform

I, too, congratulate Jenny Young on bringing the debate to the Parliament. It is one of the first members’ business debates that we have held in this session...

The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Jamie Hepburn) SNP

I begin by doing what all members have done and thank Jenny Young for securing the motion for debate in the Parliament, and I congratulate her on her first m...

Jenny Young Lab

I welcome the member’s comments about the quality of the debate this evening. I put on record my thanks to all members for their very fine contributions, whi...

Jamie Hepburn SNP

I say to Ms Young that I am pretty sure that every debate that I schedule is designed to do that. It is then over to colleagues to deliver on the rest. Howev...