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

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

For the purposes of rule 9.11 of standing orders, I advise the Parliament that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place his prerogative and interests, in so far as they are affected by the bill, at...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

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

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes.

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Council Tax Increases 2026-27

Of course, we wanted to scrap the council tax, but we did not get a majority in the Scottish Parliament to do so. To put it bluntly, what we need is to reach some political consensus on what should replace the council tax. At the moment, such a political consensus does not exi...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Council Tax Increases 2026-27

Council tax is a local tax that is set and administered by individual councils, which have had full flexibility in setting their rates for 2026-27. That was a key ask of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.The Scottish Government has been clear on the importance of th...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Child Poverty (Falkirk Council)

I wish Michael Matheson well in the future after his many years in the Parliament, including his time in the Government.The flexibility that Michael Matheson referred to is really important. Along with the additional money that is going to local government, additional flexibil...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Child Poverty (Falkirk Council)

Local government has a key role to play in driving progress on reducing child poverty, including by delivering whole-family support that breaks the cycle of poverty. That is why the 2026-27 Scottish budget provides a further real-terms increase to the local government settleme...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

I think that everyone should welcome the increased investment in primary care. We have provided general practice with a £531 million three-year funding deal to recruit more general practitioners and improve access, and, as Emma Roddick referred to, we have provided £36 million...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

First, I thank Willie Rennie for his kind remarks, although his talking about a couple of decades made me feel rather old.Willie Rennie raises a very important point, and there is clearly a need for us to look at the funding for palliative care, because the Parliament was of o...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

The budget provides record funding for local government and for health. In fact, we have consistently gone beyond the health resource consequentials that we get from the United Kingdom Government and have consistently provided more money to the national health service. The bud...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

I have set out that the budget provides real-terms increases, with £15.7 billion for local government and almost £22.5 billion for health and social care. If there are members in the chamber who think that that is inadequate, they need to tell us by how much and where the mone...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

We want to ensure that local services are retained, and that is of course the responsibility of local partnerships. I am sure that my colleague Neil Gray will be well aware of the issues that Katy Clark has raised.To go back to the point that I made earlier, we have gone beyon...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Partnerships (Budget 2026-27)

I acknowledge the work that the health and social care partnerships have undertaken towards balancing their budgets in the difficult financial context that we collectively face and given the demographic challenges that I alluded to earlier. That is why we are providing record ...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Services in South Scotland (Budget 2026-27)

I certainly recognise the demand and pressures that are on all our public services, particularly given the demographic challenges that we have, which will increase over time. That is why we made the commitment to increase funding to social care by 25 per cent in this session o...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Health and Social Care Services in South Scotland (Budget 2026-27)

The 2026-27 budget provides almost £22.5 billion of investment in health and social care services, which exceeds the consequentials. National health service boards, including those in the south of Scotland, will see an increase in their baseline funding, which will bring total...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Third Sector Rent and Council Tax Arrears Services (Support)

Maggie Chapman will be aware of the joint Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities consultation on the future of local government finance, which has now closed. It will be for members in the next session of Parliament to consider the options. We have al...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Third Sector Rent and Council Tax Arrears Services (Support)

The Scottish Government’s council tax reduction scheme ensures that nobody should have to meet a council tax liability that they cannot afford, and we continue to promote take-up, including through working with Citizens Advice Scotland. Where arrears occur, councils have power...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Roads in Lothian (Local Government Funding)

We have provided record resources to local government, whether in rural areas or urban areas, and it is up to local authorities to determine their priorities. We have struck a number of deals to ensure that the borrowing capacity of local authorities can be used alongside acce...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Roads in Lothian (Local Government Funding)

Many of those joint priorities, whether on tackling child poverty or providing childcare, are important to the people of Scotland. Those are important priorities that local government shares with the Scottish Government.As a consequence of the budget, Scottish local authoritie...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Roads in Lothian (Local Government Funding)

The vast majority of the funding that is available to councils is provided by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their budgets and to allocate the financial resources that are available t...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Demand for Local Authority Services (Budget 2026-27)

Different council tax rates have been set across the 32 local authorities by administrations with different political colours.I acknowledge that there have been rising costs across the whole public sector. They include the rising costs of employer national insurance contributi...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Demand for Local Authority Services (Budget 2026-27)

Presiding Officer, before I answer the question, I hope that you will indulge me just for a moment, as this is my last portfolio question time and my last opportunity to speak in the Parliament. I take this opportunity to thank my Government officials for all their support in ...

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I would have voted no.

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted yes.

Shona Robison SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Fiscal Framework

I agree with John Mason that some of the comparators are very challenging. Given the advantages and fiscal position of London and the south-east, it is very difficult for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or, indeed, English regions to compete with them. Given that the fiscal ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Fiscal Framework

The fiscal framework will always be suboptimal compared with having the full powers of independence.In the meantime, discussions with the United Kingdom Government on the scope of the next review of the framework are under way. That is an opportunity to examine thoroughly the ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP Chamber

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

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

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I do not think so, other than to say that this will be my last appearance. It has been challenging sometimes, but I think that each session with the committee has always been a cause for reflection and thought. I welcome, and have very much appreciated, the committee’s mainly—...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

As for best practice, I absolutely agree. “Once for Scotland” is still very much a mantra in the health service, but it needs to deliver that. There is a bit of what I would call a “Not invented here” view, not just in the health service but in other parts of the public servic...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

First, I want to agree with your point that support staff play a valuable role. We are not saying that they do not—the issue is how those valuable roles will be delivered in the future.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

There is a working definition of front-line staff for the purposes of understanding the shape of corporate costs across the public sector, but there will always be grey areas.The working definition determines that front-line staff are those who, as any part of their role or fo...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I understand the point that the board is making and I am not unsympathetic to it. The difficulty is that we have to, as best we can, align the infrastructure investment pipeline with the capital availability that we know we have. That constrains how long an outlook we can have...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Do you mean the timeframe that the pipeline is operating within?

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I will reflect on that, and I could certainly pass back those comments to the education secretary.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I will certainly take that away and feed back to education colleagues, but there have been a lot of public statements about the prioritisation of the college sector and how much the uplift is in relation to the settlement. Yes—colleges did get a better settlement than universi...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I understand that.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I touched on this in my opening remarks. We have set out that level of detail, given the uncertainties over the spending review period, apart from in the major areas of spend—health, social security and local government. There is probably scope in the future to go further than...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Yes, but there is variation. In some parts, activity is much higher.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

First, with regard to the inputs, we have delivered above and beyond the resource consequentials to health for as many years as I can remember. That is a fact, but your question is about what is delivered for that. Albeit that there was additional money, over the past eight or...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

The funding envelopes, by their very nature, are constrained by the availability of funding. Funding growth is very limited. The funding outlook is the funding outlook, and we are not able to change it, so it is a case of what goes where.I have already referred to the uplift i...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

The spending review was an opportunity to provide a line of sight to the allocation of the resources that we had in front of us at that point. It was to give a sense of the funding outlook, with the caveat that, as everybody across the public sector understands, that outlook i...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

It is the only flexible resource that we have, which says a lot about the fiscal framework. That is why it is so important. We have been able to utilise ScotWind, and I was very clear that I did not want to have to deploy the ScotWind resources that we had for 2027-28, but tha...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I can imagine it but I am not going to be here, so it will be for the next Government to make those decisions.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

As I said earlier, I always reflect on the commentary, whether it is from this committee or external stakeholders, but I also look at the plans that we have set out. I spoke earlier about the health board efficiency plans. The health boards have got a track record of deliverin...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

We will not need to have an emergency budget, regardless of the spring statement changes, because we have set out our plans and the expected efficiency savings. Every cabinet secretary knows the envelopes that they are working within. I am not saying that it is easy. We have a...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Maybe just a small one.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I think that we have made improvements, but improvements can always be built on, and I am sure that there are ways in which we can do that. After every fiscal event, we always reflect on what people—whether external commentators or this committee—have said. Certainly in relati...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

The answer is that there is always more work that can be done to outline why decisions have been made.We have done a lot to outline why the investments that we are making in social security are important in enabling us to meet the statutory targets on child poverty. The child ...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

To be fair, I think that I said that you made a reasonable point, so let me say it again: you make a reasonable point.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

You asked me that in the chamber, and—

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

All Governments could be bolder, but they have to be able to get things through the Parliament. I am afraid to say that, although we could have brought forward 101 bold plans, I am not sure how many of them would have got through the Parliament. I will leave that as a question...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

It is a recognition that, over the next 10 to 20 years, any Government will need to grasp issues relating to the way in which we deliver services and what the landscape should look like. For example, demographic challenges are coming down the line, so our existing structures a...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I think that there is a realisation that carrying on with the structures and landscape that we have is not going to be sustainable or optimal. I do not think that that outlook will be a peculiar to the SNP—I suspect that the manifestos of all the parties will be in that transf...

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

I think that there is an appetite to be bold.

Shona Robison SNP Committee

Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026

You will have to make the asset work for you, so that it saves money elsewhere in the system because services will be delivered in a different way. Those things will have a bearing on decisions that—I hasten to add—have not yet been made.

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]

24 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

Robison, Shona SNP Dundee City East Watch on SPTV

For the purposes of rule 9.11 of standing orders, I advise the Parliament that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place his prerogative and interests, in so far as they are affected by the bill, at the disposal of the Parliament for the purposes of the bill.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-21103, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3.Before we mo...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison) SNP

For the purposes of rule 9.11 of standing orders, I advise the Parliament that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Visitor Levy (Amendmen...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons.15:58

The Minister for Public Finance (Ivan McKee) SNP

I am delighted to begin the final stage of the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill with this debate at stage 3. Although this has been an expedited proc...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Ind

I congratulate the minister at least for introducing the bill, but would it not have been better, rather than having two options, if there was simply one opt...

Ivan McKee SNP

Respectfully, I do not agree with Fergus Ewing’s comments. It was important that all stakeholders, the business community and local authorities were involved...

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

The Scottish Conservatives very much welcome the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which corrects errors and misjudgments arising from the Visitor Le...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

The key issue, though, is that it is up to every local authority to decide whether or not they want to use the legislation, and they have to go through thoro...

Murdo Fraser Con

Sarah Boyack is absolutely right about the practicalities of the legislation. However, the problem—as she will know—is that councils across the country are b...

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Con

To go back to the member’s previous point, other regions in Scotland need to recognise that, in rural communities and local authority areas such as Dumfries ...

Murdo Fraser Con

I agree with that point from my friend Mr Carson—he is absolutely right. As he will have done, I have seen surveys that start by asking people, “How would yo...

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Given that, as the minister says, this is a short technical bill, I will keep my remarks relatively brief, in the hope that any brevity on my part will allow...

Murdo Fraser Con

Does Mr Griffin understand the point that I made a moment ago and that Mr Eagle made last week, which is that City of Edinburgh Council has no incentive to g...

Mark Griffin Lab

I appreciate that that has an impact on those who travel. However, I have faith that councils will take humane decisions. What we are doing today is devolvin...

Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green

This amendment bill is, at its heart, a technical piece of legislation that will make what we put in place through the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 more ...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I commend Tim Eagle, who is having a gossip with Fergus Ewing at the back of the chamber, for resisting the temptation to add lots of bells and whistles to t...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

We move to the open debate.16:25

Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP) SNP

This will be my last speech in Parliament, Deputy Presiding Officer, so I hope that you will indulge me with an extra few words today.Tourism is a key indust...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Ind

I congratulate the minister on having the gumption to do something that does not happen a great deal by introducing the bill with an expedited procedure. I t...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

We move to closing speeches.16:34

Ariane Burgess Green

Before I get to my points about the bill, I will say a few words about some of my colleagues who are speaking in the chamber for the final time. I came to kn...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I hope that it is okay that I borrow a minute from my colleague.In the run-up to the 2016 election, I worked on a member’s bill to introduce a transient visi...

Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

First, I pay tribute to Sarah Boyack, who has just spoken. Her speech contained a long list of the very many initiatives with which she has been associated a...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

I call the minister, Ivan McKee, to wind up on behalf of the Scottish Government.16:50

Ivan McKee SNP

I thank members from across the chamber for their contributions. It is important to identify the points of consensus, because we have secured considerable cr...

Willie Rennie LD

I urge the minister to be just a little bit clearer and more direct to local authorities. We need to have medical exemptions across the board. I know that it...

Ivan McKee SNP

As I have said on the record, with the responsibility that we have delegated to councils comes an obligation on them to take the matter very seriously and re...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

That concludes the debate on the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of busin...