Hansard

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Scottish Information Commissioner (Government Handling of Information)

The Scottish Information Commissioner has lost trust in the Government. He has called its excuses “preposterous and unacceptable”. Any other Government would be utterly ashamed, but this lot are brazen and think that they can get away with it. Does the minister understand that...

5. Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Scottish Information Commissioner (Government Handling of Information)

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by the Scottish Information Commissioner who stated, in relation to the Government’s handling of information concerning the Salmond files, “I can no longer trust the government to handle this information unsupervi...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

24 Mar 2026

Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I rise to make my final speech in the chamber. I chose to speak in this debate, on this subject, for a number of reasons. First, the member in charge proved to be a very conscientious and determined member in getting the bill through. I was reminded that he is the only member ...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

24 Mar 2026

Sport and Activity as a Force for Good

I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a match official and officiate matches for the Scottish Football Association.I, too, congratulate Brian Whittle on securing the debate and on his excellent opening speech. Brian and I entered Parliament t...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

19 Mar 2026

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time · Parliamentary Business (Scheduling)

I was banned by the Parliament from using the words “chaotic” and “avoidable” in my lodged question, but I can and will use them in my supplementary question, because the past few weeks have been chaotic and the situation has been entirely avoidable. I understand that that has...

2. Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

19 Mar 2026

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time · Parliamentary Business (Scheduling)

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will initiate a review of how the scheduling of parliamentary business during the current session has impacted on parliamentary resources, particularly in light of the large volume of stage 3 proceedings in the final ...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

19 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Operation Branchform

I am confused by that answer from the Lord Advocate, because she claims that the communication was synchronised, but we know definitively that she briefed John Swinney before the suspects were told that no charges would be continued.Does the Lord Advocate understand the concer...

6. Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

19 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Operation Branchform

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Lord Advocate briefed the First Minister that suspects arrested on alleged embezzlement charges as part of operation branchform were not being charged, before the individuals themselves had been notified. (S6O-05669)

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

That is useful context to add at the end of what has been a very useful meeting. Thank you for that.This will be the final meeting of the Education, Children and Young People Committee in this session of Parliament, so I will take a moment to thank a number of individuals who ...

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Of course.

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Thank you very much. That concludes the questions from committee members. I thank you both very much for attending today. As I said in my opening questions, I think that what you are doing is inspirational and outstanding. I hope that your appearance at committee today has amp...

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Thank you very much.I call John Mason.

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Thank you. We go to Paul O’Kane.11:15

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

In response to some of the evidence that we have heard, I bring in Jackie Dunbar.

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Good.

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Did the council take on that feedback? Does it understand that you did not accept crucial funding because of the barriers that it put in place, and has anything changed as a result?

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Can I just check—when was that? Was that recent?

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

That gives us a good start and takes us in the direction that a lot of fellow committee members’ questions will follow.

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Please do not apologise. It is very inspiring to hear what you both are speaking about. My next question is on what you are doing in your localities. What is the picture across Scotland? Where you do not have bases, are similar clubs doing similar things to a greater or lesser...

The Convener Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

That is excellent. That is the type of information that we want, so we are grateful for that evidence. Ms McCulloch, we come to you.

The Convener (Douglas Ross) Con Committee

18 Mar 2026

Community Sporting Initiatives for Children and Young People

Good morning, and welcome to the 11th meeting of the Education, Children and Young People Committee in 2026. This morning, we will be taking evidence on community sporting initiatives for children and young people. As the discussion will focus on—although not exclusively cover...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

17 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

I understand that members will still be in doubt at this late stage, despite all the debate that we have had, because this is such a difficult decision. However, as Humza Yousaf said in what I thought was an excellent speech, if just one person ends their life as a result of c...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

17 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

Like others, I recognise the incredible work that Liam McArthur has put into the bill in the last week, the last month and this entire parliamentary session. When I heard that an assisted dying bill was being introduced for a third time, before I knew the make-up of the Parlia...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

13 Mar 2026

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

I will be supporting Jackie Baillie’s amendments, but I believe that my amendment 256 is a perfectly acceptable one. I listened to the cabinet secretary’s concerns relating to IJBs, but I do not share them. We have come to different conclusions on the issue. Members will have ...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

13 Mar 2026

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

This debate has been helpful. I will start with the areas of agreement. I absolutely agree with Liam McArthur that those in favour of the bill and those against it can unite on the need for improved palliative care. It is quite disappointing that it has taken such a bill to ge...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

13 Mar 2026

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

I want to come back to Liam McArthur’s opposition to my amendment 256. Does he accept the constructive criticism from the Government, in its letter to the lead committee, about the deficiencies in the financial memorandum? Although the Government accepts that it is a difficult...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

13 Mar 2026

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

I am pleased to speak to the amendments in my name, and I am grateful to Stephen Kerr for covering for me yesterday.Amendment 256 seeks to preserve palliative and end-of-life care by ensuring that statutory and charitable funding that is intended for such care is not rerouted ...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

12 Mar 2026

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

I am grateful, Presiding Officer. I confirm to Christine Grahame that I am following proceedings and voting from home. I travelled for three and a half hours today to spend a small amount of time with my son, who turned seven today and hoped to see his father on his birthday. ...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

12 Mar 2026

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

Made a request to intervene.

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

12 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Colleges (Borrowing Powers)

The college sector in Scotland urgently needs those greater flexibilities to upgrade the estate and secure long-term financial sustainability. Since the Office for National Statistics classification following the regionalisation process, Scotland’s colleges have been unable to...

1. Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

12 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Colleges (Borrowing Powers)

I apologise for having to leave immediately after question 1, and I am grateful to the Presiding Officer for accepting my request to do so.

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The minister has spoken of bad behaviour and antisocial behaviour, but there is nothing worse than taking the life of a bus driver in the circumstances in which Keith Rollinson’s life was taken. How does the minister defend his Government’s decision to include this proposal in...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

Keith Rollinson was a constituent of mine. I attended his funeral at Elgin town hall. I have listened as his wife, Sue, and his family have expressed their deep concern and, frankly, disgust that the killer of their relative could soon be released from prison—well, I cannot ev...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Business Motions

I do not have the business bulletin in front of me, but my understanding is that that was to take place after we reached the 10 o’clock deadline for decision time; that is, that we should start those SSIs at 10 o’clock.We have taken up a large amount of that time discussing th...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Business Motions

I understand and respect the points made by Jeremy Balfour and others. I want to make a few points myself.First, in some of the interventions on Mr Balfour, members said that there is no alternative. There may be no alternative now, but there was a big alternative. Liam McArth...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I wish simply to reiterate that point with another example. Daniel Johnson recently had a member’s bill pass through the Education, Children and Young People Committee. It was a member’s bill, so it was not Jenny Gilruth’s bill, and she had no amendments to it, which is the ex...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

That is what we are doing, but I do not think that we should try to stop debate on those issues.If some members are clear in their minds that everything is fine, I respect that and accept that they are entitled to hold that position. However, if I, as an individual, having lis...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I am grateful. I will not go too far into what Kevin Stewart was saying, but he said that “Mr Ross” was raising the issues in question. In fact, Mr Whittle started it, and he was followed by the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, the Presiding Officer and the member in...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

That is a fair point from Miles Briggs, but it is actually not the point that I am making. That is Miles Briggs’s point, and it has been echoed by Brian Whittle.I want to go back to the earlier point made in the debate, to which I still have not got a response. The Government ...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I am trying to take members’ interventions in order, but Mr Briggs wished to intervene on this point, so I will give way to him.

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I understand that the committee convener is very clear about what happened at her committee—indeed, I sat through some of those proceedings—but the person who started this debate is also a member of that committee and was raising these legitimate concerns, which is why I think...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

First of all, I have been outraged in the chamber many times, and I do not think that my current demeanour is similar to how I was when I was outraged.Dr Allan is suggesting that people at home will be questioning what the last half hour has been about. It is not just people a...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I am sorry, but I am shocked at that. I am shocked that it has come from a parliamentarian who has been here for some time and has served, like me, in both Parliaments—and I am perhaps more shocked that the comment was applauded by some other members.We should at no point with...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I will give way in a moment. There are other members’ interventions that I would like to take first.There is now a conflict between what the First Minister stood up and said, what our Presiding Officer has told us as the guardian of this Parliament, and the points that were ma...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I will give way in a moment, because Mr Mason wants to come in first.Just a few moments ago, the Government made it very clear that it does not think that the bill is competent, but the Presiding Officer said that it was competent, which is why it has reached stage 3.If one of...

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

I will give way to John Mason in a moment.The Presiding Officer has ruled that the bill was competent at stage 1, and SNP members now say that that is right and to get on with it.

Douglas Ross Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

Before I get to my amendment 211, I want to speak to other amendments in the group in order to bring myself up to speed on where we have reached in the past 10 or 15 minutes.We have now debated the bill for 10 hours and 38 minutes at stage 3, and there is a conflict between wh...

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con Chamber

11 Mar 2026

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

Amendment 154, in my name, seeks to strengthen the assessment process by ensuring that registered medical practitioners must fully discuss the range of palliative care options with anyone who is making a declaration. That would include“symptom management, pain relief, psycholo...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

I accept what you say, but I take a different view on the accessibility of that information and the multiple opportunities that you and your colleagues have had to present it. There are serious questions as to why it was not provided at any point. Based on that evidence, the c...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

But you were in post when you came to the committee.

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

Can you provide that guarantee?

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

This is the clearest evidence that I have seen throughout my time considering the issue that what I was concerned about and what pupils, parents and teachers were concerned about is exactly what happened. The 2024 exam for higher history was more difficult than those in previo...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

But the data says that the review was wrong. The review put the blame on students and teachers when your data, which you have held for months and years, shows that 2024’s exam was far more difficult. It is not me saying it; it is your own data. Indeed, Qualifications Scotland ...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

That is what the data shows.

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

Do you accept that the data shows that the higher history exam of 2024 was more difficult than those of previous years and last year’s exam?

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

I know that because I have the response from a Qualifications Scotland spokesperson to the journalist. I ask again: why has that never been offered to the committee when we have asked multiple questions through multiple evidence sessions? In the summer, you provided me with a ...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

I do not want to necessarily go through it. I now know what national ratings data is because, during this meeting, I have been alerted to it by a journalist. My question is: why has that never been mentioned by anyone representing Qualifications Scotland or the SQA when we, as...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

That almost concludes our session, but I want to come back to the questions that I started with to Ms Stewart on higher history in 2024 and the review by the then SQA. At no point when I asked those questions, at no point when you provided me with an individual briefing with t...

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

Yes—Professor Hayward would like to come in at this point.

The Convener Con Committee

11 Mar 2026

School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)

Professor Hayward, you can address any of Mr Kidd’s questions as well as Ms Dunbar’s questions.