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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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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill

Thank you, Presiding Officer, for your kind words. I am disappointed that the Scottish Government rejected my amendments to the bill, and I will continue to push my case. As it stands, the section of the bill that deals with the illegal sharing of intimate images includes onl...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I thank John Finnie for his support for my amendments. I know that the sending of abusive messages is a criminal offence, but the same does not always apply to the sharing of intimate material. My amendments would ensure that the sharing of all types of intimate material with...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Currently, the bill covers only the sharing of photographic images and film. Amendments 3 to 14, in my name, which are supported by Scottish Women’s Aid and others, seek to broaden the definition to include photographic images or film of an intimate situation; sound recordings...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on rural affairs. I will use my time to discuss the CAP payments situation and the plight of dairy farmers. The current situation with CAP payments combined with the spiralling costs of the IT system is nothing short of scandal...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

The aim of these amendments is to expand the disclosure section in the bill. The bill only covers the disclosure of photographs and film. The amendments, which are supported by Scottish Women’s Aid, seek to broaden that to include a photograph or film of an intimate situation,...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I note what the cabinet secretary says, but I will press amendment 70.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I understand that amendment 70 might introduce unintended consequences, but you have to show criminal intent to break the law and be charged with a crime. As the amendment has been written, it will still be in line with the aims of the bill and it should be included. The cabi...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland

The preference is for briefings.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland

There is a preference for the one-to-one briefings.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland

Would you say that there has been a reduction in the number of emails that are sent to officers since the survey was done?

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Police Scotland

My question is on the general issue of communication within the police service. The report on the staff survey came out in September last year. In the survey, issues were raised about internal engagement, including the heavy reliance on cascading information by email and thro...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill

I am particularly pleased to be taking part in the stage 3 debate on the bill because this is the first bill that I have seen through from start to finish since joining the Parliament in 2011. As such, it gave me a great sense of achievement to have my amendments supported tod...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

The third sector plays an invaluable role in delivering vital services in relation to community justice, not only for victims and their families but for those who are convicted of an offence and their families, so I very much welcome the comment that the minister made about th...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Amendment 25A supports the minister’s amendments. Amendment 17 agreed to. Section 15—National performance framework in relation to community justice Amendments 18 to 20 moved—Paul Wheelhouse—and agreed to. After section 18

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I will give some background to amendment 29. In section 1, the reference to “victims of offences and their families” is not the same as a reference to third sector organisations that support victims and their families. It cannot be assumed that a single reference to victims ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Employment Skills and Training (Ayrshire)

The minister will be aware that, in recent months, there have been announcements of job losses that roll into the hundreds across Ayrshire. Around 60 job losses have been announced at Clydeport, 77 at Red Cross house and 212 including agency workers at Mahle in Kilmarnock. Jus...

7. Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Employment Skills and Training (Ayrshire)

To ask the Scottish Government what skills and other training it provides to people in Ayrshire who have been made redundant. (S4O-05520)

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

European Union Priorities

I wonder whether Roddy Campbell can answer a question about the directives on the presumption of innocence and on 16 and 17-year-olds, which, again, are addressed on page 4 of the paper. Where are we with those?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

European Union Priorities

It is on page 4 of paper 3. In his letter, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs says: “Although Scotland cannot access funds from the Justice Programme as the UK has opted out, we are currently laying the ground for potential applications to the Connecting Euro...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

European Union Priorities

My question is about videoconferencing. Can you give us an update on that?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

How does the information get out to those who live in the countryside such as farmers and others in remote areas? Is there an educational issue?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

I also note from last year’s evidence that some farmers were unsure whether to call 101 or 999 if something was happening in their area. Has that issue been overcome?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

Are you saying that the information is not filtering down to all farmers?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

But I would have thought that that information would be available in the forum.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

I was not a member of the committee when it took evidence on this matter last year, but I note that mention was made of the farm watch and rural watch schemes that were set up to alert farmers about criminals operating in their area. How well used are those schemes?

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Agricultural Crime

Good morning. In response to my colleague’s question, you mentioned compensation. Are farmers able to claim insurance for the loss of livestock?

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill is vital legislation that has been introduced to improve how the justice system responds to abusive behaviour, including domestic abuse and sexual harm, following the publication of the “Equally Safe” report. The bill has ...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Succession (Scotland) Bill

I thank Stewart Stevenson for his speech, which as usual was educational. As the minister said, the Succession (Scotland) Bill is mainly technical. As we have heard, it is part of the wider-ranging reforms that are to be made during the next parliamentary session. In effect, ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services

Councils across Scotland are increasingly cash strapped, and further cuts are coming. What assurances can the Scottish Government give me and constituents that no child’s education will suffer due to council cutbacks, and has the Scottish Government been in contact with North ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services

Scottish National Party-held North Ayrshire Council is proposing to cut £500,000 from its education services, and it will be the schools’ front-line staff who will bear the brunt of the axe. A survey that was carried out by the GMB in December found out that 100 per cent of it...

4. Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authority education services. (S4O-05477)

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Amendment 31A seeks to amend amendment 31 by adding a reference to “victims of offences and their families” to ensure that victims and their families are given a higher profile in the bill by explicitly recognising them. As it stands, amendment 31’s proposed new paragraph (1...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I will not push my motion at this time.

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

—to amend our standing orders to allow us to debate that legislative consent motion.

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

—so that members are not only setting out their opposition to the bill, but making sure that it is not imposed on Scottish public services. I hope that we can all work together across this chamber—

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

I am just closing, Presiding Officer. I am delighted that, in my area, North Ayrshire Council last month became the first Scottish National Party-led local authority to make such a commitment after a successful campaign by Labour councillors. We need to see that approach rolle...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

That is not what we are here to discuss and it is not an issue. Removing the ban on the use of agency workers to break strike action—that ban was introduced by a Tory Government, no less, in 1973—is a dangerous precedent that would undermine the rights of all workers. I fear ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

I have just started. Perhaps I will take an intervention later. Let us be clear: this anti-trade union bill is bad for business and bad for workers. The only people who will benefit are bad bosses, while the rest of us suffer. The bill undermines the fundamental right of work...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Trade Union Bill

I express my disappointment that, on the day that the Welsh Assembly is debating a legislative consent motion that will restrict the imposition of the anti-trade union bill on Welsh public services, we in the Scottish Parliament are unable to do similarly as a result of the Pr...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I can stop and start again later.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Amendment 95 seeks to include the meaning of “community justice” by identifying the risk management and public protection elements of community justice that are lacking in the current definition. My amendment seeks to ensure that managing and supporting offenders in relation t...

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Apologies (Scotland) Bill

I, too, congratulate Margaret Mitchell on bringing this bill to Parliament. When I spoke in the stage 1 debate on the bill, I highlighted a number of concerns that I had with the bill. However, during the stage 2 discussions, the bill was amended. Those amendments dealt direc...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

What is happening with the murder investigation now?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

Was it in the view of senior officers in Police Scotland for a considerable time, so it was just a case of relaying it down the ranks?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

One of the main changes made in the legislation is that when you intercept journalistic information, you should get judicial authorisation. From my point of view as a layperson, when I read that part of the legislation it seemed quite clear. I find it hard to understand why an...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

You said that this does not happen every day and then you said that officers deal with these issues every day. What was so different about this particular authorisation?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

Did the officers express concerns at the time that they had been tasked with carrying out these authorisations—that they had been put under pressure?

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)

Good morning. Since you became aware of the breach, have you spoken to any of the officers involved in the authorisation process?

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Common Agricultural Policy Basic Payment

Farmers are suffering from adverse weather conditions and their crop yields will be affected. In answers to previous questions, the cabinet secretary said that he will see what he can do. Will he expand on what the options are, and say whether they include acceleration of CAP ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

I agree with Alison McInnes—we should keep both petitions open.

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Are there any plans to look at the issue in the future or to raise it through the EU?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

There must be education about taking responsibility, as well. We must instil that in our young people. Sometimes, these images end up on social media—Facebook and so on. It is the responsibility of those sites to take down photographs that are inappropriate. However, there is...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Yes. If we want to widen the measures to include text messages, we should take that into account. There is also the issue of sexting—the sending of sexually explicit images or videos—which lots of young people are involved in. There is concern that, if that were included, you...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Technology now allows certain things to be done. For example, a text could be sent, and then a screenshot could be taken of that text, so that it becomes an image. How do we define that, and should it be included in the definition in the bill?

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I welcome the fact that you are going to look at the matter again. Victim Support Scotland and Women’s Aid Scotland have argued that it should not matter what media are used, as the issue is the non-consensual sharing or the threat to share sensitive or intimate material that ...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

We heard from witnesses who gave evidence that the bill’s provisions on the non-consensual sharing or distribution of private, intimate images should be widened and that different kinds of communication should be included, such as text messages and letters. What are your views...

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2016-17

Margaret McDougall Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2016-17

You think that the resources are adequate to carry out that training.

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2016

11 Feb 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

McInnes, Alison LD North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

I will speak to amendments 3, 7, 26 and 27.

As the minister said, amendment 3 will remove a provision that I inserted by amendment at stage 2, which sought to focus attention on first-time offending. The risks of offending are clear and well documented, and I thought that my provision would ensure that services were not deflected from the area.

Nevertheless, and with reluctance, I accept the minister’s arguments on amendment 3, and I recognise that, as he said, there are a number of statutory requirements, in the context of early years, youth, health and housing, to tackle first-time offending. However, I seek the minister’s assurance that there will be clear links between community justice Scotland and other providers.

Amendment 7 will widen the provision of throughcare, which is helpful, although it will remove a reference to “continuity of health care”. I stress to the minister that continuity is important, and although I will agree to amendment 7 I hope that the spirit of what I intended by section 1(2ZA) will be carried forward.

Amendments 26 and 27 will amend the list of general services. When, at stage 2, I proposed the list of services that should be provided, I accepted that the minister might well want to amend the list slightly to make it comprehensive. I am content that he should do so.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is stage 3 consideration of the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have: the bill as...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Amendment 1, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 2 to 9, 26, 27, 10 and 11.

The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs (Paul Wheelhouse) SNP

The amendments in this group refine the meaning of “community justice”. It is clear to me that we need to take a person-centred approach to improving outcome...

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD) LD

I will speak to amendments 3, 7, 26 and 27. As the minister said, amendment 3 will remove a provision that I inserted by amendment at stage 2, which sought ...

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I oppose amendment 3. In the Scottish Government’s 2014 consultation, “Future Model for Community Justice in Scotland”, the definition of “community justice”...

Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab) Lab

I had concerns when I first looked at the Government amendments, but given that Alison McInnes, who brought the amendments to the committee in the first plac...

Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the comments of Alison McInnes and Elaine Murray. I did not hear anything in Margaret Mitchell’s comments about the financial implications of the a...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

In response to Alison McInnes and Elaine Murray, I put on record my acceptance of the need for us to provide assurances to members, and I welcome their agree...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

The question is, that amendment 3 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

There will be a division. As this is the first division, I suspend the meeting for five minutes. 14:15 Meeting suspended. 14:20 On resuming—

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We will now proceed with the division on amendment 3. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Central Scotland) (SNP) Allan, Dr Alasdair (Na ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

The result of the division is: For 99, Against 10, Abstentions 0. Amendment 3 agreed to. Amendments 4 to 7 moved—Paul Wheelhouse—and agreed to. Section 1A...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to the second group of amendments. Amendment 12, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 13 and 22 to 24.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

My amendments 12 and 13 amend section 12A, which sets out what is meant by a third sector body involved in community justice. The amendments add to the defin...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Forgive me, minister. Can I seek a little quiet so that the minister can make his remarks, please?

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. For the purposes of section 12A, community justice services are services that are provided to people covered by the definitio...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to group 3. Amendment 28, in the name of Margaret McDougall, is grouped with amendment 29.

Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I will give some background to amendment 29. In section 1, the reference to “victims of offences and their families” is not the same as a reference to thir...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I welcome the engagement with Margaret McDougall and am grateful to her for lodging her amendments. I hope that they are acceptable to the Parliament. The po...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to group 4. Amendment 14, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 15, 16, 18 and 19.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

My amendment 14 seeks to remove paragraph (c) from section 13(2), which provides that the national strategy in relation to community justice “may contain su...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We come to group 5. Amendment 17, the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 20, 21, 25 and 25A.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Amendments 17, 20 and 21 insert new subsections into sections 13, 15 and 21 respectively, which concern the national strategy, the performance framework and ...

Margaret McDougall Lab

Amendment 25A supports the minister’s amendments. Amendment 17 agreed to. Section 15—National performance framework in relation to community justice Amend...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to group 6. Amendment 30, in the name of Margaret McDougall, is grouped with amendment 31.

Margaret McDougall Lab

The third sector plays an invaluable role in delivering vital services in relation to community justice, not only for victims and their families but for thos...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I am grateful to Margaret McDougall for agreeing at stage 2 to work with me on amendment 30, which is important. I know that third sector bodies and, indeed,...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

We move to group 7. Amendment 32, in the name of Dr Elaine Murray, is the only amendment in the group.

Elaine Murray Lab

At stage 2, I lodged a number of amendments that were proposed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. They included an amendment to section 30 that...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

I thank Dr Murray for agreeing to work with me on amendment 32, which seeks to ensure that, when community justice Scotland and the community justice partner...