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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.

Hanzala Malik Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · “Establishing a Stronger Summer Safety Net: Promoting how we can raise retention in post 16 education”

Although summer support is an ambition for students, recent figures released by the Scottish funding council have revealed a £2.4 million shortfall in the term-time bursary funds available for college students. What is the cabinet secretary doing to address that shortfall in s...

4. Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · “Establishing a Stronger Summer Safety Net: Promoting how we can raise retention in post 16 education”

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Students Association of the University of the West of Scotland’s report, “Establishing a Stronger Summer Safety Net: Promoting how we can raise retention in post 16 education”. (S4O-05659)

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Electric Car Rapid Charge Points

I thank Dave Thompson for bringing the debate to the chamber. The expansion of electric vehicle charging networks across the UK in recent years is a welcome contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. The more convenient and cost effective it is for people to have electric or hyb...

Hanzala Malik Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Aye Write! Festival

Glasgow City Council is very proud to hold the Aye Write! book festival as it has done for the past 11 years. It has been observed that the festival has a low level of participation by people from ethnic minority communities—as participants and contributors. I know of several...

7. Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Aye Write! Festival

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs will be attending any events in the Aye Write! festival in Glasgow. (S4O-05632)

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Priorities)

I feel reassured. Thank you so much for that.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Priorities)

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Priorities)

Good morning and welcome to sunny Scotland. You have been candid about TTIP—how it is progressing, what we can and cannot say and what we can and cannot do. In Scotland in particular, the biggest concern is our national health service. We are very protective of it and we want...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

It is not unreasonable for the petitioner to ask for a review. There has been a lot of misunderstanding of the legislation, and a lot of constituents have said to me that the bill is not having the effect that it was supposed to—or was designed to—have. The fact that people ar...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Dr Kohli made a very gallant case for why the decision was made, but I failed to grasp why it was made when all the witnesses agreed that the patients were happy with the service that they received. To me, that overturns any other consideration. Health boards are there to prov...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Caring in Craigmillar

Good evening, Presiding Officer. I congratulate Kenny MacAskill on securing this debate about Caring in Craigmillar. Kezia Dugdale MSP sends her apologies for not being able to join us and wishes the organisation the very best. She recognises the good work that it does. I join...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Social Security

It is an honour to speak on social security in Scotland. The new powers that the Scottish Parliament now has present a huge opportunity for us to build a fairer Scotland. A new list of historic decisions will be made for the people of Scotland. However, the complexity of ben...

Hanzala Malik Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Local Government Finance Settlement

The Scottish Government has added to the Tory cuts and has squeezed local councils further. Glasgow City Council is facing a real-terms cut of £64 million. I have already had several elderly minority ethnic constituents and minority ethnic organisations raise concerns about th...

3. Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Local Government Finance Settlement

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the reduction in the local government budget settlement could impact on the economy and inequality. (S4O-05536)

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I, too, am very disappointed. There are countries that some would argue do not even have a navy but that still have their own flag, and yet that is not the case in Scotland. Shipping and boating people—particularly those who do it as a hobby—who would be proud to fly their own...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

If you send me all the details, I will do that. Thank you.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Could I suggest that we add a small paragraph to the letter that we write to the petitioner to say that, if he wishes to engage with the armed forces to find out whether they are willing to engage with the Government to take forward his case, that might be an avenue and a diff...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

As a compromise, could I suggest that we write to the petitioner to say that he might want to engage with the armed forces to see whether—

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I do not see what damage it would do if we took one final opportunity to write to the Government to find out whether it would be prepared to speak to the armed forces to establish whether they would be willing to come on board and engage with it to take forward the proposal. I...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I take on board what very experienced members are saying, but I feel quite strongly about the issue. I suggest that the Government might want to speak to the armed forces to see whether their charities want to engage with it to take the petition forward. I think that there is ...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

At the moment, yes.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

No, convener. I am asking for something totally different. I want the Government to ask the transport providers to provide a service free of charge. I am not asking the Government to make a payment.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Convener, we tend to underestimate the sacrifices that our armed forces make around the world, and we are demanding more and more.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I am quite happy to die in a ditch.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I am not asking for that at all. I am asking the Government to ask the transport providers to consider it. I do not think that that option has been considered. Many off-peak buses are half empty. There is no harm in asking the companies to consider adopting the policy, and I w...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

With all due respect, I do not think that we have specifically asked the Government to consider the angle that I have raised. I think that it is worth giving it another shot to see whether the Government takes up that opportunity. If it says no, that is fine, but the fact rema...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

We do not know what it has considered.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I wish to support the petition on the ground that it is an important one. We recognise the physical and mental contribution that armed forces personnel make to this country. It is a good petition. However, I am not sure how far we can take it at this point. The Government mig...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

With all respect, we have done a lot. We have gone out of our way with this petition. I recall supporting it on at least two occasions when I thought that it would be the last time that it came before us. The matter seems to be dragging on without our achieving anything other ...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I think that I have made my point, convener.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Assessing whether the decisions that were made were wise, whether the patients benefited from the service and whether the service represented value for money is possible only if we have figures to substantiate what is being said about the end result of the delivery of the serv...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

A fuller assessment of the failure or success of a change to any service would determine whether the patient was benefiting from the steps that the authority has taken. In the absence of that, it is difficult to assess whether what the board decided was prudent from the point ...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Dr Kohli, I do not want you to think that I am targeting you, because I am not doing so. Your responses have been clear and I respect the board’s decision in the context of it having to deal with a lot of other issues. I am not looking for Catriona Renfrew to get business from...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

For how many patients there are, how many benefit from the service, how much information is available to GPs and whether the service is being delivered successfully. At the end of the day, this has to be measured. Everything must be measurable. If it is not measurable, we cann...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I am happy to do that in a bid to help. I have already indicated that we do not have Scottish figures.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

Shall I respond to that, convener?

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I accept what you say and I am sure that you will try to ensure that the guidelines are fit for purpose, but I have been pressing you on the matter—I will stop after this, which is my third attempt. I am looking for some sort of timeframe for when you hope to achieve that beca...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

You are stepping around the issue and you are still not giving me a clear guide on how you are focusing on it. How will we assess the success of the advertising campaign? Surely you will be looking for facts and figures on that. What are the timescales in which you are looking...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

Continued Petitions

I accept what the minister said about the figures in the survey report being UK based, which means that the true picture in Scotland is not clear. Perhaps she will consider doing a report of her own to determine the figures in Scotland. Making doctors aware is important. I am...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

You referred to the armed forces and what happens in that regard. Do you have an opinion from the point of view of European human rights or so-called British human rights about the clandestine flights from Scotland carrying passengers to countries where we know that their huma...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

I am the deputy convener.

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

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

It is with interest that I speak about the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill, which aims to bring Scottish law up to date with changes in society’s view of domestic abuse and with technological changes, to reflect our improved understanding of the issues. Memb...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

That might be helpful.

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

I get the feeling that there is a strong suggestion of a fait accompli. Is that factual? Were others consulted? We need to clarify whether it is a fait accompli in the sense that the Government did not consult anybody or consulted a limited range of people. Perhaps we should e...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

“Brussels Bulletin”

Okay. Thank you.

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

“Brussels Bulletin”

I go back to Jamie McGrigor’s comments on the bulletin. We had an officer who physically spent days in Brussels and was able to dig into a lot of stuff that is perhaps missing now. I recall that, some time back, a conversation took place on revisiting the matter to see whether...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

European Union Reform and Referendum

Thank you. That is a good example. Butter from Ireland is still cheap, by the way. I have another point. At the moment, Norway and Sweden in particular seem to be under the impression that there is not an issue with minority communities entering their part of the world. I wan...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

European Union Reform and Referendum

I have two points. First, I am interested in the Irish viewpoint on your independence and interests. You seem to have a very strong opinion that you are more independent than you were before you joined the European Union. Can you give me an example of that?

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Immigration Bill

I thank Christian Allard for bringing the matter to the chamber. The UK Government’s Immigration Bill is problematic on many levels. The right to rent scheme requires landlords to check immigration status documents. In addition, the bill gives landlords powers to evict a tenan...

Hanzala Malik Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Winter Resilience Plans (Transport Services)

The ScotRail alliance announced on Monday that Lamington viaduct will be closed for at least one month longer than was initially expected, due to the discovery of more damage and high water levels hindering repairs. Does the minister agree that winter resilience plans, which h...

3. Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Winter Resilience Plans (Transport Services)

To ask the Scottish Government how it will revise its winter resilience plans for transport services in light of the disruption to west coast main line services from storm damage. (S4O-05266)

Hanzala Malik Lab Chamber

Public Petitions Process Review

I want to run something past Mr Torrance, because he has more experience than I have. What about the petitioners who have been unsuccessful? Is there room for their petitions to go through either members’ business or perhaps even through parliamentary motions? That might help ...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Public Petitions Process Review

It is a pleasure to speak on the review of the public petitions process in the Scottish Parliament. The public petitions system and the Public Petitions Committee are an important element in engaging with the people we serve, to try to shape what the Parliament does for them. ...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

It is an honour to speak in the debate on the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill. There is widespread agreement in the chamber and outside it that Scotland’s universities punch above their weight. They make a major contribution to our economy directly and indirectly, ...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

I mentioned minority views earlier. Minority views are not balanced on numbers; they are balanced on principles and on rights—on human rights and on legacy rights. Therefore having a review is important, as well as giving the Justice Committee an opportunity to review the act....

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

Thank you for your evidence. You have been put in a difficult position once or twice, but that is sometimes part of life for a minority, I suppose. A number of people have mentioned percentages, but they mean nothing to a minority, for whom they can be different from the run o...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

I know that we are talking about figures and costs, but I do not think that those are relevant or what the committee should be worrying about. If we carried out more tests, the costs would reduce anyway. The more important issue is that we need to pick up people who are vulner...

Hanzala Malik Lab Committee

I do not know what the NHS’s position would be on the matter aside from the fact that there is a financial implication, although I tend to agree that it would be a very small price to pay to make such a huge difference to people’s lives and their quality of life.

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab Committee

Thank you for your evidence. The suffering that you and your family have gone through has touched my heart. I just want to make sure that I have picked up correctly the point that you are trying to make. You would like the test to be done automatically, simply because staff me...

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Committee

European and External Relations Committee 03 March 2016

03 Mar 2016 · S4 · European and External Relations Committee

Item of business

Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Priorities)

Simon Smits (Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom) Watch on SPTV

You can say that again.

In the same item of business

The Convener SNP

Item 2 is our first evidence session, which is on the Netherlands presidency of the European Union. What an exciting time this is to be in the presidency, sir.

Simon Smits (Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom)

You can say that again.

The Convener SNP

I welcome both our witnesses: Simon J H Smits, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Court of St James—th...

Simon Smits

Wonderful—thank you for having me. I will set out some of our principles and ideas for the coming months, and I will be most happy to take your questions. A...

The Convener SNP

Thank you. We will go to questions.

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) SNP

Good morning, Ambassador Smits. Your presentation described one of your key priorities as connecting and reconnecting with ordinary people in the European Un...

Simon Smits

I will be glad to. By the way, we are only one third of the way through the presidency, not halfway—I wish that we were halfway. To be serious, this is also...

Willie Coffey SNP

You mentioned the new digital age that we are in. Social media can play a big part in reaching out to and communicating with ordinary people throughout the U...

Simon Smits

Social media play a critical role in getting information across and creating a dialogue, although I am not saying that the spread is always 100 per cent. The...

Willie Coffey SNP

I ask everyone who comes to our committee these kinds of questions. At the end of your presidency, what can we expect to see that will be different and will ...

Simon Smits

It is difficult to predict anything, but I can tell you what my hopes are and what my Government’s input is. We will see better regulation. That means that, ...

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

Your excellency, how did the Netherlands presidency contribute to the agreement of the reform package that has been negotiated ahead of the UK referendum? Ma...

Simon Smits

You may have my personal view, but I think that it is more important to have my Government’s view, because I am only the messenger. The negotiations on the ...

Jamie McGrigor Con

Will the changes for competitiveness help the small to medium-sized enterprises that you spoke of?

Simon Smits

Yes. I gave the example of there being fewer reporting requirements. To go back to what I said about issues that relate to better regulation, there is a lot ...

Jamie McGrigor Con

That is very true. Convener, do I have time for another question?

The Convener SNP

Jamie McGrigor Con

One of the presidency’s key priorities is to promote sustainable growth, innovation and jobs, which goes back to elements of the Europe 2020 strategy. How is...

Simon Smits

We recently organised a competitiveness council meeting under the leadership of the Netherlands minister for economic affairs. Growth, jobs, the digital age ...

Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Good morning, panel. Your excellency, I will take you back to the refugee crisis, which you mentioned in your opening statement. The competence for addressi...

Simon Smits

As I said, that is the subject that is closest to the hearts and minds of the Dutch Government at present, as we see what is happening at the borders. A num...

Anne McTaggart Lab

Just to home in on your point about tackling the root causes, what kind of work has been done so far? What work is projected to come your way to make the sit...

Simon Smits

It is very difficult from my perspective to say exactly what has been done. I know that my Government—the foreign minister and the Prime Minister—are extreme...

Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP

I want to follow up on the refugee crisis. You are obviously trying to act to ensure a unified response to the crisis from European member states, but we see...

Simon Smits

Your question relates exactly to the point that I made earlier. The only way to tackle the crisis is by working together. As our Prime Minister said the day ...

Adam Ingram SNP

Have you made any progress in trying to broker an agreement between those countries that are particularly affected by the migrant crisis? People are travelli...

Simon Smits

I will give you a concrete example. Next week, we will hold a special European Council meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Davutoglu, which was previ...

Adam Ingram SNP

It is clear that there are different approaches in different countries. For example, the UK does not wish to take any of the influx of people who have come i...

Simon Smits

All solutions are possible, but let us not forget that there are already agreements in place—including with Turkey and the surrounding countries—that need to...

The Convener SNP

Your excellency, you mentioned next week’s special European Council meeting with Turkey, which is very welcome. I know that Turkey has a dual role. It has a ...