Meeting of the Parliament 18 September 2024
—but we would be able to hear more about it and be able to have a discussion if the Government simply made time to enable us to do so.
I have been very clear in my amendment to the business motion. I am not asking for anything to be removed; I am asking for 30 minutes to be added next week—just half an hour—to hear more about John Swinney’s previous commitment to free school meals and to hear more about the SNP’s previous promise to cap peak rail fares.
I hope that the Minister for Parliamentary Business will listen to the will of Parliament, given that parties across the chamber have come together to vote for these two policies to be enacted, and will give us an opportunity to hear from ministers how they will either obey the will of Parliament or tell us why they cannot and will not. Parents of schoolchildren and travellers across Scotland want to know what the Scottish Government will do after the Opposition parties united to tell it that these two issues are of crucial importance.
We need to hear from a minister and, by approving the amendment that I have lodged today, that can happen next week.
I move amendment S6M-14534.1, to leave out
“2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:
Net Zero and Energy, and Transport”
and insert
“2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Net Zero and Energy, and Transport
followed by Ministerial Statement: Delivering on the Votes of the Parliament on 11 September 2024 to Provide Free School Meals to All Primary School Children in the Current Parliamentary Session and to End Peak Rail Fares”.
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.