Meeting of the Parliament 28 January 2026 [Draft]
It is clear that self-awareness is not a gift that has been bestowed on Russell Findlay when he accuses anyone of grandstanding.
The purpose of the amended business motion is to provide time for a statement by the First Minister to update the Scottish Parliament on the Bella 1. There has been, and there continues to be, significant public interest in the MV Bella 1, which is currently in the Moray Firth, in the wellbeing of the crew and in communications and information sharing between the Scottish and UK Governments.
Over the past few days, there has been considerable activity in relation to the Bella 1, and it is therefore right that time is taken to update Parliament and to set out the timeline of that engagement. The First Minister intends to update Parliament on the position of the crew, on communications with the UK Government and on the legal proceedings that have been heard in the Scottish courts this week—and, of course, to answer questions from members. I anticipate that those questions would engage subjects such as how the Scottish legal system was involved, the fact that the vessel was sitting in Scottish waters and the fact that 26 of the crew were taken ashore in Scotland.
An element of those legal proceedings is still live, which will limit a part of what the First Minister is able to say. However, given the rapid pace of developments, our view is that the Parliament should be updated today. [Interruption.]