Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Sharon Dowey S6O-02926 1. To ask the Scottish Government what feedback it has received from arts and culture stakeholders following its announcement of the Scottish Budget 2024-25. Graham Simpson S6O-02927 2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its overseas offices. Alasdair Allan S6O-02928 3. To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, whether any of its future publications on independence will cover any constitutional lessons that can be learned from structures used in Parliaments elsewhere that include unelected members. Marie McNair S6O-02929 4. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to further invest in the culture sector. Mercedes Villalba 5. [Not Lodged] Finlay Carson S6O-02931 6. To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the UCI World Cycling Championships in Glasgow in 2023. Douglas Lumsden S6O-02932 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total cost to date of its Building a New Scotland series of papers. Alexander Burnett S6O-02933 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reopening of Historic Environment Scotland sites following the completion of work to make them safe for the public, including when the remaining sites will reopen. Justice and Home Affairs Ariane Burgess S6O-02934 1. To ask the Scottish Government whether GEOAmey, the prisoner escort service provider, has offered any assurances that it will tackle the reported staffing challenges that currently mean that islanders acting as witnesses have to travel to jury trials on the mainland. Oliver Mundell S6O-02935 2. To ask the Scottish Government what protection is available to victims of domestic abuse when harassment and exclusion orders expire. Neil Bibby S6O-02936 3. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposed closure of Paisley, Ferguslie Park, Greenock, Bishopbriggs and Milngavie police stations. Kenneth Gibson 4. [Not Lodged] Colin Smyth S6O-02938 5. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the Scottish Budget 2024-25 will have on police officer numbers in the South Scotland region. Gordon MacDonald S6O-02939 6. To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget for 2024-25 will support Police Scotland. Foysol Choudhury S6O-02940 7. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of 29 police stations across Scotland on antisocial behaviour. Colin Beattie S6O-02941 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it and its partners are taking to tackle retail crime and its potential impact on communities, in light of the reported increase in retail crime caused by the cost of living crisis. followed by Scottish Government Debate: The Impact of UK Government Asylum Policy and Legislation in Scotland Emma Roddick S6M-11803 That the Parliament recognises the impact of UK Government asylum policy and legislation in Scotland, including the effect of the complex asylum system on people who have applied for protection, restrictions on the right to work and limited support available to people awaiting a decision, the increased reliance on contingency asylum accommodation caused by a backlog in Home Office decision-making, risks of maximisation policy and inadequate engagement with Scottish local authorities or public services prior to procurement of contingency accommodation, the streamlined asylum process and limited move-on period allowed once a decision has been made, and consequent impact on both newly-recognised refugees and local authorities, and the restricting of the right to seek asylum in the UK under the Illegal Migration Act 2023; is opposed to the UK Government’s pursuit of plans to relocate people to third countries to have asylum claims considered there; recognises the ruling of the Supreme Court in relation to the safety of Rwanda, and acknowledges the comments of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) between the UK and Rwanda undermines the established international refugee protection system and that the UNHCR does not consider the MEDP to comply with the UK’s obligations under international law; notes the engagement of Scottish local authorities in asylum dispersal, and agrees that the UK Government needs to engage positively with devolved governments, local authorities and public services across asylum matters to reduce negative impacts on people, communities and services. Miles Briggs S6M-11803.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-11803 in the name of Emma Roddick (The Impact of UK Government Asylum Policy and Legislation in Scotland), leave out from “the impact” to end and insert “that the topics of immigration and asylum are reserved to the UK Parliament and that it is therefore not within the competence of the Scottish Parliament to legislate on these issues; further recognises that the UK Government spent £3.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23 to support refugees, that it continues to provide asylum seekers with financial support to cover essential living needs and that it is committed to delivering an asylum system that protects individuals from persecution based on their protected characteristics; agrees that the Scottish Government must engage positively with the UK Government, local authorities and public services across asylum matters to reduce negative impacts on people, communities and services; expresses concern over both the pause of the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme for displaced Ukrainians and the Scottish Government’s inability to renew the £10 million in funding initially granted to local authorities to support resettlement for displaced Ukrainians, and calls on the Scottish Government to declare a housing emergency, given the increase in homelessness applications by 9% and the record number of children placed in temporary accommodation for the fiscal year 2022-23, which is likely to be exacerbated given the recent cuts to the housing budget.” Paul O'Kane S6M-11803.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-11803 in the name of Emma Roddick (The Impact of UK Government Asylum Policy and Legislation in Scotland), insert at end “; acknowledges the pressure placed upon local government budgets after a decade of Scottish Government cuts; calls for fair funding settlements from the Scottish Government for local authorities; notes that Scottish Government commitments to provide safe and secure accommodation for refugees must come with support for local authorities to provide suitable long-term housing, and acknowledges that Scottish Government cuts to affordable housing budgets will negatively affect local authorities' ability to provide adequate accommodation for refugees.” followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-11664 Collette Stevenson: Protecting FCDO Jobs in East Kilbride That the Parliament notes the decision by the UK Government to relocate the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) out of East Kilbride; understands from reports that FCDO officials had been in discussions with the local authority about opening a new site in the town, and that this decision was unexpected; believes that Abercrombie House, in East Kilbride, has been home to a dedicated workforce in the field of international development and foreign affairs for over 40 years and that around 1,000 staff are currently based there; understands that the UK Government estimates that the office’s presence generates approximately £30 million for the local economy; notes the view that the decision to relocate jobs out of East Kilbride will have a negative impact on East Kilbride’s economic recovery; further notes the reported campaign by local staff and trade unions against previous UK Government plans to remove HMRC from East Kilbride, as well as other towns in Scotland; recognises that the UK Government’s Declaration on Government Reform commits to “... relocating jobs and areas of activity across government to places including … East Kilbride”; believes, therefore, that the FCDO announcement goes against the UK Government’s own policies; notes the view that this move is a betrayal of the people of East Kilbride, including FCDO staff living and working in the town, and further notes the calls for the UK Government to scrap its plans immediately and maintain the FCDO’s substantial presence in East Kilbride.