Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Rural Affairs and Islands Fiona Hyslop S6O-01804 1. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scottish agriculture, what its most recent assessment is of the UK–New Zealand free trade agreement. Brian Whittle S6O-01805 2. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to how its Blue Economy Vision for Scotland can support developing industries within the blue economy in the drive to net zero. Sandesh Gulhane S6O-01806 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on avian flu, including any measures it is taking to tackle its spread. Tess White 4. [Withdrawn] Graeme Dey S6O-01808 5. To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government regarding the reported impact on farmers in Scotland whose livestock may be exposed to animal diseases as a result of delays to the introduction of post-Brexit border controls for checking meat and other products entering the country. Daniel Johnson S6O-01809 6. To ask the Scottish Government what it will be doing in the coming year to help farmers mitigate any impacts of rising costs in the sector. Michael Marra S6O-01810 7. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to curb the recently reported outbreak of squirrelpox. Annabelle Ewing S6O-01811 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the aquaculture regulatory framework. Health and Social Care Evelyn Tweed S6O-01812 1. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the avoidable harms associated with drugs and alcohol. Carol Mochan S6O-01813 2. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some women have been denied transvaginal ultrasounds on the basis of not yet being sexually active. Rona Mackay S6O-01814 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of hospice beds available in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Christine Grahame S6O-01815 4. To ask the Scottish Government when it last spoke to NHS Lothian and NHS Borders. Jackie Baillie S6O-01816 5. To ask the Scottish Government when non-urgent elective operations will resume in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Collette Stevenson S6O-01817 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scotland's trainee doctor workforce. Beatrice Wishart S6O-01818 7. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with NHS Shetland to address waiting times for NHS dentistry and orthodontic treatment. Richard Leonard S6O-01819 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Leave no one behind , from The Health Foundation. followed by Urgent Question Russell Findlay To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Prison Service’s Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment Policy Review. followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Homeless Emergency Miles Briggs S6M-07613 That the Parliament recognises the large number of homeless people in Scotland, people in temporary accommodation and people on social housing waiting lists; expresses particular concern at the number of vulnerable people in these categories, such as veterans, children and disabled people, and calls on the Scottish Government to declare a homeless emergency and to prioritise finding suitable accommodation for people in need. Shona Robison S6M-07613.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-07613 in the name of Miles Briggs (Homeless Emergency), leave out from “expresses” to end and insert “shares concern at all people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, which is why tackling homelessness is a national priority through the joint Scottish Government/COSLA Ending Homelessness Together action plan; acknowledges that a Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group, co-chaired by Shelter Scotland and the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers, has been established with the aim of reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation; notes that the Scottish Government has delivered 115,558 affordable homes since 2007, of which, over 81,300 were for social rent, including 20,520 council homes; notes the Scottish Government’s intention to legislate on both homelessness prevention and the right to housing in this parliamentary session; regrets that the UK Government’s mismanagement of the economy has caused increased inflation and significant rises in energy and basic day-to-day living costs, which has led to a cost of living crisis affecting most households that has a disproportionate impact on those on the lowest incomes, and calls on the UK Government to use all the powers at its disposal to tackle the cost of living crisis on the scale required, remove the so-called bedroom tax and benefit cap, increase the Local Housing Allowance, which, as of 2023-24, has been frozen for the third year, and change the no recourse to public funds rules to allow all people, regardless of their nationality, to access homelessness support.” Mark Griffin S6M-07613.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-07613 in the name of Miles Briggs (Homeless Emergency), insert at end "; notes that the continued lack of sufficient funds for local authorities granted by the Scottish Government is having a direct effect on the ability of councils to meaningfully tackle the housing emergency in Scotland; urges the Scottish Government to designate a single housing minister with overall and direct responsibility for tackling Scotland’s housing emergency and addressing the housing needs of people in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to use all the policy levers at its disposal to tackle this crisis, including reversing the delay to its proposed Housing Bill, urgently extending and revamping the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme, and making changes to its affordable housing supply programme grant rules to facilitate the purchases of properties with tenants in-situ to expand stock and prevent further homelessness." followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Delivering the Homes Scotland Needs Miles Briggs S6M-07614 That the Parliament believes that building new homes is the best way to address the housing crisis; expresses disappointment that the Scottish Government missed its housebuilding target deadline by a year; is dismayed by the cuts to the housing budget in the Scottish Government’s proposed Budget 2023-24 and that residents in Scotland will be forced to pay higher property taxes than in the rest of the UK; believes that restrictions on rent and evictions reduce investment in housing markets; recognises that Scotland is currently experiencing a housing crisis, and calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise the delivery of new homes, particularly for the social rent sector and in rural and remote areas. followed by Scottish Government Debate: Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill - UK Legislation Màiri McAllan S6M-07615 That the Parliament notes the legislative consent memorandum lodged by the Scottish Government on 12 December 2022; agrees not to give consent to the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, and calls on the UK Government to amend the Bill to restrict the geographical application of clause 42, or to otherwise make it a requirement for it to seek the consent of the Scottish Ministers when making provision within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, in order to properly respect devolved responsibilities. followed by Legislative Consent Motion: Public Order Bill - UK Legislation Keith Brown S6M-07617 That the Parliament agrees that the relevant amendments of the Public Order Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 9 November 2022, relating to the extension of existing powers at Part II of the Public Order Act 1986 to the British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland for policing public processions and assemblies on the railway, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, should be considered by the UK Parliament. followed by Legislative Consent Motion: UK Infrastructure Bank Bill - UK Legislation John Swinney S6M-07616 That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the UK Infrastructure Bank Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 11 May 2022 and subsequently amended, relating to the investment activities of the UK Infrastructure Bank in Scotland so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive function of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-07412 Meghan Gallacher: Future of Childcare That the Parliament notes what it considers the serious concerns reportedly raised by stakeholders in the Central Scotland region and throughout the country regarding the roll-out of the 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare programme; understands that the issues raised by nursery owners in the private, voluntary and independent sector relate to the fairness of the 1,140 hours roll-out and their ability to run a successful business while providing first-class childcare; notes the reported comments by the National Day Nurseries Association that what it considers the emerging “crisis” in the early learning and childcare sector is attributed to the growth of the local authority sector and the COVID-19 pandemic; believes that the Scottish Government has failed to address embedded issues such as staffing, childminders leaving the profession and private nursery pay, which have led to this reported crisis; considers that the Scottish Government has a responsibility to ensure that this programme is a success, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government to address these issues as a matter of urgency to secure the future of the 1,140 hours programme, in order to give children the best possible start in life.