Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business Maurice Golden S6O-04442 1. To ask the Scottish Government how it is maximising the impact of its International Development Fund in its partner countries, including any of those affected by high levels of indebtedness. Rachael Hamilton S6O-04443 2. To ask the Scottish Government what steps Historic Environment Scotland is taking to ensure that women have access to a safe working environment. Pam Duncan-Glancy S6O-04444 3. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support cultural activities for children and young people in Glasgow. Kenneth Gibson 4. [Withdrawn] Stephen Kerr 5. [Not Lodged] Stuart McMillan S6O-04447 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding re-joining the European Single Market. Sue Webber S6O-04448 7. To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the heritage sector to conserve historic sites. Ash Regan S6O-04449 8. To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out in 2024-25 to further the case for Scottish independence. Justice and Home Affairs Oliver Mundell S6O-04450 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health of police officers and ensure that they have access to the appropriate specialist services. Annie Wells S6O-04451 2. To ask the Scottish Government what community safety measures it plans to prevent antisocial behaviour, including improper needle disposal, in the area surrounding the Thistle drug consumption facility. Finlay Carson S6O-04452 3. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle rural crime. Douglas Ross S6O-04453 4. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on victims of crime in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the time taken to determine applications made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Brian Whittle S6O-04454 5. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is sufficiently resourced to provide appropriate planning guidance or able to respond to planning consultations when required. Patrick Harvie S6O-04455 6. To ask the Scottish Government how the criminal justice system applies its public health approach to reducing the harm caused by drug use. Willie Rennie S6O-04456 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Maggie Chapman S6O-04457 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported claims that policing of pro-Palestinian rallies and demonstrations has been disproportionate and heavy-handed. followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Reforming Scotland’s West Coast Ferries Claire Baker S6M-16845 That the Parliament deplores the continuing economic and social damage inflicted on Clyde and Hebrides communities through the Scottish Government's failure to provide adequate ferry services; calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider its decision to impose a 10 % increase in fares on Scottish Government funded ferry services, contrary to the recommendations of the delivery companies; is concerned that no Scottish yard has been selected to deliver any of the ferries in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme; believes that the governance structure for west coast ferry services has failed, and calls for the award of a new Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract to be accompanied by a fundamental reform of governance, which puts island communities and workers at the heart of decision making and accountability. Fiona Hyslop S6M-16845.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-16845 in the name of Claire Baker (Reforming Scotland’s West Coast Ferries), leave out from “deplores” to end and insert “recognises the challenges that have faced a number of island communities with ferry service disruptions but notes that CalMac crews delivered 95.8% of services in the last recorded contract year; welcomes the provision of over £530 million in 2025-26 for maintaining and improving ferry services, replacing vessels, upgrading ports and harbours, and investing further in low-carbon inter-island ferries, with at least £21 million to progress phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme; acknowledges that the delivery of six new large vessels, providing fleet resilience, and the procurement of seven new small vessels, which is currently in the 10-day 'standstill period', and the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles, will provide 37% of the total fleet with new vessels, helping to reduce emissions and create more sustainability, resilience and reliability for residents, businesses and communities; notes that public engagement is being undertaken in Orkney and Shetland to inform the procurement of two new freight vessels for the Northern Isles services; acknowledges the work underway to make a direct award for the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, and the roundtable with all stakeholders, including the Ferries Community Board and trade unions, to collectively discuss ambitions for the contract, including putting public service delivery and accountable key performance indicators developed with communities at its heart, and agrees that delivery of the award will then provide the space and opportunity for more fundamental reform of governance.” Sue Webber S6M-16845.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-16845 in the name of Claire Baker (Reforming Scotland’s West Coast Ferries), insert at end “; believes that the social and economic impact of ferry disruption is causing existential harm to Scotland’s islands; shares the frustrations of Scotland’s islanders and ferry passengers, who believe that their needs are not being prioritised by the Scottish Government; notes that the increasing maintenance repair bill for the ageing fleet has hit £98 million in the last decade, which compromises the ability to invest in new infrastructure and maintain affordable ticket prices; agrees with the Audit Scotland report that the five-year business plan for Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow was overly reliant and predicated on winning the Small Vessel Replacement Programme contract; is concerned with the repeated awarding of ferry-build contracts to numerous overseas shipyards whilst taxpayers in Scotland are funding a publicly owned yard on the Clyde; notes the Scottish Government’s plan to purchase Ardrossan Harbour and urges Scottish ministers to ensure that the much-needed infrastructure upgrades to the port that were promised are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and calls on the Scottish Government to be clear about its long-term intentions for Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, and the future of Scottish shipbuilding, in light of an apparent lack of faith in it shown to date.” followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Children’s Rights and Temporary Accommodation Mark Griffin S6M-16844 That the Parliament notes the publication of In Their Own Words: Children's Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, a research publication commissioned by Shelter Scotland from De Montfort University and University College London; accepts the findings of the publication, which concludes that children in Scotland are adversely affected by the shocking conditions found in some forms of temporary accommodation; recognises that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) provides children with rights to have their best interests considered when decisions about them are being taken, including the right to life and the ability to develop, the right to school, the right to protection from violence in all forms, and the right to play and rest; notes with concern that the report highlights a number of examples of these rights being breached; accepts that the use of hotel-like accommodation for children in temporary accommodation carries a high risk of breaching children’s rights under the UNCRC; notes that amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill have been laid that would require relevant bodies to have regard to the rights of the child in dealing with cases of homelessness, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that children in Scotland are placed in safe and secure homes which take account of their rights under the UNCRC. Paul McLennan S6M-16844.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-16844 in the name of Mark Griffin (Children’s Rights and Temporary Accommodation), insert at end "; notes the actions taken to address the issues highlighted in the report, including the publication of the temporary accommodation standards framework and bringing forward the amendment to implement Awaab’s Law in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, and welcomes that the number of children in temporary accommodation has reduced in 20 local authority areas." Meghan Gallacher S6M-16844.2 As an amendment to motion S6W-16844 in the name of Mark Griffin (Children’s Rights and Temporary Accommodation), insert at end “; believes that the report underlines the urgent need for the Scottish Government to outline an action plan to address the housing emergency, and notes that the Housing (Scotland) Bill is a missed opportunity to encourage more investment and housebuilding in Scotland.” followed by Urgent Question Meghan Gallacher To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the fatal accident inquiry for Lea Lamont, Ellie McCormick, and Mira-Belle Bosch, published on 14 March 2025, which suggest that the three child fatalities were avoidable. followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-16705 Tess White: Addressing Sexual Violence in Scotland’s Hospitals That the Parliament considers that single-sex spaces for women and girls across Scotland’s public services are being eroded, with worrying implications for their rights and safety; acknowledges what it sees as the fundamental importance of the dignity, privacy and safety of women and girls in sanitary and changing facilities, as well as in hospital settings where women and children are often at their most vulnerable; highlights the Women’s Rights Network Scotland report, How safe are our Scottish hospitals?, authored by Carolyn Brown and Mary Howden and published in March 2025, which found that, over a five-year period between 2019 and 2024, 276 sexual assaults and 12 rapes took place across 57 hospitals; considers that the actual figures will likely be much higher given that, it understands, data is not routinely kept by all Scottish hospitals; notes in particular that 22 sexual assaults and one rape reportedly took place in NHS Grampian over this period, while 17 sexual assaults and three rapes reportedly took place in NHS Tayside, with, it understands, a high number occurring on hospital wards; believes that hospitals should be a place of safety for patients and staff, and notes the view that urgent action should be taken to address any sexual violence on the NHS estate, and further notes the view that such action should include the introduction of robust and transparent record keeping procedures to help inform preventative practices, as well as accommodating women on single-sex wards wherever possible and protecting single-sex spaces for biological female patients and staff.