Meeting of the Parliament

Urgent Question Douglas Ross To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legality of an independence referendum bill. followed by Portfolio Questions Covid-19 Recovery and Parliamentary Business Collette Stevenson S6O-01573 1. To ask the Scottish Government how the expansion of the Scottish Child Payment will impact on the delivery of its Covid Recovery Strategy. Douglas Lumsden S6O-01574 2. To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry to conclude. Donald Cameron S6O-01575 3. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner’s section 46 report for 2021-22, which reported a 29% increase in Freedom of Information appeals. Paul O'Kane S6O-01576 4. To ask the Scottish Government what the reduction in funding for Covid Recovery will be as part of the Emergency Budget Review. Pam Duncan-Glancy 5. [Not Lodged] Alex Rowley S6O-01578 6. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy Working Group published in March. Gordon MacDonald S6O-01579 7. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recently reported warnings by the Bank of England that the UK is about to enter the longest recession since the 1930s, what assessment it has made of the impact that this could have on its Covid Recovery Strategy. Emma Roddick S6O-01580 8. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the increase in inflation will have on the ability of the public sector to deliver on its Covid Recovery Strategy. Finance and the Economy Liam McArthur S6O-01581 1. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Orkney Islands Council regarding the Scottish Budget 2022-23. Monica Lennon S6O-01582 2. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions finance ministers have had with the Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training to assess the number of construction apprentices and construction workers needed to support the recovery of Scotland’s economy and meet its net zero targets. Brian Whittle S6O-01583 3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential economic benefit to Scotland of moving to a low-carbon economy and achieving net zero. Pam Gosal S6O-01584 4. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is investing to support the economy across the West Scotland and Greater Glasgow areas. Alexander Stewart S6O-01585 5. To ask the Scottish Government how it is investing in rural broadband. Katy Clark S6O-01586 6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding any plans to investigate the feasibility of a land value tax. Jenni Minto S6O-01587 7. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the impact that the UK Government’s Autumn Statement will have on Scotland’s public finances. Richard Leonard S6O-01588 8. To ask the Scottish Government what assets currently in public ownership it plans to privatise. followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Protecting Primary Care That the Parliament notes the recent warnings by BMA Scotland about the pressures on general practice, with 81% of practices surveyed reporting that demand was exceeding capacity and it estimating that an extra 1,000 whole time equivalent (WTE) GPs are needed now; understands that not all practices have access to full multi-disciplinary teams, limiting GPs’ ability to focus on the patients that need them most, and therefore regrets the Scottish Government’s decision to cut £65 million from primary care services and £5 million from the Sustainability Payment to practices; considers that this diminishes the ability of GPs to respond to winter pressures and will exacerbate the crisis in primary care, with serious consequences for staff and patients and the wider NHS this winter; is alarmed by reports that NHS board chief executives are considering the implementation of a two-tier system of access within the NHS, and considers this to be privatisation through the back door; remains committed to the founding principle of the NHS of being freely available at the point of need; calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider the cuts to primary care and to give an urgent update on where the 800 additional GPs it pledged in 2017 will be located, and regrets that the Scottish National Party administration is considering the privatisation of the NHS in Scotland. followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Cost of Living: Mortgage Rescue Scheme That the Parliament notes the increase in mortgage costs due to the sharp rise in interest rates following the UK Government’s disastrous mini-budget; believes that, combined with wider cost of living pressures, higher mortgage repayments will push some households into poverty and that action is needed to prevent a spike in arrears and homelessness; recognises that the Scottish Government's Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme has not had a successful application since 2015-16, and calls for the Scottish Government to relaunch and revamp the scheme so that it is not limited to only those with existing high levels of equity, that eligibility thresholds reflect true house price values and that there is a maximum application turnaround time of two months. followed by Ministerial Statement: NHS Forth Valley Update followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-06299 Pam Gosal: Recognising the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women That the Parliament recognises the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November, and the 16 Days of Activism following this, which run from 25 November to 10 December 2022, Human Rights Day; recognises that the 2022 global theme is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls”; notes the view that this is an opportunity to come together with the global women’s movement to call for an end to gender-based violence; further notes reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG); believes that VAWG remains the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide; understands that it affects more than an estimated 1 in 3 women; notes that it is estimated that on average a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes across the globe; welcomes that, during the pandemic, UN Women, women’s rights organisations and others acted with urgency to secure policy changes aimed at eradicating VAWG; believes that there is growing evidence that VAWG is preventable; commends the hard work of organisations and individuals that aim to eradicate any and all forms of violence against women, and notes the view that Parliament should do everything in its power to contribute to the work to stop violence against women and girls.