Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Willie Rennie S6O-04005 1. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on agriculture in Scotland, what its response is to the removal of ring-fenced agricultural support funding for devolved nations by the UK Government. Emma Roddick S6O-04006 2. To ask the Scottish Government how the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will empower local communities and ensure that land is being used to their benefit. Evelyn Tweed S6O-04007 3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Budget on farming and food production in Scotland. Katy Clark S6O-04008 4. To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its cross-government co-ordination on islands policies, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what more it can do to support residents and businesses on the Isle of Cumbrae. Ash Regan S6O-04009 5. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that critical rural food production economic activity is viable, sustainable and attractive to the next generation of farmers, crofters and fishers. Daniel Johnson S6O-04010 6. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the rural economy. Sarah Boyack S6O-04011 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the reasons why it decided against externally reviewing the Community Right to Buy scheme. Clare Adamson S6O-04012 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its Food Security Unit. Health and Social Care Liz Smith S6O-04013 1. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on this winter’s flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. John Mason S6O-04014 2. To ask the Scottish Government for what reason routine eye tests are conducted more frequently than hearing tests. Roz McCall S6O-04015 3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress towards implementing the key priority areas highlighted in its Stroke Improvement Plan 2023. Tess White S6O-04016 4. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of increased employer national insurance contributions on primary care providers in Scotland's NHS. Marie McNair S6O-04017 5. To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to protect older people from heightened health risks in colder weather. Michelle Thomson S6O-04018 6. To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure equality of access for adults to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD or ASD, in light of the finding in a National Autism Implementation Team report in 2021 that the current thresholds for mental health services do not meet the needs of those who have been referred. Jackie Dunbar S6O-04019 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the work that it is doing to tackle stigma around HIV and to eliminate new HIV transmissions by 2030. Sue Webber S6O-04020 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support mental health services across NHS Lothian. followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now Jackie Baillie S6M-15613 That the Parliament notes that the Scottish Government formally committed to introduce a National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in September 2021; further notes that the Scottish Government’s proposed amendment to part one of the Bill setting out the establishment of a National Care Service board has been roundly rejected by stakeholders; understands that the cost to date is £30 million, without a single penny being spent directly on care; urges the Scottish Ministers to accept that the Bill now has no realistic prospect of success in its current form; calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate steps to alleviate the crisis in social care, including delivering sufficient support for health and social care partnerships, and further calls on the Scottish Government to set out a timetable, before the Parliament’s Christmas recess, for progressing reforms, including a right to respite care, Anne’s Law, ethical commissioning, collective bargaining and the establishment of a National Social Work Agency. Neil Gray S6M-15613.4 As an amendment to motion S6M-15613 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now), leave out from "formally committed" to end and insert "introduced the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in June 2022 to address the substantial concerns highlighted from the Feeley review, which noted poor and variable levels of social care around the country and the need for nationally enforceable standards of care; further notes that the Bill includes a right to respite care, Anne’s Law and ethical commissioning; welcomes that the Scottish Government is developing a collective bargaining approach for social care in collaboration with local government, trade unions and social care providers and its continued commitment to establishing a National Social Work Agency; acknowledges the open letter from disabled people’s organisations, which states that wholesale reform is so urgently needed; agrees that the service users, their families and carers should be the focus of a National Care Service; deplores that the increase in employer national insurance contributions from the UK Government will negatively impact on care services by increasing the cost to third parties contracted to deliver adult and children’s social care services by almost £90 million and, according to COSLA estimates, to local government by £265 million, and agrees that, if the UK Labour administration does not reimburse this in full, it is the provision of these services that will feel the brunt." Sandesh Gulhane S6M-15613.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-15613 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now), after "directly on care" insert ", despite over 6,000 people in Scotland currently waiting for a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community". followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Tackling Abuse of Bus Drivers Claire Baker S6M-15612 That the Parliament is deeply grieved by the death of Keith Rollinson following an assault at his place of work; agrees that workplace abuse is not acceptable and notes the serious concerns raised about levels of abuse in the recent mass survey of bus drivers in Scotland, carried out by Unite the Union; supports the union's campaign to improve driver safety, including its call for a public transport safety summit involving key stakeholders; calls on the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to take swift action to address antisocial behaviour and violence towards bus drivers, including exploring the potential for legislative measures to protect transport workers against assault, threats and abuse; notes the increase in the rate of incidents following the extension of the bus travel scheme; supports fully the provision of free bus travel for young people and children aged under 22 and notes the multiple benefits that it brings, but acknowledges that this comes with responsibilities, and calls on the Scottish Government to remove access to concessionary bus passes from individuals who repeatedly carry out antisocial behaviour. Mark Ruskell S6M-15612.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-15612 in the name of Claire Baker (Tackling Abuse of Bus Drivers), leave out from "; notes the increase" to end and insert ", alongside support for restrictions on all individuals who cause serious and repeated antisocial behaviour from accessing bus services, and further calls on bus operators to fully invest in measures to support the safety of transport workers and passengers, including on-board CCTV." followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-12169 Richard Leonard: Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Miners’ Strike That the Parliament notes that 12 March 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the official start of the 1984-85 miners’ strike; considers that this strike was, without parallel, the most significant industrial dispute since the 1926 general strike; believes that miners took action in defence of jobs, communities and a very way of life; considers that the full force of the state was deployed against the miners and their trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers, but that they stood steadfast for a full year; believes that the strike could not have endured without public support, including from women’s groups, the lesbian and gay community, trade unions and workers across the world; deplores what it sees as the injustices towards miners and their communities during and since the strike; notes the belief that there is continuing need for investment in mining communities, and further notes the call for a public inquiry into the policing of the strike.