Meeting of the Parliament

Time for Reflection Rev Norma Moore, Church of Scotland followed by Topical Questions Russell Findlay S6T-01623 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in response to reports of widespread violence against police officers and firefighters over the Bonfire Night period. Foysol Choudhury S6T-01624 2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following Reform Scotland’s recent report, NHS 2048: Future-proofing Scotland’s Health and Social Care , which found that 11 NHS boards have seen waiting times for hip operations at least double from the point of decision since 2019. followed by Ministerial Statement: Vision for Scotland’s Mental Health followed by Ministerial Statement: Update on Education and Skills Reform followed by Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Debate: A Modern and Sustainable Ferry Service for Scotland Edward Mountain S6M-11075 That the Parliament notes the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s 11th Report, 2023 (Session 6), A Modern and Sustainable Ferry Service for Scotland (SP Paper 417). followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-07793 Finlay Carson: Welcoming the Contribution of Rural Estates to Scotland’s Wellbeing Economy That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the report, The Contribution of Rural Estates to Scotland’s Wellbeing Economy, by Scottish Land and Estates; believes that this report, for which the research was carried out by BiGGAR Economics Ltd and Scottish Land and Estates, is an innovative example of a whole sector measuring its outputs against Scotland’s National Performance Framework’s National Outcomes rather than just through traditional economic metrics; considers that the report describes and quantifies how rural estates drive local economic development through agriculture, forestry, tourism, sporting, recreation and renewable energy generation, act as stewards of the natural environment, protect and enhance biodiversity, support the transition to net zero, provide homes and create sustainable new communities, provide a gateway to nature, and function as anchors of communities and support community-led projects; further considers that the report also identifies areas in which there is scope for estates to increase their contributions across the National Outcomes, and provides an improvement framework to complement the research; recognises Scotland’s rural estates as, it considers, key delivery partners of the Scottish Government across a wide range of policy areas, including improving outcomes for people, jobs, and nature across the country, including in the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency, and commends the sector for what it sees as its commitment to this innovative work.