Meeting of the Parliament

General Questions Colin Beattie S6O-02544 1. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Willie Rennie S6O-02545 2. To ask the Scottish Government what the increase in patient charges for NHS dental treatment will be. Rona Mackay S6O-02546 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the winter flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme. Bill Kidd S6O-02547 4. To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water has completed any remedial works to prevent future flooding in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency, following reports of widespread flooding in the area earlier this year. Katy Clark S6O-02548 5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement process for the upgrade of Ardrossan harbour. Pam Gosal S6O-02549 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to eliminate long waiting times for NHS procedures. Jeremy Balfour S6O-02550 7. To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to start accepting applications for the £10 million fund for Changing Places toilets that was announced in the 2021-22 Programme for Government. Jamie Greene S6O-02551 8. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any benefits to islanders of restoring the monthly season ticket on the Largs to Cumbrae ferry route. followed by First Minister's Questions Douglas Ross S6F-02372 1. Question to be taken in Chamber. Anas Sarwar S6F-02373 2. Question to be taken in Chamber. Alex Cole-Hamilton S6F-02380 3. To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. Collette Stevenson S6F-02396 4. To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact of the roll-out of the Carer Support Payment on the national mission to tackle poverty and reduce inequality. Brian Whittle S6F-02384 5. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments from COSLA and council leaders questioning the achievability of net zero targets without a detailed plan and adequate funding. Paul O'Kane S6F-02377 6. To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will consider writing off school meal debts, in light of reports of local authorities instructing sheriff officers to pursue families for unpaid school meal debts. followed by Members' Business — S6M-10364 Jackie Dunbar: World Rivers Day 2023 That the Parliament marks World Rivers Day 2023, which takes place on 24 September and is a celebration of the world’s waterways; commends the organisations, communities and land managers implementing landscape scale initiatives that improve stewardship of rivers; appreciates what it sees as the value of catchment scale initiatives and networks in connecting projects and communities together to maximise the benefits; considers that nature-based solutions, when successfully implemented, can lead to healthy, dynamic, resilient river systems, delivering multiple benefits to interconnected species such as sea trout, Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels, among others; recognises what it considers the seriousness with which the Scottish Government is treating Scotland's declining salmon stocks; further recognises the Wild Salmon Strategy and its objectives and priority themes; understands the interconnectivity within the ecosystem, where pressures such as water temperature, extreme flow events, nutrient enrichment and pollution can be substantial and cumulative; acknowledges Scottish Water’s improving urban waters route map, which is backed by £500 million of investment; understands that SEPA’s recent results show that 66% of Scotland’s water bodies are in good condition or better, compared with just 16% elsewhere in the UK, and considers that implementing nature-based solutions can mitigate such pressures, delivering multiple benefits by boosting biodiversity, reducing diffuse pollution and reducing river temperatures in the Aberdeen Donside constituency in Scotland, and in the rest of the UK.