Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Covid-19 Recovery and Parliamentary Business Kenneth Gibson S6O-00167 1. To ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across government will support Ayrshire’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Katy Clark S6O-00168 2. To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to measure the progress of its COVID-19 recovery policies. Jamie Halcro Johnston S6O-00169 3. To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor and review the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme. Clare Adamson S6O-00170 4. To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place for people to question their COVID-19 vaccine certification status if they believe their records are incorrect. Claire Baker S6O-00171 5. To ask the Scottish Government how its policies and actions across government will support Mid Scotland and Fife to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Colin Beattie S6O-00172 6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Covid recovery secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding action to support the hospitality sector to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Fulton MacGregor S6O-00173 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the anticipated criteria for exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme. Dean Lockhart S6O-00174 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on cross-government co-ordination of COVID-19 recovery policies. Net Zero, Energy and Transport Rachael Hamilton S6O-00175 1. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the aspects of the Strategic Transport Projects Review regarding the Scottish Borders. Michelle Thomson S6O-00176 2. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to young people in the run up to COP26 to ensure that their views on climate change are listened to. Meghan Gallacher S6O-00177 3. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in meeting its target of planting 30 million trees by the end of 2021, and whether it achieved the 22 million target last year. Emma Harper S6O-00178 4. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve journey times on the Dumfries-Glasgow and Stranraer-Ayr railway services, to help reduce emissions from the use of other modes of transport. Sandesh Gulhane 5. [Not Lodged] Fiona Hyslop S6O-00180 6. To ask the Scottish Government how the commitments in the Programme for Government will help secure a net zero nation. Maurice Golden S6O-00181 7. To ask the Scottish Government how it will support Scotland’s move to a more circular economy. Douglas Lumsden S6O-00182 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains supportive of Opportunity North East’s ambition of establishing an energy transition zone adjacent to the new Aberdeen South Harbour. followed by Ministerial Statement: Diversion from Prosecution followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: ScotRail As an amendment to motion S6M-01300 in the name of Neil Bibby (ScotRail), leave out from “considers” to end and insert “welcomes the opportunity for decisions to be taken in the coming months that will shape the future of Scotland’s railways; acknowledges the opportunity to create a national rail service that meets the country’s needs and travel patterns by building back to pre-pandemic levels but also provides for expected future demand; thanks Scotland’s railway workers and staff for their commitment to keeping services running during unprecedented circumstances; recognises the financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also believes that staff should be paid fairly and expects the employer to lead dialogue with trade unions to resolve current industrial disputes, with the aim of restoring rail services and re-establishing mutually acceptable industrial relations; welcomes that 22 September 2021 is World Car Free Day, a day to promote and undertake alternatives to car use; notes that Scottish ministers are committed to an affordable, clean, green, reliable and modern railway that is publicly owned and accountable, and founded on Fair Work First criteria, with representation for staff and passengers in the governance of a new public sector operator, and recognises that the Scottish Government will set out a vision for the future of Scotland’s railways based on service improvement, fair work, the decarbonisation of passenger rail services and an increase in rail freight, to help meet Scotland’s net zero ambitions.” followed by Scottish Labour Party Debate: Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis That the Parliament thanks the Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other frontline workers who are under significant stress as they cope with the current pressures on the health service; regrets the failure of the Scottish Government to address the underlying and systematic problems facing both the ambulance service and the wider health and social care service that predate the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the support of the British Army in helping alleviate the current pressures on NHS workers and patients; recommends that the Scottish Government adopt a 30-minute maximum turnaround time for ambulances from arrival at hospital, which will release paramedics to answer other calls, and protect staff welfare and wellbeing by reducing shift over-runs and guarding rest periods, and further calls on the Scottish Government to increase capacity in the health service ahead of winter by calling on recently retired staff to return temporarily and establishing temporary wards and field hospitals to ease the pressure on Accident and Emergency departments and manage the clinical backlog. followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-00792 Stuart McMillan: National Eye Health Week 2021 That the Parliament notes National Eye Health Week, which it considers does great work in promoting the importance of maintaining good eye health and, in 2021, runs from 20 to 26 September; believes that it continues to be vital for people in Scotland to book their free eye health check every two years in order to pick up changes to the eyes before they affect the vision; understands that 50% of sight loss is avoidable; notes the measures put in place in optometry practices across Scotland by healthcare professionals to make attending an eye health check safe during the COVID-19 pandemic; commends the work of Optometry Scotland and RNIB Scotland to encourage people to return to practices and check their eye health; emphasises what it considers the need to not forget eye health checks, and notes the call for people in Greenock and Inverclyde, and across Scotland, to book their free eye health check if they have not attended an examination in the last two years.