Meeting of the Parliament (Accessible)

Portfolio Questions Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Liz Smith S6O-05291 1. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on agriculture, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how to protect rural areas against fly-tipping. Michelle Thomson S6O-05292 2. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Scottish Land & Estates report, Repopulating Rural Scotland, including how the recommendations align with its current strategies to address rural depopulation. Mark Ruskell S6O-05293 3. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to update national guidance for local authorities on their responsibilities to uphold public access rights. Marie McNair S6O-05294 4. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Forestry and Land Scotland to protect the Kilpatrick Hills. Dr Pam Gosal MBE S6O-05295 5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress Scotland is making towards becoming a Good Food Nation. Sarah Boyack S6O-05296 6. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent ScotLand Futures report, which found that 96% of respondents believe that changes are needed regarding how land is owned and used, what steps it will take to ensure that land reform goes further than the current Land Reform (Scotland) Bill does to deliver land justice. James Dornan S6O-05297 7. [Withdrawn] Liam Kerr S6O-05298 8. To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers in the North East Scotland region have applied for the Future Farming Investment Scheme this year, including how many of those were unsuccessful. Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf S6O-05299 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the health impacts of loneliness. Keith Brown S6O-05300 2. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the population being expected to age rapidly over the coming decades, with more than one in five people soon to be of pension age, what measures it is taking to adapt health and social care provision to meet increased demand. Jackie Dunbar S6O-05301 3. To ask the Scottish Government, following NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day, which took place on 10 December with the aim to shine a light on the high prevalence of domestic abuse affecting healthcare professionals, how it is supporting NHS boards to ensure that they have robust domestic abuse policies in place. Brian Whittle S6O-05302 4. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the role of the third sector in ensuring the sustainability of the NHS. Paul McLennan S6O-05303 5. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland on its proposal, The future of provision for neurodevelopmental conditions. Emma Roddick S6O-05304 6. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the work of community first responders. Clare Haughey S6O-05305 7. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards, in light of the increase in hospital admissions of people affected by influenza. Patrick Harvie S6O-05306 8. To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will be used to evaluate its pilot programme for walk-in GP clinics, including whether stakeholders representing GPs and other health professionals will have been involved in defining these criteria. followed by Ministerial Statement: Protecting Children from Harm followed by Criminal Justice Committee Debate: Cybercrime followed by Decision Time followed by Members’ Business: Rachael Hamilton: Recognising Small Business Saturday 2025 Rachael Hamilton S6M-20035 That the Parliament marks Small Business Saturday UK on 6 December 2025, an annual grassroots, not-for-profit campaign that celebrates and encourages support for small businesses across the UK; acknowledges that the campaign aims to highlight small business success while encouraging consumers to shop locally; recognises the vital role that small businesses play in communities across Scotland, including in the Scottish Borders, by driving growth, creating jobs and sustaining vibrant town centres; understands that micro and small businesses represent 98% of all enterprises in Scotland, employ more than 900,000 people and turnover £93 billion annually, according to the Federation of Small Businesses; considers that small businesses, particularly in rural communities, face increasing pressures from rising costs and economic uncertainty; notes the view that, although the Small Business Saturday occurs only once a year, support for and recognition of small businesses must continue throughout the year, and celebrates the vital contribution of small and rural businesses to Scotland’s economy. Further details available for S6M-20035