Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Sarah Boyack S6O-02324 1. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Pakistan, following the severe flooding that the country experienced in 2022. Pam Gosal S6O-02325 2. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting community-based facilities in the West Scotland region to preserve Scottish culture and heritage. Finlay Carson S6O-02326 3. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments by Scottish Opera, regarding the disbanding of an orchestra due to the lack of young people in the industry. Bill Kidd 4. [Withdrawn] Paul O'Kane S6O-02328 5. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local theatres. Edward Mountain S6O-02329 6. To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Creative Scotland’s total awards funding was allocated to the Highlands and Islands in the last financial year. Mercedes Villalba S6O-02330 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in establishing a Peace Institute by the end of 2022, as set out in its 2021-22 Programme for Government. Roz McCall S6O-02331 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to accelerate the reopening of any sites that are currently closed due to inspections by Historic Environment Scotland. Justice and Home Affairs Jeremy Balfour S6O-02332 1. To ask the Scottish Government when the next regular review of the Sentencing young people guidelines is due to take place. Ruth Maguire S6O-02333 2. To ask the Scottish Government how forthcoming legislation will advance the rights of child victims of crime. Alexander Stewart S6O-02334 3. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of whole life sentences as an option for judges in relation to the most serious offences. Clare Haughey S6O-02335 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 has assisted the police in responding to reports of assault, threat or abuse of retail workers. Brian Whittle S6O-02336 5. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that police officers are fully resourced. Pam Duncan-Glancy S6O-02337 6. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will put in place to support women in the immediate days and weeks after they leave a coercive and abusive relationship. Pauline McNeill S6O-02338 7. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there are any gaps in Scots law in relation to tackling image-based sexual abuse. Willie Rennie S6O-02339 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the second appliance at Methil Fire Station will be withdrawn from service by 4 September 2023. followed by Ministerial Statement: Deposit Return Scheme followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: A Thriving Future for Scotland’s Oil and Gas Sector and its Workers Liam Kerr S6M-09339 That the Parliament recognises the vital role that oil and gas plays in Scotland’s energy mix and in supporting tens of thousands of Scottish jobs, particularly in the north east; condemns Labour Party plans to ban new production from the North Sea, and the Scottish Government’s stated presumption against new exploration for oil and gas in the North Sea, contained in the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan; acknowledges that there is a climate emergency and that the Scottish Government must deliver on carbon emissions targets and achieve net zero by 2045, but further acknowledges that a just transition for workers to green jobs, so that no communities are left behind, cannot be achieved without the investment, innovation and skills from the oil and gas sector and support for the North Sea industries, and calls, therefore, for the Labour Party to reverse its opposition, and for the Scottish Government to remove its presumption from the Draft Energy Strategy. Neil Gray S6M-09339.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-09339 in the name of Liam Kerr (A Thriving Future for Scotland’s Oil and Gas Sector and its Workers), leave out from "vital" to end and insert "role that is played by oil and gas in the energy profile of Scotland, the tens of thousands of jobs in that sector, and the essential contribution that the sector’s skilled workforce must make to Scotland’s present and future energy security; recognises that the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out a future energy pathway for Scotland and highlights that, to realise its climate change ambitions, Scotland needs to transform the way it generates, transports and uses energy; notes that the Scottish Government has consulted on whether, in order to support the fastest possible and most effective just transition, there should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas, with a final decision to be made later in 2023; acknowledges that huge progress has been made in the energy transition in the last 20 years; reiterates its firm commitment to ensuring a just transition and that just transition principles are embedded in legislation; calls, therefore, on the UK Government to support the fastest possible just transition for the oil and gas sector; expresses deep disappointment that the UK Government has repeatedly refused to match the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray, despite benefitting to the tune of hundreds of billions of pounds at today’s prices over decades from North Sea oil and gas, and calls on the UK Government to support the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) for the Scottish Cluster to capitalise on Scotland’s competitive advantage, including its world-leading workforce, who will drive forward the just transition and help industry to decarbonise at pace." Sarah Boyack S6M-09339.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-09339 in the name of Liam Kerr (A Thriving Future for Scotland’s Oil and Gas Sector and its Workers), leave out from "condemns" to end and insert "believes that the only way to break out of 13 years of rising energy bills and energy insecurity is to decisively move to clean, cheap, homegrown power, with a full range of energy sources; agrees that oil and gas production in the North Sea will continue for decades to come and the skills of the oil and gas workforce will be crucial to delivering this energy transformation; understands that it is vital that a phased and responsible transition is delivered and that partnership with government, business and workers will be crucial to achieving this, while managing existing oil fields for the entirety of their lifespan; further understands that the Labour Party announcement of the Green Prosperity Plan would mean an annual £28 billion investment into clean energy and green technology, which would ensure the creation of hundreds of thousands of good jobs, with decent wages, in Scotland and the UK for the decades ahead, and would give people working in energy security for the future, while transforming the UK into a clean energy superpower, and calls on the Scottish Government to deliver on carbon emissions targets and achieve net zero by 2045." followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Prioritising Scottish Tourism Liz Smith S6M-09340 That the Parliament believes that the tourism sector is a crucial element in the future sustainability of the Scottish economy; regrets the SNP-Scottish Green Party administration’s failure to prioritise tourism, and the weaknesses in Scotland’s infrastructure with the resulting detrimental effect on connectivity across rural and island areas, including failures in ferry services and the delay in progressing the dualling of both the A9 and the A96; notes the concern amongst the hospitality sector about the introduction of a visitor levy; condemns the flawed short-term lets policy and an anti-business agenda, which has resulted in additional costs and red tape for those across the tourism sector, and calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward an urgent blueprint to address the deep-seated concerns of the tourism sector and its related industries. Neil Gray S6M-09340.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-09340 in the name of Liz Smith (Prioritising Scottish Tourism), leave out from "believes" to end and insert "welcomes the role that Scotland’s world-class tourism offering plays in creating jobs, sustaining communities and enhancing appreciation of the outstanding natural environment and cultural assets right across the country; notes that there were an estimated 3.2 million overseas visits to Scotland in 2022, which is only 7% lower than in 2019, whereas the comparable figure for the rest of the UK remained 25% below 2019; further notes that the proposed legislation for a visitor levy will provide local authorities with the powers to raise additional revenue if they choose and that revenue will be invested in improving services, with benefit for both visitors and the wider community in their area, further strengthening Scotland’s tourism offer; considers that energy costs, the need to cut VAT, the impact of high inflation and the impact of Brexit on labour shortages are the key issues facing the Scottish tourism sector; calls on the UK Government to use its reserved powers in a manner that supports rather than hampers Scottish tourism, and notes that all the signs are that 2023 will be a successful year for Scotland’s tourism sector." Daniel Johnson S6M-09340.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-09340 in the name of Liz Smith (Prioritising Scottish Tourism), leave out from "notes" to end and insert "understands that the economic crisis and cost of living are impacting the tourism industry at a time when it is still recovering from previous shocks; notes with concern the flaws in the Scottish Government’s short-term lets policy and the issues raised by businesses in the tourism sector; recognises the need for a more joined-up and proactive economic strategy, which takes into account the reality that Scottish retail, tourism and leisure businesses are operating in, including an assessment of the impact of existing Scottish Government policy decisions on the sector, and calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward an urgent blueprint to address the concerns of business in the tourism sector and related industries." followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-09106 Mark Ruskell: Transforming Local Bus Services That the Parliament considers that buses have a critical role in tackling the climate emergency, building a fairer transport system, and improving access to opportunities; believes that the roll-out of the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme has inspired a new generation of bus users, with, it understands, over 62 million journeys made so far; commends the work of community groups, such as the Glenfarg Community Transport Group, for transforming bus networks where they live and providing local communities with lifeline services; recognises what it sees as the central role of communities and local authorities in strengthening public transport connections and breaking the cycle of decline in bus services, including by using powers available through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019; understands that section 34 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides local transport authorities the ability to set up their own publicly-owned bus services, and welcomes the Scottish Government’s Community Bus Fund, which aims to provide start-up funding to empower local transport authorities to transform local bus services where they live.