Meeting of the Parliament

General Questions Keith Brown S6O-05685 1. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Forth Valley College to retain its Alloa Campus for 2026-27, what engagement it will have with the College and the Scottish Funding Council to ensure the long-term future of further education provision in Clackmannanshire. Bill Kidd S6O-05686 2. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting workers at Grangemouth who have been made redundant. Colin Beattie S6O-05687 3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether local authorities are fully utilising the powers available to them under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, such as Bus Service Improvement Partnerships, franchising and the ability to run their own services, to safeguard essential routes such as the 46 and 48 in Midlothian. Marie McNair S6O-05688 4. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting families in Clydebank and Milngavie to access affordable childcare. Douglas Ross S6O-05689 5. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by the Scottish Information Commissioner who stated, in relation to the Government's handling of information concerning the Salmond files, "I can no longer trust the government to handle this information unsupervised and will explore more intrusive options to ensure compliance." Martin Whitfield S6O-05690 6. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on its energy policy and strategy, and in light of reports that Torness Nuclear Power Station is due to close by 2030, what its response is to the UK Government’s new Fusion Strategy, which aims to deliver thousands of jobs and long-term energy security. Alexander Stewart S6O-05691 7. To ask the Scottish Government what its commitment is to a sustainable funding package for Forth Valley College to ensure its long-term future. Ash Regan S6O-05692 8. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Police Authority's recent quarterly policing performance report showing that sexual crimes have continued to increase, with recorded rape at the highest level since comparable records began, and with domestic abuse also continuing to rise, what its response is to concerns that its Equally Safe strategy is failing women and girls, including what urgent, measurable action it will take to reverse these trends. followed by First Minister’s Questions Russell Findlay S6F-04775 1. Question to be taken in Chamber. Anas Sarwar S6F-04776 2. Question to be taken in Chamber. Ross Greer S6F-04777 3. Question to be taken in Chamber. Joe FitzPatrick S6F-04778 4. To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s commitment to banning conversion practices. Dr Pam Gosal MBE S6F-04782 5. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to research by Women's Rights Network Scotland reportedly showing that some children have been assaulted in Scottish hospitals. Pauline McNeill S6F-04789 6. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland report indicating that staff shortages mean young prisoners at HMP & YOI Polmont lack enough opportunities for work, education or recreation and spend “far too long locked in their cells". Jamie Greene S6F-04786 7. To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported rise in protests and rhetoric aimed at immigrants and minority groups, what action any future Scottish administration can take to restore kindness, decency and tolerance to politics. followed by Members’ Business: A Scotland-wide Ban on the Use of Mobile Phones in Schools Dr Pam Gosal MBE S6M-20881 That the Parliament notes what it sees as the dangers that mobile phones and social media pose to children and young people, especially in relation to their physical and mental health; expresses concern regarding the potential safeguarding issues associated with the use of mobile phones, such as exposure to harmful content that is not age-appropriate; further expresses concern regarding reported studies that state that two in three 11- to 17-year-olds find it difficult to put down their phones, with teenagers spending, on average, five hours and 30 minutes each day on their smartphones, including four to five hours on social media, as well as research that reportedly found that one in five 16- to 18-year-olds say that social media has made them feel that "life is not worth living"; notes the calls for a Scotland-wide ban on the use of mobile phones on school premises; understands that schools across Scotland, including in the West Scotland region, and the rest of the UK that have implemented such bans have seen promising results, and that countries across Europe and around world have taken extensive steps to limit the use of mobile phones in schools, and commends what it sees as the great work done by organisations such as Smartphone Free Childhood, Kids for Now, One Collective Power and Delay Smartphones, which are raising awareness of the potential dangers that come with mobile phone use. Further details available for S6M-20881 followed by Members’ Business: Sustainability of Remote, Rural and Island Communities Jamie Halcro Johnston S6M-20849 That the Parliament recognises a special duty to ensure the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s remote, rural and island communities; notes the view that addressing the needs of these communities requires policy that recognises and accommodates the particular circumstances of the Highlands and Islands region and other parts of remote, rural and island Scotland; acknowledges the challenges of delivering public services such as education, transport, local health and social care, policing and justice to areas with lower population density; believes that a range of local public services have been centralised or downgraded and no longer have a visible presence in many remote and rural communities; considers that the rural economy and rural businesses have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years with the farming and fishing sectors under real pressure and uncertainty, increased regulation impacting the visitor economy, and high streets and town centres struggling; believes that access to housing and affordable accommodation has become increasingly difficult in these communities, particularly for young people; recognises what it sees as the vital importance of connectivity to the prosperity of these communities, including preserving and expanding travel links by road, rail, sea and air and the need to plan for the future investment needs of essential infrastructure, and notes the view that building strong communities in all parts of Scotland will require a greater focus and consideration from across Scotland’s public bodies. Submitting member has a registered interest. Further details available for S6M-20849 followed by Portfolio Questions Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Katy Clark S6O-05693 1. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its cross-government co-ordination on island connectivity, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how to ensure that public transport meets the needs of island communities. Annie Wells S6O-05694 2. [Not Lodged] Christine Grahame S6O-05695 3. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding whether any of the support announced in response to the increased cost of heating oil will help the agriculture sector and other rural industries in Scotland that are dependent on that fuel. Michelle Thomson S6O-05696 4. To ask the Scottish Government how the £9 million being invested in the Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland will help businesses to increase productivity, improve efficiency, and invest in new equipment and technology. Bob Doris S6O-05697 5. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to the agricultural sector in direct support payments over the course of the current parliamentary session. Patrick Harvie S6O-05698 6. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government assessment, Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published in January 2026, what assessment it has made of Scotland’s food security and resilience. Ruth Maguire S6O-05699 7. [Not Lodged] Fulton MacGregor S6O-05700 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Community Right to Buy Review. Health and Social Care Oliver Mundell S6O-05701 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce reported bed pressures at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. Mark Ruskell S6O-05702 2. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential public health impact of silica air pollution. Neil Bibby S6O-05703 3. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and what issues were discussed. Jackie Dunbar S6O-05704 4. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its recently implemented Adult Social Care Displaced Worker Scheme on social care services. Kenneth Gibson S6O-05705 5. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. Edward Mountain S6O-05706 6. To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards have all of their accessible toilets as stoma-friendly toilets. Maggie Chapman S6O-05707 7. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any excess deaths associated with long waiting times in A&E departments, including the action it is taking to reduce preventable mortality. Tim Eagle S6O-05708 8. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS Grampian is looking to save £177 million over the next five years, what impact this will have on the board's staff and services, and, in particular, on Dr Gray's Hospital. Social Justice and Housing Foysol Choudhury S6O-05709 1. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it is not currently on track to meet its target to reduce child poverty to less than 10% by 2031, what its response is to children’s charities stating that its child poverty plan is "timid" and does not go far enough. Dr Sandesh Gulhane S6O-05710 2. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increase in caseload for the Adult Disability Payment, particularly in regard to mental and behavioural disorders. Submitting member has a registered interest. Karen Adam S6O-05711 3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that older people’s housing, including sheltered housing, is prioritised in local housing planning and delivery. Meghan Gallacher S6O-05712 4. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting first-time buyers. David Torrance S6O-05713 5. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of reports of increasing pressure on social housing waiting lists in the Kirkcaldy constituency, including how it plans to support local authorities and housing associations to expand the availability of affordable homes in the area. Elena Whitham S6O-05714 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether addressing affordable housing need and tackling homelessness will be More Homes Scotland's core mission. Submitting member has a registered interest. Rona Mackay S6O-05715 7. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking through its fuel poverty programmes to support low-income rural and off-grid households that are unable to heat their homes due to the recent increase in heating oil prices. Clare Adamson S6O-05716 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the time that households spend in temporary accommodation. followed by Motion of Thanks John Swinney S6M-21180 That the Parliament expresses its thanks to its Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, for her dedicated service to the Parliament; thanks her Deputy Presiding Officers, and pays tribute to all of those Members who are standing down at the end of this session. Further details available for S6M-21180 followed by Decision Time