Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic Clare Adamson S6O-04672 1. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on Scotland’s economic growth of the UK Government white paper on immigration. Elena Whitham S6O-04673 2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. John Mason S6O-04674 3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on Scotland’s labour market of the Prime Minister’s recent statement on immigration policy. Martin Whitfield S6O-04675 4. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its current export and investment support policies. Richard Leonard S6O-04676 5. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. Douglas Ross S6O-04677 6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on businesses and residents in the Highlands should a visitor levy be introduced. Katy Clark S6O-04678 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what impact the National Strategy for Economic Transformation is having on the economy of the West Scotland region. Emma Harper S6O-04679 8. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the future of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. Finance and Local Government Stephanie Callaghan 1. [Not Lodged] Gordon MacDonald S6O-04681 2. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the increase to employer national insurance contributions on local government finances. Colin Beattie S6O-04682 3. To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its decisions on local authority budget allocations, what discussions it has had with Midlothian and East Lothian councils regarding any impact on their budgets as a result of providing support in schools for additional support needs. Jamie Halcro Johnston S6O-04683 4. To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost to local authorities has been since May 2021 of dealing with planning applications and appeals relating to new energy infrastructure, such as wind farms, pylons and battery storage facilities. Stuart McMillan S6O-04684 5. To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding Inverclyde Council has received since 2016, over and above its annual funding allocations. Stephen Kerr S6O-04685 6. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact of its Scottish income tax policy on the median income in Scotland, in light of this estimated to be £29,750 in 2025-26, based on its current policy. Miles Briggs S6O-04686 7. To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the setting of budget allocations, what discussions the finance secretary has had with NHS boards regarding the National Resource Allocation Formula. Rhoda Grant S6O-04687 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding to Argyll and Bute Council, in light of reports of Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s funding deficit. followed by Ministerial Statement: Proposed Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme followed by Scottish Government Debate: Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities Mairi Gougeon S6M-17598 That the Parliament recognises Scotland's islands' invaluable contribution to Scotland’s economy, culture and identity; welcomes the investments that have accompanied Scotland’s first ever national islands plan; recognises the positive impact that the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 has had, but notes the need for further action to tackle island challenges; welcomes the extensive community engagement to develop the new national islands plan, and notes that measures to address depopulation and create community wealth should be key themes of the new plan; further welcomes the positive progress and impact of the Carbon Neutral Islands project, and agrees that the Scottish Government should continue to work towards prosperous and sustainable island communities. Jamie Halcro Johnston S6M-17598.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-17598 in the name of Mairi Gougeon (Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities), leave out from first "welcomes" to end and insert "raises significant concerns about the lack of reliable ferry services for many island communities and the challenges that this creates for islanders and businesses, as well as the absence of a long-term plan to provide solutions and funding for a much-improved ferry network; draws attention to the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which found that Scotland’s islanders face a number of human rights challenges; emphasises the acute difficulties that islanders face, including in relation to the increased cost of living for households and businesses, access to health and social care, housing, fisheries, farming and island education; notes the widespread concern about depopulation and considers that not enough has been done to tackle it; highlights criticism raised about the national islands plan in terms of a lack of benefits and progress; appreciates the valuable role that the islands play in Scotland’s tourist industry; raises concern about the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s visitor levy on tourism; recognises the benefits brought by the energy sector on Scotland’s islands, but notes that this sometimes comes into conflict with communities, and urges the Scottish Government to take clear action to tackle all challenges." Rhoda Grant S6M-17598.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-17598 in the name of Mairi Gougeon (Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities), leave out from first “welcomes” to end and insert “notes the first ever national islands plan; believes that much more needs to be done to support island communities; recognises that depopulation is a major issue impacting the islands and that not enough work has been undertaken to counteract this; notes that the Scottish Government has not used the powers available to it to 'island proof' policy, resulting in the need to shelve policies such as Highly Protected Marine Areas, the ban on wood burning stoves, and the island bonds plans; believes that the Scottish Government-caused ferry fiasco has had a disastrous effect on the economy, wellbeing and future of many islands; further believes that a new procurement plan that ensures the timely replacement of all ferries is vital; recognises that islanders are best placed to make the decisions affecting their communities, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to empower island communities and ensure that there is proper local representation on ferry boards for CalMac and CMAL.” followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-17172 Clare Adamson: The Harm of Gambling Addiction That the Parliament notes reports of the concerning rise of gambling addiction in Scotland, including in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency; believes that gambling can have adverse impacts on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and society, such as loss of employment, debt and a deterioration of physical and mental health, and that this can lead to increased risk of suicide among individuals affected by problem gambling; understands that approximately 1% of the adult population in Scotland, around 55,000 people, is estimated to be experiencing severe gambling problems, with a further 3.8% at risk of developing gambling-related issues, according to the Scottish Health Survey 2020; further understands that gambling-related crime, often driven by financial desperation, poses a threat to public safety and community wellbeing, with GamCare’s annual statistics report suggesting that more than 50% of individuals seeking help for gambling addiction also reported committing criminal acts to fund gambling activities; considers gambling addiction to be a significant public health issue and notes the view that it requires sustained policy intervention; believes with concern that there is an unprecedented variety of gambling apps, websites, online games, lotteries and social media platforms; notes with further concern marketing campaigns that promote gambling, despite the reported myriad public health concerns, and commends organisations, such as GamCare and the John Hartson Foundation, for their commitment and dedication to reducing the harm of problem gambling.