Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic Davy Russell S6O-05451 1. To ask the Scottish Government how its employability programmes support parents of children aged nine months to three years to return to work, in light of the lack of funded childcare for this age group. Ruth Maguire S6O-05452 2. To ask the Scottish Government what support will be available for young entrepreneurs alongside the £2.5 million funding announced for the First Minister's Start Up Challenge. Collette Stevenson S6O-05453 3. [Not Lodged] Sharon Dowey S6O-05454 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales showing that business confidence in Scotland has fallen for the sixth consecutive quarter and is lower than the UK average. Paul McLennan S6O-05455 5. To ask the Scottish Government what implications the recent announcement of next steps for its £1.5 billion bonds programme will have for the financing of major capital projects across Scotland. Michelle Thomson S6O-05456 6. [Not Lodged] Rona Mackay S6O-05457 7. To ask the Scottish Government what the immediate economic outcomes were for Scotland's exporters of its recent trade mission to the United Arab Emirates. Daniel Johnson S6O-05458 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cities Outlook 2026 report and the performance of Scottish cities. Finance and Local Government Mark Griffin S6O-05459 1. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to COSLA’s statement that the draft Budget 2026-27 “represents a very poor settlement for local government which fails to address the financial situation being faced by councils across Scotland". Jackie Dunbar S6O-05460 2. To ask the Scottish Government how it envisages its draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 will support families in the Aberdeen Donside constituency to address cost of living pressures, including childcare costs. Clare Adamson S6O-05461 3. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with COSLA regarding payroll practices in local authorities that can result in two wage payments in a single universal credit assessment period, and can lead to reduced entitlement and rent arrears, including in relation to support available for those affected. Audrey Nicoll S6O-05462 4. [Not Lodged] Neil Bibby S6O-05463 5. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA following the publication of its draft Budget 2026-27. Alexander Burnett S6O-05464 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to recognise rurality in local government finance settlements. Jeremy Balfour S6O-05465 7. To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated in its draft Budget 2026-27 to replace the Investing Communities Fund when the current funding ends in March 2026. Jamie Hepburn S6O-05466 8. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated in its draft Budget 2026-27 to support local authorities, including North Lanarkshire Council, to provide universal breakfast clubs from August 2027. followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Saving Scottish Hospitality Murdo Fraser S6M-20653 That the Parliament recognises the pressures facing Scotland’s hospitality sector; calls on the Scottish Government to postpone the forthcoming non-domestic rates revaluation until a comprehensive review of the valuation methodology has been completed, and further calls on the Scottish Government to provide 100% rates relief for all hospitality businesses with commercial property valued up to £100,000. Further details available for S6M-20653 Ivan McKee S6M-20653.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-20653 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Saving Scottish Hospitality), leave out from "the pressures" to end and insert "that the revaluation process is independent of the Scottish Government; notes the more than £320 million of business support announced in the draft Budget through transitional relief schemes and retail, hospitality and leisure relief over the next three years, and acknowledges the commitment from the Scottish Government to pass on, in full, any Barnett consequential funding from the UK Government’s change to non-domestic rates for pubs and music venues in England to businesses in Scotland." Further details available for S6M-20653.3 Daniel Johnson S6M-20653.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-20653 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Saving Scottish Hospitality), leave out from ", and further" to end and insert "; acknowledges long-standing criticism of a lack of transparency within the non-domestic rates system; recognises that hospitality businesses pay proportionately more in rates as compared to their share of the economy, and calls on the Scottish Government to overhaul the system." Further details available for S6M-20653.2 Willie Rennie S6M-20653.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-20653 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Saving Scottish Hospitality), leave out from ", and further" to end and insert “; believes that business rates should support growth and employment and that sudden steep rate hikes threaten the survival of successful businesses; notes that the Northern Ireland Executive has paused its business rates revaluation to avoid large rates increases for many in the hospitality sector, and urges the Scottish Government to pause the implementation of Scotland's revaluations, open the appeals process immediately, and provide additional relief to businesses using the extra funding expected following the UK Government's announcement of relief for pubs and music venues.” Further details available for S6M-20653.1 followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Opposing the Scottish Government's Proposed Council Tax Rises Craig Hoy S6M-20654 That the Parliament notes with concern the ongoing consultation on council tax reform; further notes that central government funding has been reduced in real terms in this and previous Scottish Government budgets; acknowledges the cumulative pressure on households from rising council tax, the introduction of additional local charges, fees and levies, and the increasing likelihood of further council tax rises; recognises the damaging impact that funding reductions are having on frontline and statutory local authority services; expresses a lack of confidence that the current consultation will deliver fair or considered reform, given the Scottish Government’s record of underfunding local government, and calls on the Scottish Government to withdraw the consultation and rule out proceeding with the proposed council tax reforms, including the plan to conduct a revaluation of every home in Scotland for council tax purposes, at a time when households are already struggling with rising bills. Further details available for S6M-20654 Shona Robison S6M-20654.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-20654 in the name of Craig Hoy (Opposing the Scottish Government's Proposed Council Tax Rises), leave out from “with concern” to end and insert “that each local authority sets its own council tax rates; recognises the importance of building political consensus through the current consultation to deliver fair reform to local government taxation, and welcomes that a ‘Mansion Tax' will be brought forward in 2028 that will add two additional council tax bands, to be applied to properties valued at over £1 million.” Further details available for S6M-20654.2 Michael Marra S6M-20654.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-20654 in the name of Craig Hoy (Opposing the Scottish Government's Proposed Council Tax Rises), leave out from first “notes” to end and insert "is concerned for the future of local services, in light of nearly two decades of underfunding of local government by the Scottish National Party administration; regrets the failure of the Scottish Government to build a consensus for much-needed reform of local government taxation, and calls on the next Scottish administration to take leadership and create a sustainable, long-term funding solution for local government." Further details available for S6M-20654.1 followed by Motion on Reconsideration of a Bill: European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill Mark Ruskell S6M-20525 That the Parliament agrees to reconsider the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. Further details available for S6M-20525 followed by Urgent Question Liam Kerr To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the consultation on its proposal to reduce the automatic early release point for certain short-term prisoners from 40% to 30% of their sentence, including details of how and when responses can be submitted. followed by Urgent Question Finlay Carson To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take in light of the concerns raised by the Patient Safety Commissioner at the meeting of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 3 February regarding transparency and risk mitigation in relation to maternity services in Wigtownshire. followed by Decision Time followed by Members’ Business: The Mental Health Impact of Cell Therapies Bill Kidd S6M-19950 That the Parliament recognises the significant mental health impact that cell therapies such as stem cell transplant and CAR-T can have on patients and their families, not only in Glasgow Anniesland but across Scotland; notes the recommendations in the June 2025 report by the charity, Antony Nolan, How we can improve the mental health and wellbeing of cell therapy patients, and further notes the view that all those involved in the delivery of cell therapies should commit to working together towards these recommendations to ensure that every patient and family receive the support they deserve. Further details available for S6M-19950