Meeting of the Parliament

Time for Reflection Rev Tommy MacNeil, Minister, Martin's Memorial Church, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis followed by Topical Questions Tess White S6T-02484 1. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the interim update from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission on the practical implications of the recent UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers. Martin Whitfield S6T-02486 2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure greater access to affordable early years provision, in light of reports of th e rising cost of childcare for families with children under the age of three. followed by Scottish Government Debate: Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times Kate Forbes S6M-17352 That the Parliament recognises the value of Scotland’s heavy industrial and manufacturing sectors, and the significant contribution that they make to the national and regional economy; notes recent developments in global trade policy and their potential economic impact; welcomes the UK Government’s intervention in British Steel to support the continued resilience of the supply chain, and believes that the UK Government should give similar consideration to its engagement with the Grangemouth oil refinery, given its significance to national resilience and high-quality job opportunities. Murdo Fraser S6M-17352.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-17352 in the name of Kate Forbes (Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times), leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert “condemns the UK Labour administration’s increase to employer national insurance contributions, which broke an explicit manifesto promise and put a large additional burden on industry in already challenging circumstances, putting jobs at risk; regrets that the Scottish Government’s Budget chose to keep Scotland as the highest taxed part of the UK and failed to pass on business rates relief in full, hitting workers, consumers and businesses; calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise common-sense policies for economic growth that develop skills in the workforce and ensure that the tax system is competitive, efficient, simple and fair; notes that the UK Government’s intervention in British Steel provides necessary support for the resilience of a strategic supply chain; recognises that the Grangemouth oil refinery is also part of a strategic supply chain that is important to both national resilience and high-quality job opportunities, and invites further consideration by both the Scottish Government and the UK Government of means to preserve this important national asset.” Daniel Johnson S6M-17352.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-17352 in the name of Kate Forbes (Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times), leave out from “, and believes” to end and insert “; further welcomes the swift action taken by the UK Government following the General Election 2024 in recognition of the importance of the Grangemouth oil refinery, including its support for Project Willow and the commitment of £200 million to invest in the industrial future of the site, and calls on the Scottish Government to commit to publishing a detailed timeline setting out how and when it will implement the policy and regulatory changes needed to attract investment into the technologies identified by Project Willow.” Lorna Slater S6M-17352.4 As an amendment to motion S6M-17352 in the name of Kate Forbes (Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times), leave out from "the Grangemouth" to end and insert "Grangemouth as it transitions to supporting Scotland's journey to a low-carbon economy, protecting the jobs of the highly-skilled workers at the site, and demonstrating how Scotland's industrial sites can implement the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, in the understanding that a just transition requires substantial public funding and support that private, profit-driven owners of energy infrastructure cannot be trusted to provide." Jamie Greene S6M-17352.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-17352 in the name of Kate Forbes (Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times), insert at end "; notes that over many years, several industrial interventions have been made by the Scottish Government necessitating significant public funding, as seen at Prestwick Airport, Ferguson Marine, the steelworks at Dalzell, the Bifab fabrication yards and the Alvance smelter at Lochaber, which have resulted in hundreds of millions of pounds of written-off loans and cash injections, unclear futures for many of these businesses and a perennial struggle to return the businesses into private commercial ownership; regrets that there appears not to exist any long-term wider industrial strategy in Scotland, and believes that, where and when the Scottish Government intervenes in business in future, it should adopt a proactive, not reactive, approach to industrial interventions that ensures value for public money and robust exit strategies are prime considerations." followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-16803 Marie McNair: Testicular Cancer Awareness Month That the Parliament recognises Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout the month of April 2025; notes that this takes place to raise awareness about testicular cancer and educate people about early detection and treatment; understands that this disease most commonly affects people aged between 15 and 45, and that, if detected early, testicular cancer has more than a 95% cure rate; further understands that approximately 220 people in Scotland are diagnosed each year, with the most common symptoms being a lump or swelling in a testicle, or dull ache, pain or heaviness in the scrotum; recognises what it sees as the importance of this month in raising awareness of the symptoms, tackle common myths and encourage self-checking; commends the tireless work done by Scotland’s only dedicated testicular cancer charity, Cahonas Scotland, based in Clydebank, and thanks it for the significant work that it has done to raise awareness, from its "Check Yer Bawballs" campaign, which garnered significant media attention, to its educational talks and free resources, and for its work supporting men beyond diagnosis with cancer care packs, a podcast and peer support programme, and hopes for a productive and successful Testicular Cancer Awareness Month.