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The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-19136, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Tuesday 7 October 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
6.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 8 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business;
Justice and Home Affairs
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
followed by Ministerial Statement: Secure Accommodation – Capacity and Future of Secure
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.40 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 9 October 2025
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Education and Skills
followed by Ministerial Statement: Youth Mental Health Support
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill
followed by Motion on Legislative Consent: Planning and Infrastructure Bill - UK Legislation
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 28 October 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
9.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 29 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic;
Finance and Local Government
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
9.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 30 October 2025
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:
Climate Action and Energy, and Transport
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
(b) that, for the purposes of Portfolio Questions in the week beginning 6 October 2025, in rule 13.7.3, after the word “except” the words “to the extent to which the Presiding Officer considers that the questions are on the same or similar subject matter or” are inserted.—[Graeme Dey]
17:42
I wish to speak to the business motion and to make two arguments to the Minister for Parliamentary Business, both of which I set out to him in detail in writing at 5:28 yesterday evening. I acknowledge the courtesy of the helpful reply that I received from Mr Dey this afternoon, to which I have replied in turn.
I have two suggested additions to business. First, I argue that a visitor levy reform bill should be brought forward to the Parliament, possibly using the expedited bill process, which, to my knowledge—I could be corrected—has never been employed in the history of devolution. The process is designed to achieve reform when there is consensus among the major parties, which everyone can see is required here.
The proposed reform was the subject of some political jousting last week in the chamber, but it is very simple. The law as passed entitles local authorities to charge a visitor levy only on a percentage basis. It does not allow them the opportunity to charge a flat-rate tax, which is the method that is employed in many places in Europe where a visitor levy has been applied. Many local authorities wish to proceed in that fashion, but they cannot. It is fair to say that the Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee, the Deputy First Minister and others have listened to the industry. I have met them and have written to them; I will not go through the whole litany of representations, but I have done all that. It is also fair to say that they have now accepted that it is a flaw and a defect in the law. Short of entering the confessional, I do not think that we will get much more on that front.
However, my first submission is that, where there is a defect in the law—I think that all the major parties accept that there is—the first duty is to correct that before we go on to pass more laws. Our performance, collectively as a Parliament, is surely judged in part by the quality of our legislation and whether it is flawed. I am afraid that, of late, our reputation has become a bit tarnished.
My thesis is that, before we pass new laws, we should correct the defects. Over the coming weeks there will be lots of opportunities to defer things and, perhaps, introduce a visitor levy reform bill.
Fergus Ewing has eloquently echoed my view that this issue is one of deep concern to businesses across Scotland. Does he acknowledge that the Conservative group wrote to the minister last week on the exact point that Mr Ewing has just made, which is that we need an emergency or expedited bill to come before the Parliament, so that we can correct the defects that the SNP has created?
Yes, I think that that is fair. There is, broadly speaking, an agreement that this is something that needs to be done. I am pleased that Mr Eagle has made a point that I omitted to make, which is that we are talking about something that is not simply a technical defect but one that could have serious adverse consequences.
I voted against the legislation because I think that the tax burden is already too high, with VAT at 20 per cent—who knows what it is going to be in November—and because the proposed tax is unworkable.
Will the member take an intervention?
I am very sorry, but I have only one minute left in which to advance my second argument.
I believe that the tax, as it currently stands, is unworkable, because the Improvement Service, which is supposed to supply the information technology platform, has paused that work and now says that it will be ready in spring 2026. However, the tax is due to go live on 24 July. If there is slippage, we will move into utter commercial chaos and run the risk of the situation turning into a running sore and the policy becoming a laughing stock.
A pause is essential, so I would like to hear a ministerial statement within the next few weeks that sets out how a pause can be achieved. Further, if—my goodness—there is to be reform that retrospectively changes the existing schemes, that is a further complication that also justifies a pause.
Finally, in the past couple of days, I spoke to a hotelier in Inverness who asked how on earth the Improvement Service platform will be compatible with the multiplicity of IT schemes that are deployed by the likes of Expedia, Booking.com and many other agencies. How will that work? Good luck with that.
17:47
I would prefer not to vote against the business motion, but I need to ask for some assurance and a commitment from the minister in relation to an issue that he will be aware that the Greens have repeatedly raised with the Parliamentary Bureau: the long-overdue carbon budgets, which are due to be presented to Parliament and have already been scrutinised by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.
We have been asking for clarity about when the carbon budgets will be put to the vote and an assurance that time will be allocated to debate that hugely important issue. This week, we received a letter from Mr Dey, in his role as the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans, telling us that he hopes that the vote will take place prior to the October recess. Obviously, if that is to happen, it will have to be by next Thursday at the very latest, yet the business motion that is before us does not allocate any time to debate the carbon budgets. Therefore, I am asking for an assurance from the minister.
The Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee has completed its carbon budgets report and published it yesterday. The committee went through the issues at pace in order to ensure that there would be sufficient time to debate the carbon budgets in Parliament before the recess, so that there would be no delay to the climate change plan, which is due to be laid at the end of October or in early November.
I support what the member is saying, and I want to make it clear to the chamber that the committee has played its part to ensure that the carbon budgets can be debated.
As I acknowledged, the committee has undertaken that scrutiny, and the member is quite right that this relates to the timing of the climate change plan, which itself will have to be scrutinised during what is left of the parliamentary session. The point is that the Scottish statutory instrument on the carbon budgets ought to be given some time for debate in the chamber as well. I ask for an assurance from the minister that an amendment to the business motion will be lodged at the start of next week’s business to ensure that time is allocated for us to debate the carbon budgets in the chamber before we are asked to vote on them.
I call the minister to respond on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau.
17:50
The Minister for Public Finance has made it clear that the Government is engaging with industry partners, local authorities and others to understand how we can best provide more flexibility in the implementation of the visitor levy to support local circumstances and requirements. As part of that on-going process of engagement, the minister will shortly write to all parties, offering to meet to discuss options on how to address requests for the introduction of flexibilities as to how the levy is applied and administered. I acknowledge the constructive correspondence that we have had from the Conservative Party.
The minister has also made it clear that the Government has been considering the most appropriate legislative vehicle to make any required changes to primary legislation. We will share the Government’s amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill as part of those discussions, in the interests of transparency. To be clear, there is no intention to pause but there is an intention to move ahead. In doing that, we will look to work constructively with members who are of a mind to engage constructively. If a statement of any kind were to be sought or felt necessary thereafter, the Government would give due consideration to that.
On the points that Patrick Harvie raised, as I said in my letter to the Green business manager, Lorna Slater, we are absolutely mindful of the need for Parliament to have the correct scrutiny period. I expect that Parliament will have the opportunity to vote on the SSI prior to the October recess.
On the point about allocating time for contributions in the chamber, I am sure that the business bureau will consider that when it meets next week. I am certainly open to considering that possibility.
Thank you. We move to the vote on the motion.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Tuesday 7 October 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
6.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 8 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business;
Justice and Home Affairs
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Business
followed by Ministerial Statement: Secure Accommodation – Capacity and Future of Secure
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.40 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 9 October 2025
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Education and Skills
followed by Ministerial Statement: Youth Mental Health Support
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill
followed by Motion on Legislative Consent: Planning and Infrastructure Bill - UK Legislation
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 28 October 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
9.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 29 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic;
Finance and Local Government
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
9.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 30 October 2025
11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
11.40 am General Questions
12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions
followed by Members’ Business
2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.30 pm Portfolio Questions:
Climate Action and Energy, and Transport
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
(b) that, for the purposes of Portfolio Questions in the week beginning 6 October 2025, in rule 13.7.3, after the word “except” the words “to the extent to which the Presiding Officer considers that the questions are on the same or similar subject matter or” are inserted.
The next item of business is consideration of business motions S6M-19137 and S6M-19138, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on the timetabling of a bill at stage 1.
Motions moved,
That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill at stage 1 be completed by 23 January 2026.
That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill at stage 1 be completed by 30 January 2026.—[Graeme Dey]
Motions agreed to.
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