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The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-18921, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Tuesday 23 September 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Housing (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
10.00 pm Decision Time
Wednesday 24 September 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: Housing (Scotland) Bill
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Improving Literacy in Scotland’s Schools
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 25 September 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:
Climate Action and Energy, and Transport
followed by Ministerial Statement: One Scotland, Many Voices: A Shared Future
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Tuesday 30 September 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 1 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands;
Health and Social Care
followed by Scottish Labour Party Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.10 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 2 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:
Social Justice and Housing
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Dog Theft (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 22 September 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.—[Jamie Hepburn]
16:25
Just for parliamentary transparency, I wonder whether I could have confirmation on the record that, in line with the letter that I received from the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise on 4 September, there will be a ministerial statement next week on the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill, even if the Minister for Parliamentary Business cannot confirm the time for that. I put on the record that I am grateful to the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise for arranging to meet me tomorrow afternoon.
16:26
I agree with everything that Liz Smith has just said, but I want to move the subject on slightly.
As you will know, Presiding Officer, I have tried numerous times this week to get a statement on Minister Jim Fairlie’s seagull summit, which is happening next Tuesday. You have competing demands to deal with, Presiding Officer, and you have your own reasons for not selecting questions, and I respect that. However, through parliamentary procedures, I now have an opportunity to speak for up to five minutes on the issue.
The reason why I want to raise it is that what the minister is doing next Tuesday is a sham and a farce. He came to the chamber months ago and said:
“I will have a summit later this year to discuss with members and the people who are raising those issues”.—[Official Report, 28 May 2025; c 9.]
The summit that he plans to go ahead with next Tuesday is excluding members, because politicians are not invited; it is excluding the public, because it is not open to the public; and it is also excluding the press. A cast-iron commitment that was given, in the Parliament, to have a meaningful summit is now turning into a Scottish National Party talking shop, and the participants will be talking to themselves. Jim Fairlie will be sitting in Great Glen house, which is the headquarters of NatureScot, listening to his officials, listening to himself and listening to quango bosses, and not listening to the public.
Will the member give way?
I will give way in a moment. I am glad that the minister is interested in this, because the Government has not been, so far.
The summit will not involve listening to the public, who have repeatedly been raising concerns about the issue.
The point about the location is important, because Fergus Ewing wrote to the minister and asked for the summit to be held in a neutral venue. He suggested Eden Court, but NatureScot said that it must be held at Great Glen house so that there would be a broadband connection to live stream the summit to a wider audience. This week, NatureScot has said that it now refuses to live stream the summit, so the whole reason for having it at its headquarters has now been thrown out.
On that point, I will give way to the minister.
I just wonder at what stage Mr Ross might speak to the business motion that is before us.
As an aside, I say that I have not had any request sent to me for a statement on the matter. As a matter of public record, it is important to make that point.
In the next three minutes, I will get there, because we have up to five minutes. The reason why there has not been a statement request is that I was looking at other opportunities. I put in a topical question request, and I put in an urgent question request yesterday, and one today. Those were not selected, so I am now using the opportunity that is afforded to every MSP to speak for up to five minutes on a topic of their choice that they would like to see in the business motion.
Just for clarity for all members, this is an opportunity to speak to items that members wish to see in a future business programme.
That is exactly what I want. It is important to set this out as an issue because, at the moment, the Scottish National Party minister will be going ahead with something that does not meet any of the conditions that he set.
The summit will not be independently chaired; it will be chaired by the minister for a short period, then he will be jumping into his ministerial car and heading down the road again. It will not be held at a neutral venue; it will be held at the headquarters of NatureScot, which has been the biggest blocker throughout the whole process, and it will not be made open to the public. Nairn and Inverness’s business improvement districts were involved in trying to set the summit up, and they are now considering whether they should even go to it.
In the business motion, I want to see the Scottish Government postpone the Tuesday summit, make a statement to the Parliament next week on its postponement, and set out what it will do to make the summit truly open and reflective. It must allow members of the public to give their views directly to the minister, so that he does not sit behind a closed door in NatureScot’s headquarters and listen only to people with whom he agrees or who agree with him, but that he instead listens to the public.
In Eyemouth, we have the same issue with seagulls attacking constituents. I asked Jim Fairlie directly what would happen when it came to the representation of Eyemouth constituents at the seagull summit, and he replied that he would share the recommendations from that summit. Therefore, I back my colleague’s recommendation for a statement in the Parliament—by 100 per cent—because this Government is not listening to our constituents about the threat of seagulls in our constituencies.
Please conclude, Mr Ross.
The Scottish Government is not listening to anyone who disagrees with it. We have been told that a pest controller will be at Tuesday’s summit to give an update. It is the same pest controller whose idea to control gull numbers was to pick up eggs and chicks and take them to wildlife sanctuaries, but who also said that it would not be possible to implement that approach in the Highlands and Islands, where the summit is being held.
My plea to the minister is that the Government should listen to the concerns of business improvement district members, politicians across the political spectrum and members of the public who want next week’s summit to be postponed in favour of a rearranged future summit—one that is open and transparent and that involves listening—at a neutral venue that is open to the public, and that that should be included in next week’s business programme.
16:32
I will do what Mr Ross did not, which is to speak to the business motion that is before us.
As an aside, the Tories have a new business manager. I cannot say that it speaks much for Mr Ross’s confidence in him that he decided not to speak to his business manager about raising the matter with me.
Grow up!
I can hear the Conservatives decrying that. I have not had a single representation from the Conservative business manager on the issue. I have had representations on plenty of other issues, but not on that one. If Mr Ross cares to go via his business manager, as is the normal practice, to raise the matter with me, I will give it every consideration.
The problem with asking for statements is that we have asked for many and none of them has come forward. We get them coming, drip by drip, over a period of weeks.
It is an urgent issue, which is why I went through the process of asking a topical question and an urgent question. When those approaches were not successful, my next opportunity as a member was to raise the matter by responding to the business motion. The minister could satisfy us all by saying that his Government will postpone the existing summit, organise a proper one that will involve listening to people, and include that in next week’s business motion.
Douglas Ross knows that it is utter nonsense to say that we do not make requested statements. A statement was requested on the Alexander Dennis situation, and we gave that statement today. It was made at the Conservative Party’s request, therefore we do bring those matters forward.
Let me come to the matter at hand, which is the business motion. I thank Liz Smith for speaking to it. She made the point that she had already raised the issue with the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise. She asked about the statement on the matter, and the minister has made a commitment that there will be one. It speaks to my point, which is that the Conservative business manager raised the issue with me. I made it clear to him that we will make a statement on the matter. I made that point to all business managers and to the Presiding Officer.
I make that commitment now: we will make a statement, and I will lodge a revised business motion, which will be subject to the Parliamentary Bureau’s agreement next week.
The question is, that motion S6M-18921, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Tuesday 23 September 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Housing (Scotland) Bill
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
10.00 pm Decision Time
Wednesday 24 September 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: Housing (Scotland) Bill
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Improving Literacy in Scotland’s Schools
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 25 September 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:
Climate Action and Energy, and Transport
followed by Ministerial Statement: One Scotland, Many Voices: A Shared Future
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Financial Resolution: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Tuesday 30 September 2025
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Business
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 1 October 2025
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands;
Health and Social Care
followed by Scottish Labour Party Business
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)
5.10 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Thursday 2 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:
Social Justice and Housing
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Dog Theft (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 22 September 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 motion S6M-18922, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on the timetabling of a bill at stage 1.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill at stage 1 be completed by 16 January 2026.—[Jamie Hepburn]
Motion agreed to.