As part of our work to provide the people of Scotland with the information that they need to make an informed choice about their future, Scottish Government ministers and officials have met a range of third sector organisations throughout the course of the publication of the “Building a New Scotland” series. We will continue to engage with the people of Scotland and our civic organisations positively and respectfully to set out the case for an independent Scotland in the European Union, and how that could make Scotland a wealthier and fairer place for all who live here.

The Scottish Government appreciates the work of the third sector, which often provides lifeline services to our most vulnerable communities during the current cost of living crisis. Recent research by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations demonstrates that more organisations are feeling the impact of rising costs, inflation and other financial pressures, which is in turn impacting on their ability to deliver their vital services. An independent Scotland in the European Union would create opportunities for a fairer and wealthier country away from the Brexit-based economic model of low growth and high inequality.

I thank Humza Yousaf for securing this important debate. I pay tribute to him for his principled stance on the issue as minister, cabinet secretary, First Minister and, today, as a member of the Scottish Parliament. He has been a voice for victims of this terrible conflict from the very beginning, as well as an advocate of tolerance at home and of speaking out against all forms of discrimination, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. I also pay tribute to all members who have spoken so powerfully in the debate.

The Scottish Government has welcomed Ireland, Norway, Spain and Slovenia’s recognition of the state of Palestine; they have joined with 141 other states in doing so. Today, we were updated that the Republic of Armenia has done likewise. The First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition on 28 May to call on the United Kingdom to do the same. I reiterate that call for the UK to review its position following the recent, welcome decision by our European neighbours. Recognition would offer hope to Palestinians that a just, durable political solution is possible, and it would allow Israel and Palestine to move towards long-term peace and stability, which is in the interest of all parties.

Although it may sometimes seem like a distant prospect, the Scottish Government continues to support the position of the UK and the European Union that there should be a two-state solution that respects the human rights of everyone in the region to ensure that a secure Israel can live peacefully alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. Only through such an outc-ome can the cycle of violence that is killing and injuring so many innocent civilians be ended.

The Scottish Government has been consistent in condemning unequivocally the abhorrent terrorist actions of Hamas and in calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, by all sides, in Israel and in Gaza. A ceasefire is the only way that we can halt the catastrophic human suffering in Gaza and for all the hostages to be released.

I repeat the Scottish Government’s demand for Hamas to release immediately and unconditionally all hostages and to cease all missile attacks against Israel. Hamas can have no future in Gaza. The cycle of violence must end, the rockets and bombings must stop, humanitarian and medical facilities must be protected, and civilians must be given unrestricted access to the basic necessities of life, wherever they are.

I take the opportunity to commend the generosity of aid organisations and community groups across Scotland, including in Humza Yousaf’s constituency of Glasgow Pollok, for their generosity in sending aid to ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. That generosity is consistent with the outpouring of support that ordinary Scots have provided for innocent victims of conflict elsewhere, most recently in Ukraine. The Scottish Government has also responded to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by committing £750,000 of Scotland’s international aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s flash appeal.

Having been repeatedly displaced, an estimated 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering in tent camps and cramped apartments, desperate for food, desperate for water and desperate for medical supplies. The health system, along with much of the infrastructure in Gaza, has been decimated. Life-saving aid has been systematically blocked from entering the territory, in contravention of international law. The International Court of Justice has been crystal clear that Israel must ensure unimpeded access to Gaza for humanitarian aid.

I urge all parties to step up their efforts to agree a ceasefire urgently, so that the hostages can at last be reunited with their families, the bombing can stop and the unimaginable suffering that this conflict has caused can finally end.

The Scottish Government does not believe that there is a case to send more weapons to Israel. The UN Security Council has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and ministers have made it clear that, by continuing to arm Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in killing innocent civilians. The former First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister calling for a ban on arms exports to Israel—a call that has not yet been heeded. We will continue to press the UK Government on that issue.

Today, in this Parliament, we have overwhelmingly agreed that Palestine must be recognised as an independent state. Doing nothing is not an option. The UK should join the international community and do the right thing—recognise Palestine as an independent state and secure a ceasefire and a two-state solution, so that Palestine and Israel can live in peace, security, prosperity and independence.

The Scottish Government has on-going dialogue with all our major arts festivals, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The decision to withdraw from corporate sponsorship is a matter for the festival itself. However, as I have stated publicly on a number of occasions, sponsorship plays a crucial role in supporting culture in Scotland. We are committed to working with sponsors and sector organisations, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, to help to maintain those valuable relationships.

The issue of disinvestment and the risk of contagion—there is a real risk that, in addition to Baillie Gifford, other sponsors will feel that they are under pressure to consider or reconsider their existing arrangements—are detrimental to the cultural and arts sector. It behoves us all to explore ways in which we can safeguard and protect the private sector in philanthropic giving. We are working closely with the festivals and others to explore that. We are also working with Governments elsewhere in the United Kingdom, because the difficulty that Edinburgh International Book Festival is facing is being felt by book festival organisers elsewhere in the UK, including in Wales and England, and I believe that a four-nations meeting will be held with representatives from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport tomorrow.

I do not think that there is a simple solution, but we are open-minded. If the member and her colleagues, or members from across the chamber, have any ideas, I would be very open to hearing them.

I have given reassurance to Neil Bibby on that issue a number of times. We regularly meet the arts sector, including the festivals—I venture to say that we do so on a weekly basis. However we want to badge them, I assure him that such meetings are taking place, and that issues such as disinvestment and sponsorship are matters of very high priority for me and for my officials.

Obviously, as the MSP for Edinburgh Central, I am recused from day-to-day decision making in relation to this question, but, in general terms, the issue is one of very high priority. Meetings are being conducted with the Edinburgh festivals and with others to make sure that the challenge is being confronted head on.

As the member does, I have concerns about climate change, and I have very severe concerns about what has been happening to Israeli hostages and to the people of Gaza. However, I do not think that disinvestment from cultural events such as the Edinburgh international book festival furthers those aims. It should be the aim of everybody involved that we have ethical support, ethical philanthropy and ethical giving. I know that Baillie Gifford is committed to that, and I know that the festivals are committed to it. We need to find a way of giving assurance to people who are concerned about issues such as climate change and the situation in Gaza, but we need to do that in a way that does not fundamentally undermine our arts and culture sector.

I have regular discussions with Culture Counts and other cultural organisations about plans to increase funding for culture in Scotland. There are areas of the sector that should be hugely exciting for young people who want to begin a career in the arts. I point the member to the boom in the screen sector, which we are very supportive of.

I give him the commitment that we have no plans to reduce culture spending. We are planning to increase culture spending, and we are doing so; that is in contrast to the Conservative Party, which is cutting it in England.

We have continued to urge the United Kingdom Government since October 2023 to use its influence to ensure that the barriers to aid getting into and distributed throughout Gaza, which are in contravention of international humanitarian law, are removed.

We have also called for the UK Government to recognise the state of Palestine, end the licensing of arms exports to Israel and reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. It is now critical that all parties step up their efforts to agree to the ceasefire deal that has been tabled by the United States, so that the unimaginable suffering that is being caused by the conflict can finally end.

We have worked closely with our partner-country Governments on the design of new health, education and equalities programmes, with stakeholders kept informed throughout the process.

Our new health programme has been closely aligned to national priorities and it has been informed by our extensive research and elements that are already launched. That includes live competitive grant-funding rounds for Zambia and Rwanda, and will also include a health partnership programme that will support national health service staff partnerships with our partner countries Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda in sectors including emergency medicine.