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Parliament dissolved ahead of election

The Scottish Parliament is now dissolved ahead of the election on Thursday 7 May 2026.

During dissolution, there are no MSPs and no parliamentary business can take place.

For more information, please visit Election 2026

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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Session 6: 13 May 2021 to 8 April 2026
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Displaying 2524 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

Absolutely. Responsibility for the outcome lies with Westminster legislation and the design of the devolution settlement. As the First Minister has made clear, we stand ready to engage with the UK Government at any point to begin talks about the change to the Scottish Parliament’s powers that would allow the Scottish people to choose their future. To continue to deny that is to continue to deny democracy.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

In a previous answer, I drew members’ attention to a range of interventions in relation to health and education. If the member wishes to highlight specific issues that I did not cover, I encourage her to get in touch with my ministerial colleague; he will reply to her as a priority.

I hope that everyone appreciates that doing everything that can possibly be done to help and support Ukrainian refugees is the aim of this Government—as, I believe, it is the aim of all members in this Parliament. Together, we will try to ensure that all the appropriate services—and safeguards; the member raised health safeguards—are put in place to help and support those people in their time of need.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

The Scottish Government has substantially increased resources to Historic Environment Scotland in recognition of the impact of the pandemic on Historic Environment Scotland’s commercial income. Over 2022-23, we will support Historic Environment Scotland with £60.6 million to maintain Scotland’s heritage and historic environment—an 80 per cent increase on pre-pandemic levels of funding.

Historic Environment Scotland is working hard to reopen our heritage sites as soon as it is safe to do so.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

Only a few days have passed since St Andrew’s day, which was marked formally in the Scottish Parliament for the first time, and with events elsewhere to promote Scotland at home and abroad. I take the opportunity to thank everyone who was involved and hope that all parties will associate themselves with particular thanks to our international representatives, who deserve our appreciation.

I turn to Foysol Choudhury’s question. Since the Centre for the Moving Image entered administration, the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland have been engaging with partners to explore options for cultural cinema programme activity in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as for a 2023 edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. As the member may be aware, Screen Scotland has recently acquired the intellectual property rights to the film festival and is exploring the potential for a 2023 event.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

In relation to the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen, the administration process is on-going, so it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on the proceedings. However, I assure Foysol Choudhury that the Scottish Government is continuing to engage with key partners on the matter and, more generally, in relation to the perfect storm that he rightly described—the pressures that the culture sector and sectors further afield are enduring.

I am meeting representatives of the culture sector literally every week to try to deal with this particular challenge, which the member is right to raise.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

I really look forward to debating all those issues with Willie Rennie when we begin the referendum campaign next year, which the people of Scotland returned a majority of members to this place to hold. I know that Willie Rennie has limited influence, but perhaps he would, nonetheless, use it to persuade all political parties, including his own, to allow democracy to take its course. I will then look forward to debating that and any other issue with him.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

Many of the criticisms of the current constitutional set-up that are made by the report in question echo the Scottish Government’s criticism of the Westminster Government’s failure to respect the Scottish devolution settlement, the limitations of the existing devolved powers, the inadequacies of the existing structures of intergovernmental relations and the scale of regional inequality. All of that critique is absolutely correct.

However, I remember Gordon Brown saying in 2014 that, if Scotland voted no, we would live in a federation. That has not happened, and he is now promising even less.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

Those issues are kept constantly under review. I think that the member appreciates that the safety of visitors to sites is the paramount consideration for Historic Environment Scotland, but I totally agree that the speediest possible safe reopening of sites is what we should all be aiming for. I am happy to write to Sarah Boyack to update her on any specific questions that she has in relation to the economic impact.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

It is important that the record shows that the only new economic border in the United Kingdom is being introduced by the UK Tory Government, between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I note that the Labour Party has no plans to change that. I look forward to the lifting of border controls between Scotland and 27 European Union countries through our rejoining the EU, and I look forward to retention of the common travel area between the home nations, to friction-free trade in services with the rest of the UK, and to all necessary measures that will facilitate Scotland’s membership in the biggest single market in the world.

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 December 2022

Angus Robertson

I absolutely agree with Kenneth Gibson. The challenges that the sector faces, which are not unique to Scotland, exist as a result of spiralling inflation and a cost crisis that is hitting the culture sector, in particular. The UK Government has failed to get to grips with the issue. In addition, the pandemic has hit the culture sector harder than it has hit almost any other sector, so the UK Government’s decision to prematurely end financial support means that the sector is still feeling the effects.

Until now, I have not had the opportunity to speak personally with either the previous or the current Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. I look forward to meeting the latter next week to bring up those very points.