Skip to main content
Loading…

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.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

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. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 17 October 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 4319 contributions

|

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

STV

Meeting date: 9 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

Thank you, convener, for the opportunity to join the committee this morning. As colleagues know, I am one of the north-east MSPs, and STV North is located in my constituency. It is safe to say that STV has felt like the beating heart of news coverage in the north-east, along with former Grampian TV, for as long as I can remember. Therefore, the relocation of STV North to the central belt is devastating and brings to an end 60 years of regional news coverage.

I do not mind which of our witnesses comes in on this. I am interested to hear a bit more detail on the importance of local journalism that truly understands and is tuned into the social, economic and cultural aspects of the region. Do you agree that the withdrawal of STV North from Aberdeen risks

“silencing the voice of the North-east at a critical time”

when

“issues such as energy transition and the future of the North Sea are of national importance”,

and not just regional importance? Those are the words of the chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Could you also provide a sense of the impact of the announcement on local career opportunities for young people in the north-east who want to break into a career in the media and who are interested in building their skills and telling local stories that really matter to communities? What impact will the announcement have on, for example, traineeships, apprenticeships and sustaining a pipeline of top-quality north-east journalists?

I draw members’ attention to Robert Gordon University, which is also in my constituency. The school of journalism has a strong collaboration with STV North through student placements and through a memorial bursary for Donald John MacDonald, that wonderful former editor who was with STV for many years and who is remembered through that bursary opportunity.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

STV

Meeting date: 9 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

Thank you very much.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

I will stop you there. We are getting quite long and very helpful responses, but I remind our witnesses to focus on the bill’s provisions. I know that that is difficult, because there are so many interconnections with other issues.

Is that you finished your questions, Liam?

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

Thank you very much for your forbearance. We had a slight technical issue, which we hope is rectified now—we are crossing our fingers. I remind members that we have about 30 minutes left and that a number of members still wish to come in. As ever, I make a plea for succinct questions and answers.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

We are short of time because of the interruption and quite lengthy responses, so if I may, I will bring in other members who have not spoken. If we have time at the end, we will come back to some of the outstanding issues. I will bring in Katy Clark and then Ash Regan.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

I will not ask any supplementaries at the moment. I am conscious from our evidence session with the previous panel that I want to leave as much time as I can for everybody to put their particular questions. I hand over to Liam Kerr.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

Thank you for that full response.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

I ask Laura Baillie to come in, and then Lynsey Walton.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

I call Fulton MacGregor.

Criminal Justice Committee [Draft]

Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 8 October 2025

Audrey Nicoll

Good morning, and welcome to the 27th meeting in 2025 of the Criminal Justice Committee. We have received no apologies this morning, and we are joined by Ash Regan and Rachael Hamilton.

Under our first item of business, we will begin our scrutiny of the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. Two panels of witnesses are joining us, and I intend to allow up to 90 minutes for each panel. I refer members to papers 1 and 2.

I welcome Diane Martin CBE, from A Model for Scotland; Amanda Jane Quick, from Nordic Model Now!; and Bronagh Andrew, who is an operations manager at the trafficking awareness-raising alliance and Routes Out services. You are all very welcome, and I thank those of you who were able to send a written submission in advance of the meeting.

Before we start, I remind everyone that we are here today to consider the bill’s provisions, so I would like questions and answers to stay focused on that, whenever possible. If anyone needs a break at any point, just indicate that to me or one of the clerks, who are sitting on my left.

I will begin by asking some very broad opening questions. What parts of the bill are you supportive of and why? Is there anything in the bill that you disagree with or that you think could be changed or improved? I will come to Bronagh Andrew first.