Chamber and committees

Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio question time, and the portfolio on this occasion is social justice. I remind members who wish to ask a supplementary question to press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question. As members will be aware, we are pretty tight for time across the afternoon, so there is the usual appeal for brevity.

Question 1 has not been lodged.

Please speak always through the chair, minister.

The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-15413, in the name of Michelle Thomson, on promoting the role of women in Scotland’s journey to net zero. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of women in business as Scotland strives to achieve net zero targets; understands that there is a need to stimulate more innovation and entrepreneurship amongst STEM-based sectors to contribute directly to building capacity in Scotland, including in the Falkirk East constituency, and recognises that the wider business sectors also have a role to play in achieving net zero; welcomes the July 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, and particularly the analysis provided by Glasgow, Edinburgh and Strathclyde universities regarding female entrepreneurship in Scotland; celebrates the finding that women are starting and running new businesses at virtually the same rate as men for the first time in Scotland, and that, globally, the female to male gap in entrepreneurship rates is narrowing, and believes that Scotland is leading the way by this measure; considers, therefore, that women entrepreneurs and business leaders will be a vital resource in leading Scotland’s economy towards growth and net zero, but believes that, post-school, the number of females entering STEM-related education, employment or business start-ups remains weak; understands that a 2023 report by Women’s Enterprise Scotland expressed concern that approximately 60% of women-led businesses are somewhat disengaged from achieving net zero, either because of a lack of confidence or a belief that it does not apply to their operations; further understands that a fear of failure is a key cultural barrier to further developing entrepreneurial activity in Scotland at a time when innovation and entrepreneurship will, it believes, be vital to meeting the challenge of achieving net zero, and notes the calls for both effective representation of women in all net zero policy forums and further research into the contribution of women directly in STEM-based businesses and wider business sector activity as net zero is pursued.

That is not a point of order. You are denying people the opportunity to come in with supplementary questions, because we are tied up with this nonsense. I ask the cabinet secretary to resume answering the question, and we will then move on.

That concludes portfolio questions on social justice. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business, to allow those on the front benches to change places.

The next item of business is a statement by Angela Constance on the Scottish Government’s response to fatal accident inquiries into the deaths of Katie Allan and William Brown. The cabinet secretary will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.

Thank you very much, Deputy First Minister. That concludes the debate, and I suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2 o’clock.

I think that you are right, minister. We will investigate that. Ms Stewart, if you are able to respond to the question, we will try to deal with the audio.

The final speaker in the open debate is Lorna Slater—for around four minutes, please.

Cabinet secretary, will you resume your seat for a second? I will not tolerate barracking across the chamber. We had that at First Minister’s question time and we are not going to have it during portfolio questions. We are going to listen to the questions and to the cabinet secretary responding to them.