Official Report: search what was said in Parliament
The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
The Official Report search offers lots of different ways to find the information you’re looking for. The search is used as a professional tool by researchers and third-party organisations. It is also used by members of the public who may have less parliamentary awareness. This means it needs to provide the ability to run complex searches, and the ability to browse reports or perform a simple keyword search.
Searching by different views
The web version of the Official Report has three different views:
- Report: this is the whole Official Report for a particular meeting of a committee or Parliament
- Item of business: this is each individual agenda item in an Official Report. For example, Portfolio Questions would be the item of business in a Meeting of the Parliament report
- Contribution: this is each time someone has made a spoken contribution to a meeting.
Depending on the kind of search you want to do, one of these views will be the best option. The default view is to show the report for each meeting of Parliament or a committee. For a simple keyword search, the results will be shown by item of business.
Search by MSP
When you choose to search by a particular MSP, the results returned will show each spoken contribution in Parliament or a committee, ordered by date with the most recent contributions first. This will usually return a lot of results, but you can refine your search by keyword, date and/or by meeting (committee or Chamber business).
We’ve chosen to display the entirety of each MSP’s contribution in the search results. This is intended to reduce the number of times that users need to click into an actual report to get the information that they’re looking for, but in some cases it can lead to very short contributions (“Yes.”) or very long ones (Ministerial statements, for example.) We’ll keep this under review and get feedback from users on whether this approach best meets their needs.
Searching by keyword
There are two types of keyword search:
- A keyword search without quotation marks will look for every instance of each word used and rank the results by frequency and proximity. It will also include variants of the keywords using “porter stemming”. This is when the search looks for the “stem” of a word regardless of its ending. So, for example, a search for [salmon farm] will return each instance of “salmon” and each instance of “farm” as well as potentially including results for “farms”, “farmed” and “farming”.
- A keyword search with quotation marks will only return instances of that exact phrase used. So, for example, a search for “salmon farm” in quotation marks will only return instances of that exact phrase.
Combining search filters
If you select an MSP’s name from the dropdown menu, and add a phrase in quotation marks to the keyword field, then the search will return only examples of when the MSP said those exact words. You can further refine this search by adding a date range or selecting a particular committee or Meeting of the Parliament.
More complex keyword searches
It’s also possible to run basic Boolean searches. For example:
- a search for “salmon farm” AND “Loch Lomond” will return only results which include both exact phrases
- a search for “salmon farm” NOT “Loch Lomond” will return results for “salmon farm” but exclude results which also include “Loch Lomond”
- a search for “salmon farm” OR “Loch Lomond” will return all results for “salmon farm” and all results for “Loch Lomond” regardless of whether they appear together
Searching by date
There are two ways of searching by date.
You can either use the Start date and End date options to run a search across a particular date range. For example, you may know that a particular subject was discussed at some point in the last few weeks and choose a date range to reflect that.
Alternatively, you can use one of the pre-defined date ranges under “Select a time period”. These are:
- Current session (all Official Reports since the current sessions started)
- Last 6 months
- Last 12 months
- each of the previous sessions of Parliament. (Selecting the information icon above the “Select a time period” menu will give you the exact dates for each session.)
- All sessions
- You can also choose to select a custom date range, although adding a Start or End date will mean the search automatically defaults to this option.
If you search by an individual session, the list of MSPs and committees will automatically update to show only the MSPs and committees which were current during that session. For example, if you select Session 1 you will be show a list of MSPs and committees from Session 1.
If you add a custom date range which crosses more than one session of Parliament, the lists of MSPs and committees will update to show the information that was current at that time.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Displaying 12242 contributions
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Meeting of the Parliament
Business Motions
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-14732, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, setting out a business programme. I invite Jamie Hepburn to move the motion.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees—
(a) the following programme of business—
Tuesday 8 October 2024
2.00 pm Time for Reflection
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Topical Questions (if selected)
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Challenge Poverty Week
followed by Committee Announcements
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Wednesday 9 October 2024
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business;
Justice and Home Affairs
followed by Scottish Green 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 10 October 2024
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:
Education and Skills
followed by Stage 1 Debate: Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill
followed by Business Motions
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
5.00 pm Decision Time
Tuesday 29 October 2024
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 30 October 2024
2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions
2.00 pm Portfolio Questions:
Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic;
Finance and Local Government
followed by Scottish Conservative and Unionist 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 31 October 2024
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:
Net Zero and Energy, and Transport
followed by Finance and Public Administration Committee Debate: Scotland’s Commissioner Landscape
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 7 October 2024, 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]
Motion agreed to.
Meeting of the Parliament
Housing Emergency
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The cabinet secretary is concluding.
Meeting of the Parliament
Housing Emergency
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
Please remember to speak through the chair.
Meeting of the Parliament
Parliamentary Bureau Motions
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The next item of business is consideration of two Parliamentary Bureau motions. I ask Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, to move motions S6M-14735, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, and S6M-14736, on designation of a lead committee.
Motions moved,
That the Parliament agrees that the Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2024 [draft] be approved.
That the Parliament agrees that the Criminal Justice Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.—[Jamie Hepburn]
Meeting of the Parliament
Decision Time
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
There will be a division. There will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.
17:14 Meeting suspended.17:17 On resuming—
Meeting of the Parliament
Decision Time
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The next question is, that motion S6M-14719, in the name of Anas Sarwar, on the housing emergency, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Members: No.
Meeting of the Parliament
Decision Time
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The result of the division on motion S6M-14719, in the name of Anas Sarwar, on the housing emergency, as amended, is: For 59, Against 55, Abstentions 8.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that Scotland is in a housing emergency; notes the Scottish Government’s ongoing work with partners, including COSLA and the Housing to 2040 Board, on priorities in tackling the housing emergency; highlights the Scottish Government’s commitment to provide £80 million across 2024-25 and 2025-26 to support acquisitions and bring empty social homes back into use, bringing the Affordable Housing Supply Programme investment to almost £600 million this year, and its commitment to £100 million for 2,800 mid-market rent homes; welcomes the investment of £22 million in affordable housing through charitable bonds and the launch of a planning hub to improve capacity and skills; notes the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which includes key measures on preventing homelessness, including action through rent controls, and calls on the UK Government to reverse the 9% capital budget cut, to permanently uprate local housing allowance to the 30th percentile of local rents, and to scrap the so-called bedroom tax in its Autumn Budget.
Meeting of the Parliament
Decision Time
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
That concludes decision time.
Meeting of the Parliament
Business Motions
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-14742, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill timetable and suspension and variations of standing orders. I invite Jamie Hepburn to move the motion.
Motion moved,
That, subject to the Parliament’s agreement to the general principles of the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill, the Parliament agrees, for the purposes of further consideration of the Bill, that—
(a) consideration of the Bill at stage 2 be completed by Tuesday 29 October 2024;
(b) Stage 3 proceedings take place on Tuesday 5 November 2024;
(c) Rule 9.5.3A be suspended;
(d) Rule 9.5.3B be suspended;
(e) Rule 9.6.3A be suspended;
(f) Rule 9.7.8A be suspended;
(g) Rule 9.7.8B be suspended;
(h) Rule 9.7.9 be suspended;
(i) Rule 9.7.9A be suspended;
(j) Rule 9.10.2 be varied to replace the words “fourth sitting” where they first appear with “sixth”, so that the deadline for lodging a stage 2 amendment will be the sixth day before proceedings; and
(k) Rule 9.10.2A be varied to replace the word “fifth” where it first appears with “second”, so that the deadline for lodging a stage 3 amendment will be the second sitting day before proceedings.—[Jamie Hepburn]
Motion agreed to.
Meeting of the Parliament
Housing Emergency
Meeting date: 2 October 2024
Alison Johnstone
Let us hear Mr Griffin.
