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 2150 contributions
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Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Portfolio Question Time
Meeting date: 3 March 2022
Emma Harper
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with the land reform minister regarding the future funding of regional land use partnerships. (S6O-00809)
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
United Kingdom Internal Market
Meeting date: 2 March 2022
Emma Harper
Will Willie Rennie give way?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Tackling Alcohol Harms
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
Public Health Scotland has a number of documents to support healthcare professionals to deliver alcohol brief interventions. They are also available on NHS Education for Scotland’s Turas e-learning platform. Are we tracking the uptake of those by healthcare professionals—whether they are nurses, doctors or other professionals—especially those who work in primary care and accident and emergency? Are ABIs a good thing that is working?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Tackling Alcohol Harms
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
Good morning. Dr Gulhane has covered some of what I was going to ask about, but I am interested in the health inequalities where we have made the best progress, and those where we maybe have not.
Elinor Jayne said that if we affect affordability, that will directly relate to consumption, and if we reduce consumption, that will reduce harm. I am interested in what we should do to continue implementing the best progress and where we need to change tack, especially when it comes to pandemic work.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Tackling Alcohol Harms
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
We might not get the answer to my question today. I am aware that there are different models of ADPs. Some have independent chairs who work only three days a month, whereas some have full-time employees, lots of co-ordinators and administration support. I am interested in whether we are looking at examples of best practice in ADPs that have good outcomes, so that such practice can be reflected in other areas.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Tackling Alcohol Harms
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
The alcohol industry is a big part of Scotland’s economy. How do we support that business in Scotland while supporting the industry to take responsibility for the issue and helping it to do what it can to support alcohol-harm reduction?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
Good morning, cabinet secretary. I have a quick question on the 26-month retention period. Our convener rightly mentioned that that is to do with not contacting survivors on an anniversary that is associated with a reported assault. That is part of it, but there was also a consensus on the 26-month period in the feedback from the consultation. Everybody agreed about that, which is why we have got to this point today.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Tackling Alcohol Harms
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
I have a quick question on the families and women issue. I know that the Scottish Government has a framework that has been created for families who are affected by drug and alcohol use in Scotland. That is a framework for a whole-family, holistic approach that is inclusive for families. Women might need to be supported because they might have families to support and they might be carers for family members. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on that framework, which has been implemented, and on progress on its delivery.
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2022
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
The training does not have to be complicated. It does not aim to make people specialists. Does Jackie Dunbar agree that we want the simplest approach to raising awareness of trigger signs that would lead to further referral pathways, for instance?
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Veterans (Mental Health and Wellbeing)
Meeting date: 1 March 2022
Emma Harper
Veterans, service personnel and their families contribute a huge amount to our society. I welcome the great strides that the Scottish Government has made towards ensuring that our veterans and armed forces community receives the best possible support and care, including as we emerge from the pandemic.
While they served, veterans might well have been involved in operations that were integral to our safety, security and wellbeing. Their duties might have placed them in dangerous situations, which could have had a significant impact on their physical and psychological health. The current situation in Ukraine demonstrates that. We see the turmoil as people flee and families are split up as civilians stay behind and put themselves in harm’s way. All of that will have consequences for wellbeing.
From the outset, I note the role of the third sector in promoting the importance of our veterans’ health and wellbeing. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the third sector as we move forward on Scotland’s journey to becoming a wellbeing economy.
The Scottish Government accepted the recommendations in the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s paper, “Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing: a Distinctive Scottish Approach”, and commissioned the Scottish Veterans Care Network to draw up a veterans mental health and action plan.
The action plan’s 38 recommendations are based on three key principles, which are worth repeating. Principle 1 is:
“Veterans will have equal access to mental health and wellbeing services, regardless of where they live”—
that includes veterans in rural areas, which is an important issue in my region of South Scotland. Principle 2 is:
“Veterans should be able to access the right help at the right time”,
and principle 3 is:
“NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Local Authorities and the Third Sector should be appropriately supported to meet the needs of veterans”.
To meet those principles, the Scottish Government has made available £1 million to create a fund that will provide direct financial relief to third sector organisations and projects, including the veterans garden at the Crichton campus in Dumfries and Galloway, which I will talk about a wee bit later. The Scottish Government has been able to continue to fund the unforgotten forces consortium, which is a partnership of 16 civilian and ex-services charities, and it has contributed £500,000 over the next two years to support those organisations’ work to improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of older veterans in Scotland.
I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is working to ensure that all veterans and armed forces personnel have access to suitable and safe housing and do not end up homeless. Following consultations with the housing sector, including the Veterans Scotland housing group, the Scottish Government published “Housing to 2040”, which is Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy. It is welcome that, since 2012, more than £6 million has been made available to deliver more than 100 homes for veterans in Scotland. In the context of that work, I pay particular tribute to Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, which has undertaken veterans awareness training and has been part of the veterans housing allocation scheme in Scotland.
Across my South Scotland region, fantastic individuals and organisations are committed to supporting our veterans and former armed forces personnel. At the Crichton campus in Dumfries, Mark Harper and his dedicated group of volunteers and local veterans run and maintain the Dumfries veterans garden. Their focus is on supporting ex-service personnel by giving them a safe space in which to socialise, learn, garden and access confidential advice and support services, with a focus on PTSD. The Veterans Garden Dumfries runs a monthly breakfast club and drop-in centre, which provides participants with access to relevant information and advice, with support from NHS Dumfries and Galloway and the Crichton Trust.
In 2021, I was able to support and work with The Veterans Garden Dumfries and NHS Dumfries and Galloway to secure endowment funding for the garden. It meant that a relationship could be solidified between NHS mental health services and the Veterans Garden—a relationship that has proven to be massively beneficial. That funding has also allowed Alcohol & Drugs Support South West Scotland to work with the Veterans Garden and to have a drop-in service for everyone. I thank the chief executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Jeff Ace, and Mark Harper, the veteran who runs the garden, for their work. Mark Harper won the volunteer of the year award at the Scottish veterans awards. I ask the cabinet secretary to join me in congratulating Mark on the success of Dumfries veterans garden and invite him to visit it when his diary allows.
I also pay tribute to Robin Hood, who is a former veteran in Dumfries who has been instrumental in supporting SWS RnR and Nithcree heavy goods vehicle training. Graeme Dey will know what I am talking about, because he visited a couple of years ago, when he was the veterans minister. Nithcree Training, with funding from the Scottish Government, supports veterans to train to obtain their HGV licence and security licences. The charity has supported and funded more than 187 veterans not only to achieve their HGV licence but to enter into further employment. It is a great example of how local initiatives can be hugely successful in supporting our local veterans.
I welcome the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to support our veterans, especially in addressing stigma. It seems that, in every mental health debate, we discuss the need to tackle stigma. I realise how important the issue is and have raised it in a number of debates.
I encourage the Government to continue to support the third sector, and I support the Government’s motion.
16:26