Chamber and committees

That the Parliament recognises the scale and complexity of the current prison population, which is above the design and operational capacity of the estate and causes significant associated operational and safety risks for prison staff; notes that Scotland has one of the highest prison populations in western Europe; acknowledges the underlying drivers, including the growing number of individuals convicted of serious violent and sexual offences who receive longer sentences, reflecting progress in how the justice system supports victims and holds offenders to account; notes that the cost per prisoner per year to the public purse is £52,000; recognises the importance of effective rehabilitation to reduce re-offending and to benefit the communities that individuals return to; agrees that public safety is paramount and that it is vital that victims are supported and have confidence in the justice system, and agrees, therefore, that a balanced package of measures to increase capacity in the prison estate, expand effective community sentencing, and enact preventative measures to stop people entering or re-entering the prison system, are necessary to achieve a sustainable prison population now and in the future.

That the Parliament, noting that the National Security (State Threats) Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 9 June 2026, makes provision that alters the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, agrees to give consent to such provision as made by paragraph 5 to the Schedule to the Bill.

As an amendment to motion S6M-20731 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Safety of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital), leave out from “is concerned” to end and insert “agrees that whistleblowers in Scotland’s NHS must be protected and supported; notes that NHS Assure was the body created in 2021 to improve risk management and safety in Scotland’s NHS estate; further notes that both Healthcare Improvement Scotland and independent experts have commented on the procedures now in place to ensure the safety of hospital for patients and staff; welcomes the creation of a Safety and Public Confidence Oversight Group, which will look at specific issues, including in relation to the built environment and validation; further welcomes that this group will be co-chaired by Sir Lewis Ritchie to provide additional scrutiny; agrees that Parliament must be kept updated of this group’s work, and further agrees that the chair of the independent inquiry must be given the time and space to come to his conclusions without political interference.”

That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 13 January 2026, relating to clauses 1 to 8, so far as they relate to matters which fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament or alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

As an amendment to motion S6M-20561 in the name of Anas Sarwar (The Role of Political Decision Making in NHS Scandals), leave out from “condemns” to end and insert “pays tribute to the brave patients, families and whistleblowers who have campaigned tirelessly for justice in the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry; recognises the pain, trauma and grief faced by patients and their families at the heart of this inquiry, and notes that the inquiry was established in 2019 to ensure that every individual impacted is able to get the truth that they deserve; notes the fundamental importance of the independence of inquiries, which are enshrined in legislation, under the control of an independent chair, and which operate transparently, reaching conclusions that are not to be influenced by ministers or other vested interests, and agrees, therefore, that the independent Scottish Hospitals Inquiry Chair must be given the time and space to consider all the available evidence.”

That the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recommends that the Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2026 [draft] be approved.

That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 October 2024, and subsequently amended, relating to the prohibition on advertising of the England and Wales Voluntary Assisted Dying Service, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

As an amendment to motion S6M-19977 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Crisis in Social Care), leave out from “Scottish Government’s” to end and insert “UK Government must reverse its hostile and damaging migration policies, which have led to a 77% drop in the number of Health and Social Care visas granted, which in turn is having a devastating impact on the social care sector across Scotland; welcomes the valuable contribution that international workers make to Scotland’s care sector, communities and economy, and notes that the Scottish social care sector has called for the reversal of these harmful policies; reiterates that Scotland is a welcoming nation and that the Scottish Government must continue to ensure that those who have chosen to make Scotland their home can continue to do so; calls for a reversal of the increase in employer national insurance contributions, which has placed an additional £84 million pressure on the sector; recognises that the 2025-26 Budget includes over £15 billion for the local government settlement, including almost £2.2 billion for social care integration, but agrees that the Scottish Government must continue to work closely with partners across the sector, including funding local government and the third sector, to continue making improvements for the social care workforce, and all of those who they support.”

As an amendment to motion S6M-19512 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Scotland’s Maternity Services), leave out from “, and calls” to end and insert “; agrees that a national investigation into the design and delivery of maternity services should take place if Scotland’s new Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce recommends it, and that it should give full consideration to staff and patient welfare; notes that the taskforce will review the findings of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s inspections into all maternity units in Scotland; recognises that no neonatal unit in Scotland is closing, and notes that the new model of neonatal intensive care in Scotland was recommended by the Best Start 2017 report, following robust clinical evidence on the safest and best possible model for the sickest babies.”

As an amendment to motion S6M-17869 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Addressing Scotland’s Medical and Nursing Workforce Crisis), leave out from “recognises” to end and insert “acknowledges the challenges facing the NHS and the critical contribution of its workforce; thanks the dedicated NHS staff for their hard work and professionalism in times of enormous pressure; notes with concern that too many people are waiting too long for treatment and welcomes, therefore, additional funding to reduce patient waits and deliver 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in 2025; acknowledges the challenges in primary care and community health settings, where too many people face difficulties making a GP appointment; recognises the calls for greater workforce planning to account for the changing landscape of delivering healthcare, building on historically high levels of staffing; notes the Scottish Government’s commitment to develop future workforce planning in response to the forthcoming population health and service renewal frameworks; believes that it is important that this work is informed by doctors working in the NHS through the Future Medical Workforce project, which will report on the planned dialogue, alongside an analysis of workforce demand and supply, by the end of 2025, while continuing with implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce over the course of the year, and regrets deeply the UK Labour administration's reckless decision to close the health and care worker visa to adult social care, which will lead to acute workforce challenges and the closure of services, and have a devastating impact on both those receiving care and staff providing care.”