Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, March 28, 2019

Official Report 1029KB pdf

Decision Time

The first question is, that amendment S5M-16593.1, in the name of Jeremy Balfour, which seeks to amend motion S5M-16593, in the name of Christina McKelvie, on progressing towards a fairer Scotland for disabled people, be agreed to.

Amendment agreed to.

The next question is, that amendment S5M-16593.3, in the name of Mark Griffin, which seeks to amend the motion in the name of Christina McKelvie, be agreed to.

Amendment agreed to.

The next question is, that motion S5M-16593, in the name of Christina McKelvie, on progressing towards a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as amended, be agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to,

That the Parliament recognises the valuable contribution that disabled people make to Scottish society; believes that progress has been made to realise equality for disabled people, but acknowledges that inequality persists and must continue to be challenged by all in society; agrees that transformational change is needed in order for disabled people to realise their full potential and agrees that this can only be achieved by working with disabled people’s organisations; notes that people with physical health problems, long-term conditions or a disability are twice as likely to report severe loneliness than the general population; agrees that this can only be reduced with adequate funding for good social security support, education strategies, employment opportunities and more accessible public spaces and housing; reiterates its support for the co-production approach and actions set out in A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Our Delivery Plan to 2021; notes that, since the plan was launched, progress has been made toward the goal of at least halving the disability employment gap, with further actions set out in the publication of A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan; further notes that the UK Government’s Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to recruit more disabled people; believes that the Scottish and UK governments should work together to develop a one-stop-shop portal, bringing together all of the key support offers into one cohesive package to ensure joined-up services and a clearer picture for disabled people and employers, and recognises the Scottish Government’s commitment to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities so that disabled people in Scotland can exercise all of their human rights.

The final question is, that motion S5M-16611, in the name of Graeme Dey, on First Minister’s questions, portfolio questions, general questions and topical questions, be agreed to.

Motion agreed to,

That the Parliament agrees that the period for Members to—

lodge a Topical Question for answer on Tuesday 23 April should end at 9.30am on Tuesday 23 April;

submit their names for Portfolio and General Questions on Wednesday 1 May and Thursday 2 May should end at 12 noon on Tuesday 23 April;

lodge a First Minister’s Question for answer on Thursday 25 April should end at 9.30am on Tuesday 23 April.