Chamber and committees

That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, agrees to any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rule 9.12.3A of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.

That the Parliament recognises that 23 November 2025 marks the annual Holodomor Memorial Day; understands that this memorial day is in remembrance of the victims of the 1932-33 man-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians; expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine who were victims of this genocide by, it believes, what were the deliberate actions of the Soviet regime, and pays its respects to those killed during this time.

That the Parliament welcomes and notes the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee's 1st Report, 2025 (Session 6), SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review (SP Paper 828); recognises the Committee's conclusions and recommendations, including concerns that expanding the number of SPCB supported bodies risks further fragmenting the current landscape, increasing complexity for service users, and placing additional strain on the SPCB and parliamentary committee resources, and agrees with the Committee’s recommendations that:

(a) the SPCB supported body landscape should not be expanded to include new advocacy-type SPCB supported bodies;

(b) any future proposals for new SPCB supported bodies must satisfy two-tier criteria, as set out in paragraph 150 of the report, comprising both justification and effectiveness tests, and that a parliamentary committee should be given the remit of assessing proposals against these criteria; and

(c) a parliamentary committee should be given the specific responsibility for the accountability and scrutiny of SPCB supported bodies for a fixed period as a pilot exercise in Session 7.

That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill at stage 1 be completed by 16 January 2026.

That the Parliament agrees to the following revisions to the remits of committees—

Name of Committee: Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Remit: To consider and report on matters relating to local government and planning falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, matters relating to housing and tenants’ rights within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, and matters relating to local government boundaries, local governance review and democratic renewal.

New remit: To consider and report on matters relating to local government and planning falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, matters within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, with the exception of matters related to homelessness and rough sleeping, fuel poverty, and welfare and debt advice services; and matters relating to local government boundaries, local governance review and democratic renewal.

Name of Committee: Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Remit: To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice excluding matters relating to housing and tenants’ rights.

New remit: To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, and matters related to homelessness and rough sleeping, fuel poverty, and welfare and debt advice services within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing.

Name of Committee: Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Remit: To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, with the exception of matters relating to just transition; and on matters relating to land reform, natural resources and peatland, Scottish Land Commission, Crown Estate Scotland and Royal Botanic Garden within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

New remit: To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, with the exception of matters relating to just transition; and on matters relating to land reform, natural resources and peatland, Scottish Land Commission, Crown Estate Scotland and Royal Botanic Garden within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

That the Parliament agrees—

(a) the following programme of business—

Tuesday 23 September 2025

2.00 pm Time for Reflection

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Topical Questions (if selected)

followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Housing (Scotland) Bill

followed by Committee Announcements

followed by Business Motions

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

10.00 pm Decision Time

Wednesday 24 September 2025

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic; Finance and Local Government

followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Housing (Scotland) Bill

followed by Scottish Government Debate: Improving Literacy in Scotland’s Schools

followed by Business Motions

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

followed by Approval of SSIs (if required)

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Thursday 25 September 2025

11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions

11.40 am General Questions

12.00 pm First Minister's Questions

followed by Members’ Business

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Climate Action and Energy, and Transport

followed by Ministerial Statement: One Scotland, Many Voices: A Shared Future

followed by Stage 1 Debate: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

followed by Financial Resolution: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

followed by Business Motions

followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions

5.00 pm Decision Time

followed by Members’ Business

Tuesday 30 September 2025

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 1 October 2025

2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions

2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands; Health and Social Care

followed by Scottish Labour 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 2 October 2025

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: Social Justice and Housing

followed by Stage 1 Debate: Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill

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 22 September 2025, 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.

That the Parliament congratulates the Port Glasgow Church of the Nazarene for its 100th anniversary; acknowledges that the church ran a fundraising fete to commemorate the occasion, with activities such as a bouncy castle and face painting, with the funds raised going towards the purchase of a new kitchen; understands that the church was established in 1925, spending 41 years in a tin hut until moving into a new build as part of Inverclyde Council's effort to regenerate the area, and wishes the church all the best in its continued celebration of its anniversary.

That the Parliament welcomes the news that an international research team, including a scientist from the University of Aberdeen, has received new funding of £589,972 to help advance a promising therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS); notes that the research, which will be led by the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), aims to develop an approach to treatment that could halt MS progression and even repair some nerve damage, which could restore previously lost functions; understands that MS, which affects around 2.8 million people worldwide, including around 18,000 in Scotland, causes the immune system to attack the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibres, disrupting communication between the brain and the body, causing symptoms such as fatigue, vision problems and mobility challenges; further understands that the proposed new therapy blocks a destructive process known as excitotoxicity, encouraging the body to rebuild myelin and improve nerve recovery; congratulates Dr Iain Greig, Reader of Medicinal Chemistry at the university, on the part that he has played in this research so far, and wishes him and the rest of the team, all the very best in completing this important work.

That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Silver City Heritage and Place Programme in Aberdeen has been awarded £1,138,090 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the same amount from Historic Environment Scotland; notes that the project, which is a five-year heritage and conservation programme focused around the Castlegate area, is part of Aberdeen City Council’s City Centre and Beach Master Plan and is also receiving £2.1 million from the council and £975,000 from building owners; understands that the programme is aimed at driving transformative change and addressing social, economic and environmental issues in the Castlegate and the surrounding areas, delivering capital investment in historic buildings, the public realm and green spaces, along with community heritage activities and traditional skills training; congratulates Aberdeen City Council on successfully securing this funding, which totals £2,276,180; believes that this funding will be instrumental in the delivery of the programme, and wishes all the best to those involved in driving it forward.

That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Aberdeen Tasking & Activation Partnership (ATAP) by Aberdeen Cyrenians, alongside third sector organisations and local housing associations; understands that the goal of ATAP is preventing homelessness via early intervention and practical support for individuals in social housing tenancies; supports ATAP’s methods in achieving this goal, including working directly with tenants and people who are exiting homelessness; acknowledges the support provided to the project by the Scottish Government’s Upstream Homelessness Prevention Fund, and commends the continued work by Aberdeen Cyrenians in responding to homelessness and poverty throughout Aberdeen City.