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.
The web version of the Official Report has three different views:
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.
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.
There are two types of keyword search:
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.
It’s also possible to run basic Boolean searches. For example:
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:
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.
Displaying 1412 contributions
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 16 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Good morning. I thank the witnesses for their written submissions.
The bill introduces various restrictions on the days and times when fireworks can be sold and used. Are you content that the proposed restrictions strike an appropriate balance between allowing people to enjoy fireworks and reducing the misuse of fireworks? I will put that question to Alasdair Hay first, then Stuart Stevens and then David Hamilton.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 16 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Thank you. I have no further questions.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 3 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Absolutely—it is definitely a vocation. That is what I keep telling myself, anyway. Thank you. I have no further questions.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 3 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
The implication is that a vacancy could arise of more than six months. As a local councillor in South Lanarkshire, I have to attend meetings, whether of the full council or other meetings, within six months. Is there scope in the bill to amend that?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 3 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
I want to touch on the financial implications. The financial memorandum notes that the bill could have a cost implication for local authorities. Are you open to continued dialogue with local authorities on funding for elections, particularly if there is a greater need for by-elections because some individuals have limited leave to remain? By-elections can cost in the region of £50,000.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 3 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Yes.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 2 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Good morning. I will touch on the strong comment that Stuart Murray made at the beginning of the session. You said that virtual hearings have been a resounding failure. I would like you to expand on that, particularly in relation to hearings in which there has been remote appearance of the accused from police custody. The Law Society of Scotland has highlighted concerns and has argued that more detailed work is required in that area. Can you touch on that and say what has gone wrong and what could work better?
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 2 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
Thank you, Vicki. I have no further questions.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 2 March 2022
Collette Stevenson
I ask Vicki Bell the same question. What are your views, Vicki?
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 23 February 2022
Collette Stevenson
I want to ask about the SSI, given Wendy Sinclair-Gieben’s comments and HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland’s concerns. One of the points that she raised in her letter to the SPS is that
“the amendments do not provide clarity on where decisions are taken”
in terms of the
“impact on prisoners accessing visits, purposeful activity and recreation”,
which could have a huge impact.
Concerns are also expressed about communication and how such changes are implemented. It is suggested that, rather than there being central oversight, individual governors should be in charge, with an increased ability for them to plan and make decisions. Have you considered that aspect? If so, should that be included in the SSI?
My concern, which I have raised before when the subject has come up, is that human rights under the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment—OPCAT—apply to people in prison as well.