Official Report 796KB pdf
16:46
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. On Tuesday, I asked whether you would suspend standing orders to allow an urgent question to be taken in the chamber on the Scottish Government’s legal arguments that it had published earlier that day on its case to continue to allow biological men to be housed in the female prison estate. In responding to that point of order, you said:
“Thank you, Mr Ross, and I appreciate advance notice of your intention to raise the matter. I am not minded today to accept a motion without notice. I think that my determination to ensure that all members have an opportunity to scrutinise the Government fully and regularly, whether that be through urgent questions or the selection of other questions, is very clear to the Parliament.”
You finished by saying:
“I remind Mr Ross of the other opportunities that exist, and which are available to him this week.”—[Official Report, 20 January 2026; c 16-17.]
The next day, I submitted the same question as an urgent question, which you rejected, saying that it was not of sufficient urgency. However, you wished for me to know that, should I press my request-to-speak button at First Minister’s question time, that would be an option for this to be raised.
I then submitted the urgent question for a third time today, which you rejected for a third time, but, based on your advice and the advice given by the Deputy Presiding Officer yesterday in the chair, I pressed my button again during First Minister’s questions, and I was not called.
My question is—[Interruption.] I know that Scottish National Party members do not want to hear this—[Interruption.] Sorry, I cannot hear, Presiding Officer.
Yes, that can often happen in the chamber, but please continue, Mr Ross.
I am grateful for that, Presiding Officer.
You have rejected three urgent questions, and you have not selected the question, despite having advance notice, at First Minister’s questions. We have now sat for many hours over—
Thank you, Mr Ross. I will address the points that you have made.
Could I finish my point of order, Presiding Officer?
Please finish briefly, Mr Ross.
I appreciate the opportunity to at least finish my point of order. Given that we have sat for—
Please identify the relevant procedure that you have an issue with.
First of all, I am asking whether you were correct in what you said on Tuesday, which was that there would be other opportunities to raise the matter this week, when those opportunities have now been missed—
Thank you, Mr Ross—
—and why—
Thank you, Mr Ross.
If I can finish—
I am still not clear that you are addressing a particular procedure.
The procedure is this: did you incorrectly state to Parliament that there would be opportunities this week that have now not materialised, and why have we sat as a Parliament for many hours over three days and not a single minister has been able to answer a single question, because no one has been able to put questions on such an important issue?
Thank you, Mr Ross.
—and this is an issue that must be addressed by this Parliament, so when will we be able to do so?
Thank you very much.
I am not wholly clear that we ever got to what the point of order was, Mr Ross. You have had considerable time to put your point.
I appreciate that the member considers that it is an urgent matter. The member will also understand and appreciate that the chair is required to be fair to all members in the chamber. Today, and throughout this week, I have selected many matters that other members also consider to be urgent and pressing.
The member will also note that pressing the request-to-speak button does not guarantee that they will be called. Even the intention to do so being confirmed in advance does not mean that the request-to-speak button is not required to be pressed. Obviously, the chair at the time will be considering a variety of factors in relation to who they are able to call, not least of which is the length of the session.
I point the member to the fact that an opportunity is not the same as a guarantee. Where there are opportunities, the chair will always strive—I will always strive—to include as many members as possible. However, I cannot guarantee, Mr Ross, that it will always be possible to prioritise your question in any one week over that of any other member.
We will move on at this point, Mr Ross. Further to that point of order—
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
No, Mr Ross, I ask you to sit down and to remember that, only yesterday, I asked you to reflect on your actions. Well—I am going to call matters to a halt here in relation to this and suggest that, perhaps, you take a little more time to reflect. I do not feel that you have had that opportunity adequately yet.
We now move on to the next item of business—
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
Mr Ross, we have heard enough for now and we are carrying on.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
We are carrying on with our business. Mr Ross, you can either leave this here—
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Is my point of order being refused?
Mr Ross, you have not yet made it clear what your point of order is. You will have one further opportunity and then you will resume your seat—one, brief, further opportunity.
I am grateful, Presiding Officer. All I am seeking now is clarity. Given your statement on Tuesday that there would be further opportunities this week that have not materialised, how will you view the same question being submitted next week, so that we can finally get answers from ministers?
I am simply not going to discuss what questions may be put next week.
We will continue with our business.
Air adhart
Motion without Notice