Official Report: search what was said in Parliament
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.
Searching by different views
The web version of the Official Report has three different views:
- Report: this is the whole Official Report for a particular meeting of a committee or Parliament
- Item of business: this is each individual agenda item in an Official Report. For example, Portfolio Questions would be the item of business in a Meeting of the Parliament report
- Contribution: this is each time someone has made a spoken contribution to a meeting.
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.
Search by MSP
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.
Searching by keyword
There are two types of keyword search:
- A keyword search without quotation marks will look for every instance of each word used and rank the results by frequency and proximity. It will also include variants of the keywords using “porter stemming”. This is when the search looks for the “stem” of a word regardless of its ending. So, for example, a search for [salmon farm] will return each instance of “salmon” and each instance of “farm” as well as potentially including results for “farms”, “farmed” and “farming”.
- A keyword search with quotation marks will only return instances of that exact phrase used. So, for example, a search for “salmon farm” in quotation marks will only return instances of that exact phrase.
Combining search filters
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.
More complex keyword searches
It’s also possible to run basic Boolean searches. For example:
- a search for “salmon farm” AND “Loch Lomond” will return only results which include both exact phrases
- a search for “salmon farm” NOT “Loch Lomond” will return results for “salmon farm” but exclude results which also include “Loch Lomond”
- a search for “salmon farm” OR “Loch Lomond” will return all results for “salmon farm” and all results for “Loch Lomond” regardless of whether they appear together
Searching by date
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:
- Current session (all Official Reports since the current sessions started)
- Last 6 months
- Last 12 months
- each of the previous sessions of Parliament. (Selecting the information icon above the “Select a time period” menu will give you the exact dates for each session.)
- All sessions
- You can also choose to select a custom date range, although adding a Start or End date will mean the search automatically defaults to this option.
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.
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Displaying 692 contributions
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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
There are no hospitals within the low-emission zones, as far as we think off the top of our heads, but we can confirm that in writing with the committee.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
Absolutely, and it is always right that, as we continue to develop the obligations on Government or on our agencies, we consider that. However, as I said, we have spoken directly with SEPA about its existing budget and its ability to manage the additional requirements within that, and it has given us an assurance that it is able to do so.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
I have a note of the funding, convener, and I will try to put my hands on it. If any of my colleagues wanted to say anything while I did so, I would be grateful.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
Convener, I know that your question was about ring fencing, in particular. The two pots of money in question come via the block grant, which is not ring fenced, and the money is supplemented by grants, some of which Andrew Taylor has just alluded to.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
Absolutely. When we talk about schools, there are two things that occur to me. The first is the regulations from, I think, 2003 that allow local authorities to give fixed-penalty notices to any driver whose engine is idling when they have refused a reasonable request to switch it off. I will come back to that. Secondly, there are existing powers to allow local authorities to work with schools to prevent vehicles from being present in front of them. There are good examples of that in Edinburgh and Angus councils.
On the FPNs, I again come back to the point that the rules and laws are there, and they empower local authorities. It would be incorrect to impose my views or the Government’s views on local authorities as to how they operate that. You mentioned the question of whether they have the resources to do it but, in some ways, the operation of fixed-penalty notices could be a revenue-raising opportunity. I encourage local authorities to utilise the powers that are there.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
It is difficult to say. I do not think that I should espouse my view without understanding the position on vehicle idling in Perth and Kinross, to be honest. All I know is that—
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
I do not have anything in front of me that tells me how often it is happening or how problematic it is there. However, I know that the powers are there and, as I say, I encourage local authorities to use them.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Air Quality
Meeting date: 25 April 2023
Màiri McAllan
On that last point, I want to be clear that, although we very much appreciate ESS’s recommendation and have considered it carefully, our view is that SEPA is the correct body to have that function and that the powers that are underpinned by the Environment Act 1995 already allow it to fulfil that role. I have pointed to the updated guidance, in which we have said, “Use this as a matter of course, not just where authorities are demonstrably failing and not just case by case.”
There is evidence of that happening. SEPA used some of the section 85 powers earlier this year, in issuing a warning letter to a local authority that had failed to submit its outstanding air quality annual progress reports, despite having been provided with extensions to do so. On receipt of the warning letter, a timescale for compliance was required, and that has now been met. That is a good example of how the powers are there and are being used. Where Government can, it will strengthen guidance to ensure that our expectations are clear about when and how often the powers are used.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 28 March 2023
Màiri McAllan
Yes, I am comfortable with 20 per cent. That has not been up for discussion as part of the development of the SI. If the Health and Safety Executive believes that 20 per cent is sufficient for it to get the kind of return that it needs, then I am comfortable with that. The point of the extension is that those checks will have to come after completion of the final registration deadline. Is that right, Dan?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 28 March 2023
Màiri McAllan
I do not anticipate any further extension to the timescales. I suppose that it is not impossible; however, I understand that a lot of resource is currently being arranged in DEFRA to make sure that it is done in the appropriate time. I expect that we will be back at some point to discuss substantive changes to the registration process because, of course, examining that is what the extension is required for.
