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 1558 contributions
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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 24 May 2022
Monica Lennon
We want the dialogue to be respectful. We want services to be restored. You made a distinction between the Scottish Government’s approach and what happens elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Government is very committed to fair work, and I know that you have a good relationship with the trade unions on that matter. You mentioned rest days. The public want services restored for everyone’s convenience, but we need those services to be safe. Therefore, what is the position on rest days? You said that it is a historic practice that happens elsewhere. However, in your mind, is it good practice for workers to feel under pressure to work on rest days?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Energy Price Rises
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
That was helpful.
A few weeks ago, we took evidence from some of the fuel energy charities and had a discussion about your Government’s fuel insecurity fund. I believe that the fund is in its third round, and that roughly £10 million has been allocated in each of the rounds. There is some concern—from Citizens Advice Scotland, in particular—that that money might not last the full three months this time around. Have you had any advice on how long it will last, and do you have any plans to increase the pot?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Role of Local Government in Delivering Net Zero
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
That is helpful. You also talked about the importance of political will and buy-in from senior management in local authorities. What would help to achieve that? Are you aware of any local authorities in Scotland in which there is good visibility of these issues, perhaps due to the existence of a committee on net zero? Should there be more net zero committees, such as the one that we have in the Scottish Parliament? What would help with regard to the way in which administrations organise themselves? Some of them will vote this week on who is in charge of what committee, so it would be helpful to know what would help to ensure that there is a joined-up and strategic approach in each local authority.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Role of Local Government in Delivering Net Zero
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
Yes.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Role of Local Government in Delivering Net Zero
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
Good morning, everyone. We have heard about the key barriers that local authorities face when they are trying to maximise their involvement and success in making homes warm, healthy and aligned with net zero aims. Professor Webb, you talked about a lack of technical expertise. What expertise do local authorities have to buy in? What skills and expertise need to be advanced in Scotland?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Energy Price Rises
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
That is worrying. In evidence that it took from experts from various charities that have advisers on the front line speaking to people across Scotland, the committee heard that unless both the UK Government and the Scottish Government do more, there will be
“a catastrophic loss of life”—[Official Report, Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, 26 April 2022; c 23.]
this winter. Do you recognise those concerns? Are you willing to do more to work with the UK Government and others to try to save lives this year?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Energy Price Rises
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
It would be helpful if you could keep the committee updated on that, because we have heard concerns about an increase in the number of people self-disconnecting. It is a real concern.
Earlier, we talked about the need for both the UK Government and the Scottish Government to do more as part of a four-nations approach, and you said that you were in regular discussion with Ofgem, the energy regulator. When did you last have a discussion with the UK minister, Greg Hands, from whom the committee heard last week? How often are ministers in Scotland in dialogue with the UK Government about these really important matters, which are affecting everyone in the country?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Energy Price Rises
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
Good morning, cabinet secretary. As well as supporting a windfall tax on oil and gas producer profits, do you agree that the UK Government needs to introduce an emergency budget? Also, is the Scottish Government considering an emergency budget of its own to ensure that the cost of living crisis and energy costs are being treated with the right level of priority in Scotland?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Role of Local Government in Delivering Net Zero
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
Does Roger Curtis want to add anything on technical expertise in local authorities?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Role of Local Government in Delivering Net Zero
Meeting date: 17 May 2022
Monica Lennon
That is interesting. What did you mean when you talked about resources? Are there not enough resources to meet the demand for training places?
