Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament

First Minister's Questions 29 May 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Clare Adamson

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s latest engagement with the UK Government regarding its plans for the winter fuel payment and any implications for the Scottish Government’s work to deliver a universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payment in Scotland.

Stephen Kerr

To ask the First Minister, in light of it being almost five years since the Scottish Government committed to spending £60 million to renew every play park in Scotland and of reports that less than half of the funding has been spent, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that children do not miss out on renewed facilities.

Monica Lennon (S6F-04140)

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to maintain its policy aim of keeping pace with the EU on environmental protection.

Willie Rennie

To ask the First Minister for what reason there has reportedly been no financial agreement between the Scottish Funding Council and the University of Dundee, in light of the alternative financial recovery plan being launched four weeks ago.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=16416&iob=140223

First Minister's Questions 22 May 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Willie Coffey

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made, regarding any implications for its work to grow Scotland’s economy, of analysis from Future Economy Scotland indicating that average earnings in Scotland are £15,000 less per year than they would have been if wages had not flatlined since the financial crisis.

Graham Simpson

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to The Hunter Foundation report, Lessons from Singapore for Scotland's Economy.

Foysol Choudhury 

To ask the First Minister, in light of recent reported incidents, how the Scottish Government is working to prevent knife crime.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=16416&iob=140223

 

First Minister's Questions 15 May 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

 

Topics covered this week include:

Collette Stevenson

To ask the First Minister, regarding any implications for its work to tackle poverty, what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the Department for Work and Pension’s forecasts reportedly indicating that the UK Government’s planned reductions to disability benefits will impact 700,000 families that are already in poverty.

Sandesh Gulhane 

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the performance of NHS 24, in light of reports that nearly one in five calls to the service went unanswered last year.

Michelle Thomson 

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the recently announced UK-USA trade deal and its potential implications for businesses in Scotland.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=16416&iob=140223

 

Housing Inquiry Report

We talk with Ariane Burgess MSP, Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee about the committee's Housing Inquiry.

A year on from the official declaration of the national housing emergency by the Scottish Parliament, the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee say a Housing Emergency Action Plan with clear milestones and outcomes would ensure progress towards ending the crisis can be properly assessed.

It is one of ten recommendations for the Scottish Government made in the Committee’s Housing Inquiry Report.

Read the report in full: https://digitalpublications.parliament.scot/Committees/Report/LGHP/2025/5/15/5e27adfd-6d08-4d34-a701-17fc4ffe5f83#Annex-A

First Minister's Questions 8 May 2025

First Minister John Swinney MSP answers questions from party leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Questions included:

Kevin Stewart 

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to water scarcity alerts issued by SEPA for the east of Scotland, in light of low rainfall and warm temperatures. 

Brian Whittle

To ask the First Minister, in light of the publication of the Programme for Government, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that prevention is more strongly integrated into the health system.

Jackie Baillie

To ask the First Minister when the landslip shelter on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be complete.

 

Transcripts are available on our website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament 

 

First Minister's Question 1 May 2025

Listen back to FMQs. Questions this week included: 

Jackie Dunbar

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any implications for its work to grow Scotland’s economy of the EY ITEM Club Spring Forecast, which downgraded expectations for UK output over the next two years.

Edward Mountain

To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported high demand for neurodevelopmental assessment services, when the Scottish Government plans to publish the report on the work that it funded on the five “tests of change” across Scotland, which concluded in March 2024.

Mark Griffin

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports of local authorities suspending council housing allocations.

 

Transcripts are available on our website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament 

First Minister's Question's 24 April 2025

The First Minister takes questions from MSPs.

First Minister's Questions 3 April 2025

Listen back to FMQs. Questions this week included: 

Kevin Stewart

 

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments made by the chair of the North Sea Transition Task Force that the North Sea’s future should be a “national mission”.

Stephen Kerr

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding what assessment has been made of the potential impact of an extension of US tariffs on Scottish businesses that export to the US market.

Katy Clark 

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether the reported increased annual cost of Scotland's prisons to over £77,000 per prisoner represents good value for public money.

 

Transcripts are available on our website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament 

First Minister's Questions 27 March 2025

Listen back to FMQs. Questions this week included: 

Kenneth Gibson

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the UK Government’s Spring Statement.

Murdo Fraser

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce waiting times for children and adolescents for the diagnosis of autism and ADHD.

Mercedes Villalba

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to prevent instances of water scarcity in 2025.

Ash Regan 

To ask the First Minister, in light of reports of an escalation in gang-related violence in Edinburgh, with recent shootings in Niddrie and West Pilton, what immediate action can be taken to support the emergency services in ensuring the safety and reassurance of communities in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency.

 

Transcripts are available on our website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament 

Statement by Presiding Officer and First Minister following the death of Christina McKelvie MSP

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone MSP and First Minister John Swinney MSP make a statement to Parliament following the death of Christina McKelvie MSP.