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 łÉČËżěĘÖ and committees will automatically update to show only the łÉČËżěĘÖ and committees which were current during that session. For example, if you select Session 1 you will be show a list of łÉČËżěĘÖ and committees from Session 1.
If you add a custom date range which crosses more than one session of Parliament, the lists of łÉČËżěĘÖ 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 1516 contributions
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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Monica Lennon
We could go on the buses together in Manchester.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Monica Lennon
Good morning. That was a helpful opening statement, minister. Thank you for the clarification.
I note the information about the existing powers and what the instrument will do, but will more funding be made available to transport authorities? Having powers is really important, but we know that there are big challenges for bus services right across Scotland. I am thinking particularly about the Strathclyde area, where many of my constituents live. There are powers to run bus services and existing powers to subsidise services, but, when I speak to transport authorities, they say that they do not have the budget to do that. What can be expected in the months and years ahead?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Monica Lennon
That is encouraging.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Monica Lennon
Okay. Fair enough. I am sure that the committee will try its best to help you to persuade colleagues that investment in bus services is absolutely crucial to Scotland’s economy but also to achieving net zero.
We know that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s current consultation on its approach to bus transport includes potentially setting up a municipal bus company. Would ministers support that approach?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Monica Lennon
I was feeling inspired listening to my colleague Bob Doris. Given that there are real challenges around public finances and we know that investment is crucial but that being able to unlock it is not easy, are you and your colleagues having discussions with colleagues elsewhere? It is not just about what we talk about in the Parliament. Can we learn from what is happening in, for example, Greater Manchester and the work that is being led by Andy Burnham that is a result of lots of campaigning and cross-party working? Are you building that into your fact finding?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023
Meeting date: 23 April 2024
Monica Lennon
I have, but it has been worth it, because the evidence has been fascinating. Thank you to Chris Stark and Professor Bell for your really clear evidence and answers today.
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests—I am a member of two trade unions, Unite the union and GMB—because I am going to ask about a just transition and the green economy.
I am keen to get your views on the efforts and progress that the Government has made towards its commitment on a just transition. We have heard a lot today about the energy sector and agriculture, so it might be good to start with those sectors.
It is important that workers and communities have confidence that climate action and net zero will benefit them and not punish them, but the announcement last week will perhaps leave people feeling more anxious. I am keen to get the Climate Change Committee’s view.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023
Meeting date: 23 April 2024
Monica Lennon
You said that the change has been slow. Earlier, we heard about the letter that Lord Deben sent to Roseanna Cunningham, when she was Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in 2020, in the previous parliamentary session. One of the recommendations was about the early decarbonisation of the Grangemouth industrial complex, which is in my region, but is of national strategic importance. Was that advice not taken by the Scottish Government? Do you think that it is listening to advice when it gets it?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023
Meeting date: 23 April 2024
Monica Lennon
So, big lessons to be learned there.
Your report mentions that the just transition commission has raised concerns about the minimal engagement of workers, the community and Government that took place around the Petroineos announcement. The commission has also emphasised the difference between investment in net zero and investment in a just transition. Do you think that the Scottish Government sufficiently understands that distinction?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023
Meeting date: 23 April 2024
Monica Lennon
I agree that, if we get that, it is win-win-win across the board.
On a more specific point, you will be aware that the Scottish Government announced around ÂŁ100 million for the green hydrogen sector and then some of that money was shifted towards the offshore wind supply chain, and the former Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, Neil Gray, gave his reasons for that. Is it right for the Scottish Government to prioritise support for the offshore wind sector ahead of the potential development of a green hydrogen sector, and where do you think are the best opportunities for economic growth in green industries in Scotland?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023
Meeting date: 23 April 2024
Monica Lennon
That was helpful; thank you.
I need to move on to a question on governance. I am keen to hear how well you think the Government is set up to deliver on its climate policy goals and whether there is anything that should be done differently.
I am mindful of the Auditor General’s report of April last year, “How the Scottish Government is set up to deliver climate change goals”, which is all about governance and risk management arrangements. Chris Stark, in particular, will know the Scottish Government well from his previous roles. Is it a matter of concern that there was no permanent director general for net zero until January last year? We came back to Parliament after the election in May 2021, but no permanent DG for net zero was put in place at the time, and we have had a few years in which that portfolio area has not had a workforce plan. Have some time and some important opportunities been wasted in that period?
