FMQs: Recap what happened at the first FMQs back after the summer recess
Recap what happened at FMQs.
FMQs: Follow along live 07/09/2023
Key Events
- Humza Yousaf faces his first FMQs back after the summer recess
- This comes only days after he revealed his programme for government, which focused on tackling poverty
- We’re expecting calls for a public inquiry into Professor Eljamel to be raised - although a ministerial statement on this is due later this afternoon
The SNP’s Emma Harper is now asking about problematic drug use and what the government is doing to lower drug deaths. Ms Harper is also a nurse so will have personal interests here in improving these figures.
You can catch up on the latest drug death statistics here: https://www.scotsman.com/health/scotland-drug-deaths-crisis-hundreds-of-deaths-missing-from-official-drug-statistics-investigation-reveals-4267900
Ms Harper is now asking about the potential of having drug consumption rooms in Scotland. This would be dedicated facilities where drug users can go to take their drugs while supervised. It is hoped this will lead to less people overdosing, or at least have someone on hand to deal with it if that does happen.
You can take a look at something I wrote about this in the summer.
We now have some breaking news - Humza Yousaf has confirmed the Scottish Government will launch a public inquiry into Professor Eljamel, a neurosurgeon who carried out numerous botched operations in NHS Tayside.
I spoke to some of his victims yesterday when they came to parliament to stage a demonstration calling for a public inquiry.
This got a round of applause in the chamber.
You can read our story of what happened yesterday here: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/rogue-scottish-surgeon-professor-sam-eljamel-could-be-extradited-from-libya-to-face-action-says-michael-matheson-4283394
The news there will now be a public inquiry into rogue surgeon Professor Eljamel already going down well with MSPs in the chamber.
Beyond the announcement of a public inquiry, the rest of FMQs hasn’t gone down well with the Conservatives. Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for the Highlands and Islands, says it is same old, same old.
You can read our breaking news story on the public inquiry into Professor Eljamel: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/fmqs-humza-yousaf-commits-to-public-inquiry-into-disgraced-surgeon-professor-sam-eljamel-4284282
That’s the end of the scheduled questions for this week, but we’ve moved onto supplementary and constituency questions.
Alexander Stewart, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, has raised the issue of disturbances at the new HMP Stirling. He says there is screaming, shouting, swearing and banging at all times of the day and night, and says the government needs to take action on what residents have described as a “living hell”.
Veteran SNP MSP Christine Grahame clearly taken by surprise that she is due to speak on the culling of native wild species, and is flustering trying to get her papers together.
Humza Yousaf jokes we should forgive her because she’s “fairly new to the parliament” - that got a chuckle around the chamber.
Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie is now raising the issue of increasing levels of Covid infection. She says there are hospital wards which are having to close because of this, and says there are some people who have seen some issues trying to get their Covid vaccines.
Humza Yousaf says this is not something he is aware of so he will be looking into the matter.
Stuart MacMillan is now asking about proposals for travelling football fans that haven’t gone down very well.
The First Minister said: “I have no idea why the UK Government thinks they have any place here in Scotland.
“They are voluntary guidance so I suspect they will be ignored and I support that action.
“I align myself with the SFA, the SPFL, the SWFL and many teams across the country who have condemned the proposals.
“They have come forward without any consultation with Scottish Government ministers, the football authority or the millions of football fans who will be negatively impacted by them.”
She added sport minister Maree Todd has written to the UK traffic commissioner to find out more information.
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