Summary

  • The Education Committee takes evidence from the Commission on Widening Access and the Fair Access commissioner

  • Health and sport ministers are in the hot seats for portfolio questions

  • Ministerial Statement: UK Supreme Court Judgement on Triggering of Article 50

  • Scottish Labour lead a debate on the draft budget and ask Parliament to reject it as it stands

  • SNP MSP Emma Harper leads a member's debate on celebrating Burns and the Scots language

  1. Postpublished at 17:38 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

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  2. The Labour motion as amended by the SNP is not agreed to on the vote of the POpublished at 17:37 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017
    Breaking

    Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh
    Image caption,

    Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh

    The Labour motion as amended by the government leads to a tie with 63 MSPS for it and 63 MSPs against.

    The motion as amended is tied so Mr Macintosh votes against the motion and it is not agreed. 

    MotionImage source, Scottish Parliament
    Gov amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  3. The Lib Dem amendment is rejectedpublished at 17:35 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    The Lib Dem amendment is rejected with 5 MSPs for and 121 against.

    Lib Dem amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  4. Postpublished at 17:35 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

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  5. The Scottish Green Party amendment is rejectedpublished at 17:34 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    The Scottish Green Party amendment is rejected with 28 MSPs backing it and 98 against.

    Greens amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  6. The Tory amendment is rejectedpublished at 17:33 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    The Tory amendment is rejected with 30 MSPs backing and 96 against.

    Tory amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  7. The government amendment is agreed topublished at 17:33 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    The government amendment is agreed to with 63 MSPs for and 58 against to and with five abstentions.

    Government amendmentImage source, Scottish Parliament
  8. Decision time... and it could be a doozy!published at 17:31 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    We now move to decision time.

  9. Ms Dugdale says if the SNP can't see the impact of the cuts they are not doing their jobpublished at 17:30 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    TrainspottingImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Ewen Bremner aka 'SPUD' in the middle is used to illustrate the threat of cuts by Ms Dugdale

    Ms Dugdale says if the SNP can't see the impact of the cuts they are not doing their job.

    Finance Secretary Derek Mackay asks if it is not alarming the Scottish Labour leader does not realise voting against the budget is voting is voting against £38bn of spending on public services

    The Scottish Labour leader says she has seen T2 Trainspotting and she says Spud's new house is in Craigmillar.

    All the progress made there may be lost due to this budget she says and she details the vital services

    Ms Dugdale says: "It doesn't have to be this way."

    She says this parliament has the powers to raise money and invest in public services.

    The Scottish Labour leader says by increasing the tax rate cuts to services can be stopped. 

  10. Debate has not been the best advert for this placepublished at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale
    Image caption,

    Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale

    Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale says today's debate has not been the best advert for this place.

    Ms Dugdale says it was Derek Mackay that said, if Parliament votes against this budget, jobs will be lost and "the lights will go out."

    The Labour leader says one of the most "pathetic and puerile" things that was heard during the debate was the notion that we should ignore the SNP cuts being made. 

  11. The minister again insists councils are getting a fair settlementpublished at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Mr Stewart says local authorities are key partners for the Scottish government.

    Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles asks if the funding settlement for Aberdeen city is fair, being the lowest in the coutnry.

    Mr Stewart pays tribute to the late Brian Adam who put in a funding floor which has ensured funding is higher in the North East.

    Kevin Stewart insists councils are getting a fair settlementImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Kevin Stewart insists councils are getting a fair settlement

    The local government minister says an additional £120m has gone to educational attaiment and an additional £107m partly to ensure the living wage in care.

    He says local authorities can increase council tax by 3% with the potential to raise £70m extra.

    The minister again insists councils are getting a fair settlement.

    He says leaving Scotland without an approved budget will hit vital public services.

  12. Local government settlement is fair says Kevin Stewartpublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart says he wants to focus on the need for stability in the economy and the government's partnership with local government.

    Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart
    Image caption,

    Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart

    Mr Stewart says the government's proposals include record funding for the NHS and real terms protection for the police budget.

    He says the local government settlement is fair.  

  13. Tory MSP highlights 8.3% cut to sport budgetpublished at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    rugbyImage source, CHRIS POLETTI
    Image caption,

    Tory MSP highlights 8.3% cut to sport budget

    Mr Cameron says the amount invested in sport has fallen in this draft budget from £45.6m to £41.8m, a fall of 8.3%,

    The Tory MSP says the last thing that the Scottish government should be doing is cutting the sport budget.

    He says he lead a member's debate last night on the impact of obesity and its link with cancer.

  14. This government has form in failing in health says Tory MSPpublished at 17:12 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Donald Cameron

    Tory MSP Donald Cameron says the Tory amendment is succinct and clear.

    Mr Cameron says Derek Mackay cannot continue to insist that Scotland is the least taxed area of the UK.

    The Tory MSP says he has asked Mr Mackay how much support there will be for GPs but the finance secretary has declined to answer.

    He says this government has form in failing in health.

    Mr Cameron says the Scottish government normally compare the NHS in England to paint the NHS in this country in a better light.

  15. Decision time is at 5.30pm todaypublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

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  16. Scottish Green co-convener says the minority government must compromisepublished at 17:07 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Scottish Green MSP Patrick HarvieImage source, bbc
    Image caption,

    Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie

    Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie says the minority government must compromise and there has been no sign of that yet.

    Mr Harvie calls for historic action for this historic budget and introduce progressive taxation.

    The Scottish Green Party co-coordinator says the impact of this budget on services will be significant.

    He says councils are setting their budgets now with the resources they will receive now.

    Mr Harvie says tax policy should provide fairness in the distribution of wealth in our society.

  17. Lib Dem offer is a reasonable offer of a penny on income tax says Willie Renniepublished at 17:02 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Scottish Lib Dem Leader Willie Rennie says sarcastically that there has been a serious attempt to reach consensus and says "we need to get real".

    Mr Rennie says there has just been a series of insults.

    Scottish Lib Dem Leader Willie Rennie

    The Lib Dem leader says there are serious problems with public services and his party have made some serious suggestions to deal with that.

    He says the best investment that can be made is investing in children from a young age. 

    Mr Rennie says his party's offer is a reasonable offer of a penny on income tax. 

  18. Claim that Scotland is the highest taxed part of the UK does not stand up to scrutinypublished at 16:51 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    SNP MSP Maree Todd says she is disappointed in this Labour motion to reject the budget in its entirety.

    Ms Todd says the Conservative claim that Scotland is the highest taxed part of the UK does not stand up to scrutiny,

    SNP MSP Maree Todd
    Image caption,

    SNP MSP Maree Todd

    Labour MSP Johann Lamont asks if Ms Todd does not agree that a more progressive tax system is required.

    Ms Todd says the Scottish government does support universalism. 

    The SNP MSP says continually comparing ourselves with the NHS in England is setting the bar low.

    Ms Todd says there is much to support in this draft budget so the Parliament should get behind it and find consensus. 

  19. Scottish government have only created 'conveyor belt of Tory cuts'published at 16:36 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Labour MSP Jackie Baillie says debating the budget is an opportunity to reflect on the priorities of the nation.

    "Gone are the days that we simply spend what someone gives us," she says.

    Ms Baillie says Scotland is being outperformed by the rest of the UK and "the truth is that we are in trouble."

    Labour MSP Jackie Baillie
    Image caption,

    Labour MSP Jackie Baillie

    The Labour MSP says business confidence is plummeting and she would have more respect for the Scottish government if they were not in such denial.

    She says the the Scottish government have only created a "conveyor belt of Tory cuts".

    It's "austerity on steroids," she says. 

  20. Background: Corbyn attacks SNP budget plans in Glasgow speechpublished at 16:31 Greenwich Mean Time 25 January 2017

    Jeremy Corbyn
    Image caption,

    Jeremy Corbyn said the SNP government "is not standing up for Scotland"

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used his first speech in Scotland in 2017 to attack the SNP's budget.

    Mr Corbyn used a speech in Glasgow to accuse the Scottish government of "devolving austerity and passing the buck".

    He also accused Theresa May of engaging in a "race to the bottom" with her Brexit plans.

    The SNP accused Mr Corbyn of "carping from the sidelines" and said Labour in Scotland were "stuck in a sorry place".