Michelle Thomson for Falkirk East

This week, the Scottish Parliament returned from recess.

I asked the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes about what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the economic impact of the Grangemouth chemical cluster. You can watch my full question, supplementary and the answers from the Deputy First Minister in my previous post.

The Finance & Public Administration Committee took evidence from Shona Robison as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, as well as the Scottish Fiscal Commission.

The Economy & Fair Work Committee also met this week. Following the election of the group’s new convenor, the Committee took evidence on Scotland’s Tourism industry.

I was delighted to be invited to speak as a panel member at The Scotland Forum 2025. It focused on the ‘Interparliamentary Alliance for the Empowerment of Women in the Economy & Diplomacy’. The event brought together parliamentarians from around the world, alongside members of the international business community and institutions. Some excellent, informative discussions took place around women’s contributions and importance in leading roles making a real difference to our economies and decision-making.

The Cross-Party Group on St Andrew’s Day met and held our AGM where I was re-elected as Convenor. Following the production of a strategy paper that the group can take forward, I look forward to continuing the work around promoting St Andrew’s Day in Scotland, celebrating our national holiday, and promoting Scotland’s cultural and business values.

I began this week by visiting Syngenta in Grangemouth. You can find out more about my visit on my previous post here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1163461062256525&set=a.377949410807698 . I also raised a motion for Syngenta this week celebrating the recent £2.2million funding boost awarded to them by Scottish Enterprise for work towards the Grangemouth Expansion Plan. Alongside the motion for Syngenta, I have submitted 4 Parliamentary motions this week congratulating some fantastic achievements across the constituency.

As the Convenor of the Women in Enterprise Cross-Party Group, I was delighted to be invited to the Women’s Enterprise Scotland dinner. Fantastic discussions around the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Scotland and beyond took place with fellow MSPs, representatives from the Institute of Directors, Bank of Scotland and the Scottish National Investment Bank and women entrepreneurs from a range of industries.

The Finance & Public Administration Committee met to discuss the Scottish Fiscal Commission's economic and fiscal forecasts from last month, and the cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries. The committee took evidence from representatives of the Scottish Fiscal Commission regarding their forecasts. We also took evidence on the cost-effectiveness of Scotland’s public enquiries from Stephen McGowan of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation. You can watch the Committee meeting at: https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/finance-and-public-administration-committee-june-10-2025

At the Economy & Fair Work Committee, we took evidence from Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Chris Bryceland and Kenneth MacDermid of the Critical Energy Infrastructure department at the Scottish Government and Jan Robertson, Grangemouth Director of Scottish Enterprise on Grangemouth’s Industrial Future. The committee also discussed the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1, taking evidence from Dr Emilia Crighton of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Jane Martin of Scottish Enterprise, Hayley Mearns of Voluntary Action Angus and Jackie Taylor of South Lanarkshire Council. You can watch the full meeting at: https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/economy-and-fair-work-committee-june-11-2025

This week the Finance & Public Administration Committee met to take evidence from Rebecca McKee of the Institute for Government and Mary Morgan, Chief Executive of NHS National Services Scotland on the cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries. The Economy & Fair Work Committee also met on Wednesday this week ahead of the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, taking evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from Professor Oliver Escobar of the University of Edinburgh, Councillor Ellen Forson, Leader of Clackmannanshire Council, and Neil McInroy of the Economic Development Association Scotland.

I also Convened the Cross-Party Group on Music. The group heard from Nigel Osbourne, a Composer and Aid worker who has recently carried out work in Ukraine around the impact music can have on mental health. We also welcomed Dr Zack Moir, Professor at University of Edinburgh on the Community Instrumental Music Service for Rural Scotland and who led discussions on access to adult music opportunities in Rural Scotland. We also discussed music education in Scotland.

I spoke in both the ‘Empowering Entrepreneurs and Innovators’ debate and at First Minister’s Questions. You can listen to my contribution in the debate in my post yesterday, and you can watch my full question to the First Minister in my previous post earlier today.

Finally, I met with the Stroke Association this week about the importance of getting fast aid in the event of a stroke and accessing services that can help with quality of life after suffering a stroke.

This week I sponsored a fantastic roundtable discussion with HP, SEC Newgate and guests. The use of tech has accelerated exponentially over the last few decades, with AI now at the forefront of advancements. However, too little consideration is given to recycling and refurbishment as part of our reliance on technology. Discussions also centred around the use of AI to ensure sustainability in various sectors such as healthcare.

On Thursday, I introduced my Members’ Business Debate recognising 30years since the genocide in Srebrenica. You can read more about my debate in my previous post. The atrocities carried out against Bosnian Muslim men and boys, and the impact on their families, must never be allowed to happen again. Having visited Srebrenica last year with the charity, Beyond Srebrenica, and seeing the plight of those families in getting truths and justice, I was privileged to be able to bring this Members’ Business Debate to the chamber.

Music is an important part of my life, and I was delighted to meet with Playlist for Life, Scotland’s leading music and dementia charity. Music is personal, evoking feelings and memories unique to each person. Playlist for Life state that over two decades of scientific research has shown that listening to a personalised playlist can improve the lives of those living with dementia, and helping them connect with family, friends and carers. You can find out more about the charity here: https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/

My office was closed on Monday for the Bank Holiday weekend, however since returning on Tuesday, my team and I have opened 29 new cases, alongside many ongoing enquiries. If you have an enquiry related to a devolved matter that you feel you need assistance with, please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01324 357373.

I kicked off this week with a meeting at Falkirk Stadium; bringing together stakeholders from the Council, Historic Environment Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland. We discussed the future of Kinneil Museum with a view to finding solutions to secure its long-term viability.

On Tuesday, I voted in the Stage 3 proceedings on the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill. This new piece of legislation will modernise and improve the regulatory framework under which legal services across Scotland are delivered, including by improving the complaints process and increasing transparency and accountability in the legal sector.

On Wednesday, the Acting Cabinet Secretary gave an update on the proposed Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. While I was pleased to hear that the Scottish Government would continue to engage with Falkirk Council on the project as it moves to a locally led enquiry, I highlighted the significant uncertainty that remains around funding and the criteria for accessing this. I will continue to press ministers for more information and seek reassurance for local residents and businesses moving forward as the scheme develops.

I also took the opportunity in Economy Committee to question Michael Shanks MP, the UK Energy Minister, about his personal reflections on the closure of the Grangemouth refinery and the impact of the closure on the workforce, the community and on Scotland more widely.

In the Chamber on Thursday, I asked the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport about the valuable contribution of overseas workers in Scotland’s social care sector and what the Scottish Government anticipates the wider impact of the UK Government’s proposed changes to Skilled Worker Visas will be on the sector in Scotland. I share the concerns of the Scottish Government that these short-sighted changes will have a disproportionate and damaging impact on Scotland’s care sector, especially given the lack of engagement the UK Government had with the Scottish Government when developing their immigration white paper.