Michelle Thomson for Falkirk East

While it’s been another busy week in Parliament, Monday started with a lovely visit to Inchlair ELCC in Stenhousemuir. I very much enjoyed speaking with staff and also having some outdoor learning time with the children. #PlayIsTheWay

On Tuesday during the Scottish Government’s Budget debate, I highlighted the vacuum of ideas from UK & Scottish Labour on growing the economy. Meanwhile our SNP Government passed a fair and progressive budget which invests in public services and alleviates pressures on household incomes during challenging financial times.

I was pleased to be a panel member on BBC Debate Night on Wednesday evening, speaking on a variety of topics including the shambolic goings on at Westminster and the untenable position of the Speaker.

On Thursday during parliamentary general questions, I highlighted the crucial issue of UK Government cuts to the Scottish capital budget. You can watch the exchange earlier on my Facebook page here

Away from a busy meeting schedule in parliament, I also enjoyed an excellent evening of debate at Airdrie & Shotts SNP branch and am looking forward to Martyn Day’s candidate adoption evening in Linlithgow tomorrow.

This week started with a really enjoyable visit to Parkhill ELC in Polmont followed by a busy afternoon around the constituency.

The future of industry in Grangemouth and the implications for the community continue to be a critical focus for my work in parliament. You can watch my question to the Cabinet Secretary during Thursday’s ministerial statement on the Grangemouth refinery here https://fb.watch/qopvxF2kbi/

My Education, Children and Young People’s committee began hearing evidence on our enquiry into Additional Support for Learning which is an important concern for local constituents.

For parents of children starting school, February 29th is a fast approaching deadline for applying for the Best Start School Age Grant. I raised questions on this during Thursday’s portfolio questions which you can watch here: https://fb.watch/qopzBaRMjh/ Information on applying is also contained on this post.

On Wednesday I had a very enjoyable evening sponsoring a parliamentary event for CivTech Scotland showcasing the very best of technological innovation and their vision to transform public services across Scotland.

This week has been Parliamentary recess. My team and I have continued to work hard, beginning 23 new cases over the last five days. We have taken on 171 cases since the beginning of 2024, with some of these still ongoing.

I also submitted 4 motions to the Scottish Parliament this week celebrating the achievements of constituents. These included Link Housing Group’s ‘Link in the Community’ initiative, Carrongrange High School’s Challenge for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, a constituent being selected for the Over-60’s Cricket World Cup and regeneration funding for Slamannan. You can read more about these motions here as they garner support from other MSPs: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber.../votes-and-motions...

I have continued to meet with constituents, community groups and third-party organisations across the constituency. Parliament business will return next week, and I look forward to my Committees and speaking in two debates later in the week.

From my previous posts, you will have seen I was delighted to sponsor the Music Venues Trust event in the Scottish Parliament earlier in the week. You may also have seen my contributions at Stephen Kerr MSP’s Members’ Business Debate on Grangemouth Refinery, and my Portfolio Question regarding Scotland’s green economy. I will continue to raise the ongoing situation at PetroIneos in the Scottish Parliament wherever possible while the matter progresses.

On Monday afternoon I attended the Institute of Director’s Central Scotland branch roundtable discussion. It was an interesting meeting covering trading conditions, economic recovery, and what collectively Parliament, Government and businesses might do to assist.

In my role as Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on St Andrew’s Day, I held the first CPG meeting of the group in 2024, and the first following our St Andrew’s Day Celebration event in the Scottish Parliament in November 2023. I look forward to continuing the work of the CPG throughout the year ahead and our involvement in the next celebration event.

This week has been an exciting week between Constituency and Parliamentary work.

On Thursday, it was a pleasure to welcome S6 pupils from Bo’ness Academy to the Scottish Parliament. First, they were given a tour of the building and learned some interesting facts about the Parliament, how the building was built and how it works. The pupils got tickets to see First Minister’s Questions, then finally we met for lunch and a great Q&A session. I was thoroughly impressed by the range of questions the S6 pupils asked, including climate change, how committees work, what a typical week in Parliament looks like (if there ever is one!), cost of living, supporting neurodivergency in schools and local issues affecting Bo’ness.

The Finance & Public Administration Committee met earlier in the week in private, with a further debate on Thursday outlining the pre-budget scrutiny carried out by them and other Committees across the Parliament. You can watch the full debate here: https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/finance-and-public-administration-committee-debate-scottish-budget-2024-25-february-1-2024

The situation regarding PetroIneos in Grangemouth remains fluid. Last week I raised the issue in the Scottish Parliament a number of times, and this week I met with Holyrood Magazine in Grangemouth. The situation is extremely complex and, as you may have seen in last week’s chamber contribution, some options to keep the site open and save jobs require co-operation from Westminster. I continue to ask for updates from both the Scottish Government and stakeholders regarding the matter.