 The first item of business this afternoon is the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body question time. If a member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question or indicate so in the chat function by entering the letters RTS. As ever, I would make a plea for succinct questions and answers to match. I call question number 1, Paul Sweeney. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will reject the annual survey of hours and earnings and weekly earnings average of 4.2 per cent for upgrading the staff cost provision in the financial year 2023 to 2024. Jackson Carlaw. I thank Mr Sweeney for his question. The corporate body is responsible for funding the member's expenses scheme and for determining which indices are used to upgrade the overall provisions, which include the staff cost provision. Individual MSPs as employers determine any salary increase for their staff within the overall staff cost provision. As part of the annual budgeting cycle, the corporate body considers the indexation for upgrading of all provisions, including staff cost provision. Whilst the basket, which is the annual survey of hours and earnings and the AWE, the average weekly earnings indices have been adopted in recent years as a steadier basis for any increase. That is a matter for SPCB judgment rather than automatic application, as we thoroughly consider all factors for the financial year for 2023-24. The corporate body will submit its budget for 2023-24 for consideration at the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 10 January. A bit like the chancellor, I may know but I am not able to say what our deliberations might be concluding, but we will be determining all the industries for all provisions in the coming weeks. I thank Mr Carlaw for his response. I am sure that the bond markets will be listening into whatever decisions are arrived at eventually, but we can all agree that MSPs' offices do make a tangible difference to constituents and they provide a vital public service. All members strive to provide a decent financial settlement in terms of pay for staff, but that frontier needs to increase in line with cost of living. Given that we are faced with an unprecedented cost of living crisis, will the SPCB meet with GMB's Scottish Parliament staff branch as a matter of urgency to discuss their pay proposal in good faith and to agree an appropriate award for members' staff? Presiding Officer, that also touches on the subject matter of the question from Pam Duncan-Gladsie. No, I have to say that the SPCB will not meet with the trade unions because there is not competent for us to do so. We are not the employer of MSPs' staff, MSPs themselves are the employers. Our responsibility is to set the framework within which salary increases can be agreed, but it is for individual members, either together or in concert with colleagues to agree what that level of increase will be. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions have taken place to consider providing cross-party groups with access to broadcasting services in committee rooms. I thank Miles Briggs for the question. He is asking us about broadcasting services for CPGs. The code of conduct specifies that broadcasting facilities cannot be used for cross-party groups, so that limits our discussions. However, the corporate body does recognise some of the benefits that have come from CPGs who are meeting virtually. The updated hybrid equipment is available for any meetings up to 20 rooms in Parliament of facilities for that, and it can be operated without the broadcasting team. They are happy to demonstrate the use of the facilities that are self-operated, and there is planned drop-in sessions next month. I also declare an interest as co-chair of both the Cancer and Chronic Paying CPGs. Those CPGs have a high number of people who are incredibly ill or disabled who would like to attend. As we move back into in-person meetings, we have seen numbers reduced. Could I ask whether it could be looked into to have a pilot study, a pilot project to use the broadcasting facilities in a committee room for the Parliament channel for some committees to cross-party groups who would be able to use that in the future? I know that the member would be disappointed, but it is not possible to facilitate the type of meeting that he has suggested. The code of conduct does limit the use of facilities, and there are practical issues around limited resources and staff time. However, the technology that is being used, teams that can include thousands of participants, it is possible to record the meeting for upload at a future point, and I appreciate the member who will be disappointed by the response, but he may have said that the alternative that I am proposing would result in the same outcome, but I would be happy to discuss it with the member. Question 3, Stuart McMillan, who is joining us remotely. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what guidance is available to MSPs regarding undertaking particle activity on the parliamentary estate. As he will be aware, the code of conduct for members requires all members to abide by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's policies. All policies direct that parliamentary resources are provided by the corporate body to support members to carry out their parliamentary duties and must not be used to any significant extent for any other purpose, including party political reasons. Parliamentary resources include office equipment and furniture, IT, mail systems, meeting rooms, as well as expenses paid to support members in carrying out their parliamentary duties with a met under their member's expenses scheme through financial assistance to non-executive parties or directly by the corporate body. The corporate body has various policies and guidance in place to advise members about their appropriate activity on the parliamentary estate or in making use of parliamentary resources. That includes, for example, specific policies and guidance on the use of meeting rooms and photography on the parliamentary estate. The corporate body appreciates that there can sometimes be a fine line between something that is parliamentary and party political and members must use their judgment accordingly if there is any doubt members are encouraged to seek advice from the contact points provided in the appropriate policies before undertaking any such activity. We have eight questions on the business bulletin. If we have answers as long as that to each question, there is absolutely no way we will get to number eight. Stuart McMillan Scottish Conservatives event for Conservative councillors and Conservative group leaders was held in the member's room on the 8th of November. Can the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body clarify now our political meetings and events allowed to be held on the parliamentary estate? Thank you, and I thank Stuart McMillan for his supplementary. It would not be appropriate for me to comment about any specific use of the parliamentary estate or resources at this point. If the member has any concerns about any such use of the parliamentary estate, he should please follow due process and raise a complaint through the appropriate channels in order that that might be looked into and addressed. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consult MSP staff trade unions before deciding on upgrading the staff cost provision in the 2023-24 financial year. I wonder if it is in the interest of time if I could refer Ms Duncan Glancy to the answer that I gave in response to Mr Sweeney's supplementary. I thank the member for that referral back to a previous answer. I am sure that I speak for all of us in this chamber when I say that our staff do an outstanding job and I would like to thank all of them now on the record and particularly my own team. They all too face a cost of living crisis and I in the GMB branch recognise what the member said earlier about the no formal relationship between itself and MSP staff, but it is a fact that the staff cost provision allows for annual cost of living increases and it is a basic principle of fair work that trade unions are involved in negotiations. Could the member in the corporate body find some way to engage in good faith, as they have a key role in that, to engage in good faith with the unions so that the corporate body could answer some of the questions that the corporate body itself might have? Jackson Carlaw. I can say that the corporate body has had detailed and robust discussions on all the issues affecting the indices that will be applied when we upgrade salaries in the next annual budget. However, it is the place that we are not an employer and the scheme is quite clear. It agreed by Parliament places a responsibility on us to upgrade the scheme annually using a relevant index as part of the budget setting. I would repeat that individual MSP employers can of course consult with trade unions and they can agree any cost of living award they wish so long as it is affordable within the overall cap provision. In fact, SBCB is aware that many members did indeed make awards that exceeded beyond the inflationary uplift within the scheme itself. Perhaps I might anticipate a question that is coming later, because I think that it is relevant to Ms Duncan Glancy as well. That is to say that the corporate body is currently considering what financial assistance can be provided to member staff. That includes the sort of one-off non-consolidated payments that other employers have made recently, including His Majesty the King. We have had our most recent discussion and constructive discussion today and we will communicate our uncended course of action as soon as possible after these discussions conclude. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Parliament corporate body if provision can be made for access to the room for contemplation for evening events during recess. The room for contemplation is accessible to building past holders at all times of the day, including during recess. Visitors wishing to use the room must be accompanied by a past holder. The corporate body policy is that should an attendee of an evening member-sponsored event request to use the room for contemplation, an event assistant will support this request and escort the person to and from the room. During recess, member-sponsored events are paused. I hosted an event for the faith groups during October recess. Attendees were forced to pray in the reception as they were not able to access the room for contemplation. I understand that the parliamentary opening hours are curtailed during recess, but as long as members are able to host events that extend outside those hours, surely it makes sense to allow members and their guests access to the rooms for the duration of such an event. I thank Foisal Chaudry for that supplementary meeting that members have arranged themselves to be held within the Holyrood campus. It sounds like this meeting that you speak of was one such meeting. The member or their representative past holder is responsible for supporting meeting attendees with access to the room for contemplation. They should be accessed to the room for contemplation as long as they are accompanied by a past holder. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether MSPs and their staff are putting their rubbish in the correct bins for recycling or otherwise. I would like to thank John Mason for his question on rubbish. I also thank my colleagues for their efforts in segregating materials for recycling. We achieved a recycling rate of 81 per cent in 2021-22, which is significantly higher than most public sector bodies. I thank Christine Grahame for her answer. I think that many of us want to recycle, but there is some confusion. For example, where does paper stop and cardboard begin? Are plastic bags able to be recycled with plastic bottles? Holding in my hand here, I have a tetrapack bot in the garden in the canteen. It says that it should be recycled, but I do not know where to put it. Before I ask Ms Grahame to respond, I would remind members that props are not welcome in the chamber of any kind. Thank you, Ms Grahame. I am trying to find out what the answer to that is. We could just fill in time a little bit. All recycling bins, Mr Mason, are colour coded and include the text and symbols as recommended by Zero Waste Scotland, so that you can check on their website. Not for profit environmental organisation funded by the Scottish Government and European Regional Development Fund. Those standard colour symbols and text should be consistent across Scotland, helping individuals, including Mr Mason, to recognise the same bin and waste streams at home, work and out and about. There is also a guide to a recycling bin system on our intranet site and regular communications about waste and recycling, and I am sure that he will improve. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it will support any member staff who are dealing with added financial challenges and pressures after the Home Working Allowance payment was discontinued in October. There is good recycling and answer, and I say that the corporate body is committed to supporting member staff with the cost of living and is actively considering a suite of measures to support staff. The corporate body believes that this is the right thing to do at this very difficult time, recognising that this is an urgent priority for staff. Members are also reminded that, should they require their staff to work from home, they may qualify for tax relief and in such circumstances, members should advise their staff to contact HMRC directly. I thank Mr Carlaw for that answer and refer to members to my register of interests as a GMB Scotland member. GMB Scotland has highlighted that all member staff, and particularly those working from home, are facing significant additional pressures with increasing energy bills this winter. Staff members have received a blog with advice on saving money, such as changing to LED light bulbs, but they need direct financial help during this cost of living crisis, and I welcome that that is being considered by the parliamentary corporate body. The Home Working Allowance was welcome, but we need to go further. Can I ask that any cost of living support payment goes above and beyond the existing or previous Home Working Allowance so that it can meet the scale of the challenge that people are facing with the cost of living crisis? As I said in response to an earlier question, we are considering this very issue at the moment. We have had constructive discussions over a number of meetings of the corporate body, and I hope that we will be able to communicate soon to members the outcome of those discussions. In addition to those arrangements, the corporate body is considering other measures that include independent financial advice, financial well-being workshops and links to organisations that can provide further advice and support, but the particular item to which Mr Bibby refers should be something that we hope will be communicated to members in early course. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is taking to improve safety for MSPs both within the Parliament and outwith the parliamentary estate. We take members' personal safety very seriously. With the advice of our specialist security partners, the corporate body has introduced a range of measures to support members when working both at Parliament and when away from the main estate. We keep safety measures under review to ensure that they remain proportionate to the risk that members face. I am very grateful to Ms Baker for that answer. Recently, research or outreach was undertaken by security people to MSPs. Is the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body satisfied with the response and uptake following that? There has been quite positive numbers. 100 members have taken the opportunity for surveys to their constituency or regional office. 38 so far have had home security surveys. I assure members that sufficient funding is available for each member should they wish to pursue a security survey. I encourage members to apply to the corporate body and I am grateful to the member for helping us to promote the scheme and make sure that members know that it is available and that it is fully funded. Today was a good example. I sat barely a few feet away from today's protest during FMQs. I am acutely aware that we need to be an open Parliament and allow public access as much as possible. Although I appreciate physical security checks that are in place for visitors, I can ask what more can be done by the Parliament to ensure the physical protection of members, especially those sitting at the back of particularly vulnerable two-protests. In this case, it was just verbal and not physical. As the member recognised, the corporate body is keen of the Parliament to remain open and accessible. It is always about achieving the appropriate balance. We also had an incident in Parliament today that we will reflect on, but I thank the member for raising that issue. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I forgot to mention that, on my register of interests, I am a member of GMB. That will be noted on the official report. That concludes at Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time. There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item of business to allow front-bench teams to change position.