Paul Sweeney
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“The single point of contact pilots that we have embarked on are making a significant difference in ensuring that people get the ability to discuss their treatment anxieties and their support. We have invested £2.5 million to expand the reach of that programme across Scotland.”
“As a member of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, I welcome the news on the proposed legislation, which is very welcome. Indeed, it is something that has been long hoped for.”
“It is more precise than conventional radiotherapy, and the team behind the trial in England has begun the process of establishing it in Scotland.”
“I thank Mesothelioma UK for continuing to raise awareness each year through action mesothelioma day. On 3 July, the Scottish Government will proudly show our support by lighting up in blue St Andrew’s house and Victoria Quay in Edinburgh to get behind the go blue for meso campaign.”
“There is an awful lot to be recognised in terms of holding people to account, which has been a feature of this campaign over time. The Scottish Government confirms its commitment to continue to stand alongside those who are affected by mesothelioma, to ensure that they receive the compassionate care and treatment that they require at ever…”
“The fact that there are such abandoned factories and that the people who enter them—whether for urban exploration or whatever else—do not understand the risks that they are exposing themselves to is a difficulty that we must overcome.”
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“I thank my friend for giving way. He is making a very powerful point on an excellent exhibition. Does he also recognise that, because of a lack of timely access to diagnostics and treatment, too many Scots die premature deaths that could have been prevented? Paul O’Kane: I absolutely agree. I was coming to the point that Mr Sweeney alludes to, which is that people who live in poverty often die a poor death. Regardless of the outcome of this evening’s vote and this process, it is incumbent on all of us in the Parliament to continue to have a serious discussion about the provision of palliative care and access to palliative care and dignity at the end of life. In particular, we are collectively failing to properly support our hospices.”
“I congratulate the Mental Health Foundation on its persistence in working to raise awareness of mental health issues in Scotland. I hope that the debate will play an important role in raising awareness of mental health and the importance of properly funding community-based mental health services, as well as dealing with the critical triggers and causes of mental ill health at all stages of life. We all need to play our part in dealing with the root causes of poor mental health and securing better support for people in Scotland who suffer from it. For that reason, I am very happy to support the motion, which places such focus on community resilience. 17:36”
“In this mental health awareness week, we must recognise that if we want to lift that shame we must be willing to finance services that provide help for people who are brave enough to ask for help. It is not good enough to say, “It’s okay to not be okay.” It is the duty of everyone who is elected to Parliament to support critical services. We must work together to end the cruel cuts to mental health services across Scotland and instead create a process that will guarantee the long-term funding of such vital support. Government at all levels must be reprogrammed to prioritise long-term value creation over short-term cost savings. I thank Ms McCall for lodging her motion, which addresses a topic that I am passionate about.”
“Glasgow’s Notre Dame Centre for children, the Sandyford clinic’s counselling service for survivors of sexual assault, and even the Scottish Huntington’s Association’s specialist services for Huntington’s disease sufferers are all in danger of being closed due to funding cuts. That means that while we in Parliament rightly celebrate the importance of community groups in providing good mental health, the same community groups in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland are now deeply worried about their future. According to research carried out by See Me Scotland, 60 per cent of Scots surveyed think that “a great deal or fair amount of shame” is still associated with mental illness, I am sure that everyone in the Parliament would agree that that is simply unacceptable.”
“Yet, across Scotland, we see community mental health services being stretched to breaking point, with punishing cuts taking place from Aberdeenshire to Dumfries and Galloway, leading to vital services being reduced, if not closed completely. In my home city of Glasgow, the cuts have been particularly brutal this year. In an age when increasing awareness of mental health enjoys cross-party consensus, it is all the more incredible that Glasgow’s health and social care partnership has cut its funding for Flourish House, a groundbreaking mental health recovery community that has been based in the Woodlands district since 1997. It is the last remaining example in Scotland of the international clubhouse model. It is not just Flourish house that faces an uncertain future.”
“I, too, thank Roz McCall for securing this important members’ business debate, the motion for which I was pleased to sign and support. Mental health awareness week is an important time in the calendar when we recognise the significant advances that we have made in raising awareness of mental health issues while also acknowledging that, as a nation, we still have a long way to go to achieve a society and an economy that promote good mental health. The theme of this year’s mental health awareness week is community, and its aim is to recognise the role that community resilience plays in providing a positive environment for good mental health to take root.”
“The minister mentioned that shipbuilding is competitive, but other countries use their state investment banks to provide credit guarantees, and Spain provides a tax leasing arrangement. That is why we are not winning this business. Will the minister look at those other countries and compete properly on the same basis? Fiona Hyslop: I certainly will. With the powers of independence, I would love to have the same powers and capabilities as other countries to do exactly what the member says. Deer-related Road Accidents (Central Belt) 7.”
“I also recognise the issue that he points to, which is that climate change will, ultimately, make the problems more complicated to solve. The Scottish Government provides a range of support to address some of those issues. I mentioned the £300 million investment. More specifically, we are seeking to ensure that landlords in the private rented sector are in a position to make life better for their tenants, and we are supporting the social housing rented sector. 2045 Net Zero Target 4.”
“For too many of my constituents, poor-quality housing remains the norm. Lack of proper insulation can lead to damp and mould, which causes health problems, as well as to higher energy bills and greater emissions. The problem will only get worse as rainfall increases and temporary weather extremes become more common due to climate change. Will the minister give his assurance that the Government will act swiftly to support those who are living in poor-quality housing and to capture pockets of excellence, such as the work that Loco Home Retrofit co-op is doing in Glasgow, to ensure that we level things up and make such excellence the norm for the nation rather than the exception? Alasdair Allan: I recognise the work that is being done by the community organisation that Mr Sweeney mentioned.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to any people in Glasgow who are at risk of losing their mental health support due to the reported reductions announced by the integration joint board. (S6O-04592)”
“I do not understand why there is such a negative feedback loop. There is ever greater congestion on our roads, and buses are performing less efficiently because of that rising congestion. We have a doom loop of increasing problems. The biggest capital investment in Glasgow’s transport system is the more than £150 million that is being spent on patching up the 1970s motorway viaduct that runs through Cowcaddens. The Government’s approach is simply not coherent. It needs to adopt a much better approach in order to unlock the true potential of the city of Glasgow, which can benefit Scotland as a whole. 16:06”
“Jim Fairlie: Will the member recognise and celebrate the fact that Glasgow City Council has spent more than £500,000 of the money that it has made from LEZs on tree planting in order to improve the environment in Glasgow city centre? Paul Sweeney: That is good, but it is a tokenistic measure. In the grand scheme of things, £500,000 is a drop in the ocean. Glasgow needs £500 million or £5 billion—that is the scale of investment that we are talking about. That is the amount of money that we need to bring into Glasgow to build the Clyde metro and to deliver the scale of investment that other European cities enjoy. We need to get real about the issue—we need to go big or go home. The Clyde metro remains a nebulous project, and we are nowhere near fulfilling the true potential of the city.”
“That is not helped by the fact that Glasgow has a major motorway running through the heart of the city, which reduces incentives to improve public transport, because it means that the richest and most prosperous people in the city region can enjoy the benefits of private car ownership, which are not accessible to the poorest households. Thirdly, transport choices have environmental implications, which means that air pollution is a bigger problem in urban centres such as Glasgow than it is in more rural areas. Poor air quality disproportionately affects the poorest people in Glasgow and the poorest neighbourhoods, which border the M8 motorway that runs through the heart of the city. Jim Fairlie: Will the member give way? Paul Sweeney: I would be happy to.”
“There are three main reasons why this is important. First, Glasgow’s economy is underperforming relative to its peers by an amount that is equivalent to 4.5 per cent of Scotland’s gross domestic product. There is a huge prize to be won if we unlock that potential. If we can get Glasgow to a level of competitiveness with European cities of a similar size, such as Munich, we can unlock huge opportunity for this country. Secondly, Glasgow has the lowest rate of car ownership in the UK. According to the 2011 census, 41 per cent of Glaswegians do not own a car—that is well above Britain’s average of 26 per cent. That makes Glasgow more dependent on the performance of its public transport network and accentuates social inequality in the city, which is already problematic.”
“The Centre for Cities estimates that the underperformance of the Glasgow economy costs Scotland £7 billion a year, which is largely down to the dysfunctional nature of its public transport system. Although Glasgow’s public transport system performs relatively well at a UK level, it is severely underperforming relative to its European peers. That must be addressed. The Government has worked with Glasgow City Council on the development of measures such as the connectivity commission, which was established seven years ago but on which no further progress has been made. Other cities around Europe have moved far ahead in investing in metro systems, extending trams and delivering the regulation of buses, such as in the case of Manchester. I worry that the pace of improvement is nowhere near where it needs to be.”
“Although I sympathise with some elements of the motion, its framing is deeply facile and disingenuous. The reality is that transport in Scotland is a critical issue that affects national life, as it connects people to jobs and economic opportunities. That velocity of movement and connection between people generates growth and prosperity for the communities that we are elected to represent. That is why it is so important. Distilling it down into the idea of some sort of war is not entirely helpful. I recognise that there are flaws in the delivery of public policy in this area and that there has been a tendency to focus on punitive measures at the expense of proper long-term strategic investment. For example, Glasgow, which I represent, accounts for 20 per cent of Scotland’s economy.”
“The reality is that Aberdeen’s LEZ is hammering businesses and our great city centre, is disproportionately hitting those of lesser means and is unlikely to be having any significant impact on emissions. Alongside the Aberdeen bus gates, it is the embodiment of virtue-signalling, ideologically led and unevidenced policy making on the hoof. The sooner both schemes are consigned to history, the better for us all. 15:53”
“Liam Kerr made an important point about the low-emission zone in Madrid. Another good example from Madrid is how efficiently it has built its metro system—I think that it is the most cost-efficient system per mile anywhere in the world. Could we do more in Scotland to benchmark excellent infrastructure projects such as the Madrid metro and build more such infrastructure here? Liam Kerr: We could definitely do more in Scotland. Unfortunately, we will never do more while we have an SNP Government in place. People will begin to suspect that, far from being about emission reductions, LEZs are about the SNP introducing schemes to generate money for councils, which it so woefully underfunds, from exorbitant fines on drivers.”
“Therefore, let us all increase those conversations about awareness of testicular cancer and the need for men to check themselves regularly, and fight against the stigma that prevents people asking for help and getting a diagnosis early. We all need to play our part in that discussion, and for that reason I am happy to support the motion this afternoon. 17:37”
“I also think it’s a tricky subject matter to talk about, but I’m willing to put my now one ball on the line here if it helps make that conversation less tricky for guys.” He says that, if doing that “Encourages someone to check themselves” and “potentially saves a life”, it will have been well worth it. I am sure that the entire Parliament commends Mr Stark for his bravery and wishes him a very swift recovery; we look forward to hearing him return to the radio soon. Fighting the stigma around testicular cancer must be a priority for this session of Parliament, particularly as it affects young men, who often do not interact with primary care until later in life. I welcome this debate, and I hope that the discussion will go beyond the chamber and will continue long after parliamentary business has ended. If it does, lives will be saved.”
“I know that many people will of course be thinking about Capital Radio DJ Chris Stark, who revealed only last month that he had undergone chemotherapy for testicular cancer. I found his public statement to be very moving and I hope that it will encourage others to seek out treatment, so I thought that I would quote a few lines from it. He said: “The reason I want to share this is that I feel like an idiot that I didn’t spot this sooner. And although I’m effectively cured and it was caught early, my hope is any bloke reading this will perhaps think to check themselves today. Or go to a doctor if not sure about any possible symptoms. Caught early, this cancer is so so treatable. It is most common in men aged 18-49.”
“We know that a lot of current campaigning takes the form of good-natured and humorous campaigns, which are important—the work that is done by Oddballs underwear and Movember is really useful—but when we look at the HIV stigma campaigns, we can see that a lot of work has been done to change the narrative around that, and send the message that HIV no longer presents the critical health implications that it once did, and that people with HIV can now live relatively normal lives. Perhaps we need to change the narratives around reproductive health for men, which is an aspect that is often not considered when talking about testicular cancer. Mr Mountain’s point on that was really insightful and important.”
“How many children are without parents, spouses without partners and parents without children, because embarrassment or procrastination meant that help was not sought out when needed? Edward Mountain: We read that someone with testicular cancer who has surgery to have one testicle removed will not be affected by that. There are also ways of storing semen, should someone have to have both testicles removed. The long- term effect of the surgery is that it keeps the person alive. Does Mr Sweeney agree that we ought to discuss that and make it clear that treatment is better than nothing at all? Paul Sweeney: I thank Mr Mountain for making those points. That issue is an important aspect of future campaigning.”
“They either do not check for symptoms, ignore symptoms or simply put off seeking help until it is too late, and yet we know that, as with so many conditions, the first step to treatment and recovery is to ask for help and get a diagnosis. If we are not willing to talk about testicular cancer and act on symptoms when they first present, lives will be lost that could have been saved. There is nothing strong or brave about suffering in silence—it is much stronger and braver to reach out and get the help that you need. Given that the survival rate for testicular cancer that is caught early is 95 per cent, the difference between silence and getting help is literally a matter of life or death.”
“I, too, extend my thanks to Marie McNair, the member for Clydebank and Milngavie, for securing this important members’ business debate during testicular cancer awareness month. I echo her commendation of the Cahonas Scotland charity, which is based in her constituency and has done so much to tackle stigma through good-humoured campaigning. As has been mentioned, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK aged between 15 and 45, and yet we know that there is still a real sense of stigma associated with the disease. That is partly understandable—it affects an intimate part of the body, and so for many men who already struggle to talk openly about health issues, the nature of the subject makes it a step too far.”
“That is where the ideal of social prescribing comes in. It is about building that richness into our communities. An introduction to a sports club or to a group such as the scouts, the Boys Brigade, the cadets or a model railway club is the essence of starting to build wellness, prosperity and happiness, which is an under-regarded and underappreciated factor in public policy in our society. If we can establish the tangible value of such organisations and the work that they do, and price it into Government policy, we will be well on the way to building a better network and system for intergenerational working across our country. I again thank Jackie Dunbar for lodging the motion. 17:32”
“Things such as men’s sheds or community gardens are not prescribed by central Government or some central office; they happen organically in our communities. Those things are very special and we ought to celebrate them. So often, they are seen as being nice to have and easy to trim away from a Government budget line from year to year, but they are valuable and rich. Such things are also essential to public health. We often talk about problems with mental health and wellbeing, or about isolation and loneliness, and how difficult it might be for a general practitioner to find a remedy for those things. It is not always about prescribing something; the remedy can be built into our communities. Mental ill-health and other problems might be a symptom of disconnect within our communities, which is more subtle and harder to diagnose.”
“The way in which the campaign has focused on promoting a grass-roots network is important. I commend its work and hope that it continues to grow from year to year. It has certainly grown from being a relatively local project to being a global phenomenon, and that is to be celebrated. I also think of my recent attendance at a model railway exhibition in Glasgow, where I enjoyed the model railway exhibits, which were impressive. I also enjoyed seeing all the community model railway clubs, with young people and old people working together to build amazing historical and contemporary scenes from across Scotland, and the shared enthusiasm and joy of people coming together and celebrating that. That is another example of the richness in our country that can be overlooked or dismissed.”
“At the event, when the pupils were presenting the findings of their project, having interviewed older members of the community, they referenced a proverb, which was along the lines of “When an old person dies, a library burns to the ground.” I thought that that was a really poetic way of capturing the point of how much we might miss as a society, particularly when we view with derision or with a lack of respect our older people and the immense amount of experience and wisdom that they can bring. It was remarkable to see the awareness of young people at the school reflecting on that. It is a turn of phrase that has stuck with me. We often forget the immense amount of experience, particularly in working-class communities, that is not recorded or appreciated.”
“As part of the project, the pupils spoke to older members of the community about their memories of Springburn. The history that the pupils recorded opened their eyes to the immense richness of the identity of those older members of the community and the pride that they had in their community. That was something that they had not previously discovered, and it was really special to witness.”
“I, too, thank Ms Dunbar for securing the debate. It is commendable that this is the second year in a row that she has done so, as this is a critical issue for our society. Often, the discourse in our country can focus on intergenerational inequality and unfairness, but focusing more on the opportunities that intergenerational working can bring is important, because amazing things are going on in this country. Ms Dunbar alluded to a lot of that in her speech, and it provoked a lot of thinking on my part about what goes on in my area. I remember going to an event in Springburn academy—this was before I became a member of the Scottish Parliament—that was to do with an oral history project that intermediate-level pupils were involved in.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that Stephanie Callaghan be appointed to replace Jackie Dunbar as the Scottish National Party substitute on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. NHS Grampian Waiting Times”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app would not connect. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Sweeney. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-17267, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on committee membership is: For 108, Against 1, Abstentions 0.”
“We must give all our thanks, support and energy to the fighting men and women of Ukraine, who, right now, are the first and last line of defence against Russian tyranny. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. I advise members that the allocated speaking times were put forward by party business managers and agreed to. SNP back benchers will have up to four minutes, the Conservative back bencher will have up to six minutes and the Labour back bencher will have up to eight minutes. Saying that now will save me from having to explain it vis-à-vis every speaker. 16:30”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: That was quite a lengthy intervention, Mr Sweeney. Alex Cole-Hamilton: I absolutely agree—Paul Sweeney is absolutely right in what he says about the importance of those relationships with stakeholders. I will finish on this point. At the base where we delivered the ambulances from Mighty Convoy—I thank Simon Brake for his work on that—we made a ceremonial presentation to the brigade commanders. Two days after we left, a Russian spy was uncovered at that base, who had received orders to assassinate the very commanders to whom we had presented the ambulances. That took place three tanks of diesel and one set of road tolls from where we are right now. This is on our doorstep. It is a conflict that will define our century.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Alex Cole-Hamilton: I will certainly take an intervention from my friend Paul Sweeney, if I have time. Paul Sweeney: I thank my friend for giving way. He is making a very eloquent speech about our recent expedition. One of the valuable things that we both took away from that visit was the richness of the interactions that we had with different stakeholders in Ukraine, including on the visit to the drone factory, when we discussed the opportunities for collaboration in engineering, and on our visit to the hospital, when we were able to learn about the Burn Care Alliance, which is a project that has been led by the young clinicians we met, and to discuss whether there are opportunities to develop those techniques with NHS and university practitioners.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will accelerate the full implementation of bus franchising powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. (S6O-04531)”
“We are guided by the existing procurement rules and I will take advice from CMAL, as appropriate, at each phase. The positive news is the level of investment that we have to take forward the procurement. I am cognisant of the remarks that the member has made not only today but previously. Offshore Wind Industry 7.”
“In structuring the tendering procedure for phase 2 of the small vessel replacement programme, would the cabinet secretary consider ensuring that there is a minimum social value weighting of at least 10 per cent, in line with procurement practices in other parts of the United Kingdom? If so, would that weighting be likely to include a UK work share in the contract? Will the cabinet secretary also think about whether we can structure shipyards or shipbuilding facilities in Scotland as common user facilities, so that any tenderer, anywhere in the world, can include in their bid an intention to use a UK or Scottish shipyard for the purpose of fulfilling the contract? Fiona Hyslop: I listened carefully to the member when he made similar remarks in the chamber recently.”
“Indeed, it is probably a good motto in the combat and back and forth of politics. The Black Watch is a fine regiment with a great tradition, which is carried on today as part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. As we look towards the next era for the line infantry in Scotland, let us hope that we can continue to support the efforts to build the regiment and to maintain its traditions. 13:05”
“As we look back over the traditions, the ethos and the great history of the Black Watch, we see that 14 Victoria crosses and many other awards for gallantry have been awarded over its three centuries, and that it has been involved in every major conflict in which this country has been engaged. We also note the gallantry of young men from Forfar, Angus, Dundee and Perthshire in their contribution to this country’s martial traditions. That is important and worthy of commemoration today. The late President John F Kennedy, on meeting the regiment on the lawn of the White House, asked for the motto of the regiment, and the commanding officer said that it was “Nemo me impune lacessit”—no one strikes me with impunity. The President rather jokingly remarked that that is probably a good motto for the rest of us.”
“Funnily enough, I realised that the commanding officer in my company, Major Nick Ord, carried the Queen’s colour out of Hong Kong on that parade. I found out very late in the day that he had done that early in his career, as a young officer in the Black Watch. He was a fine officer and a brilliant mentor to me as a young soldier, as a reservist in 6 SCOTS in the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The traditions and spirit of the Black Watch carry on today through the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in this month next year.”
“I am struck by the youth of many of the young soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way for the interests of our country. There are many others, including one of my own friends, Private Robert Hetherington, who was in the reserves with 7 SCOTS—the 7th battalion—and who sadly lost his life in Afghanistan on 30 April 2013. It seems strange, now that it is so long ago, but the loss of such a close friend is a very real and visceral memory. Such real losses are felt keenly by all members of a regimental family. That is why it is such a close-knit organisation. I commend the members of the Black Watch Association for carrying on the fine traditions of the regiment, particularly through the regimental museum, which is a fine establishment in Perth. Ms Smith also mentioned the battalion’s role in the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.”
“In the Edinburgh military tattoo, more often than not, it is the Black Watch and the Royal Highland Fusiliers that keep the residual traditions of those cap badges alive. Ms Smith outlined the great gamut of the Black Watch’s history up to this tercentenary. In recent years, the Black Watch has not been without its challenges. There have been a number of tragic losses in recent operations. Many young people lost their lives in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think back to just over 20 years ago, to the very fraught period of the deployment to camp Dogwood in central Iraq, in the so-called triangle of death, where, sadly, three members of the battalion lost their lives—Sergeant Stuart Gray, who was 31 years old, Private Paul Lowe, who was 19 years old, and Private Scott McArdle, who was 22 years old.”
“It is a privilege to participate in this members’ business debate, and I congratulate my colleague, Ms Smith, on securing it. She did a fine job of adumbrating the illustrious and gallant history of one of Scotland’s famous line infantry regiments. It pains me to say that, as a Glaswegian and as someone with a close association to the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Glasgow. It is, however, welcome that, even under the new regime of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Black Watch, or 3 SCOTS, and the Royal Highland Fusiliers, or 2 SCOTS, are the only two line infantry battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland to retain their pipes and drums, which is perhaps a sad indication of the decline of the line infantry in Scotland in recent years. Nonetheless, it is a tangible thread through the illustrious history of the regiment.”
“I have asked Government officials to liaise with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Council, which are the partners in the IJB, to address the concerns and to provide the reassurance that we all need to hear, that the demand on the services that would have been provided by Notre Dame is able to be met in the future, because it is vital that individuals who require those services are able to access them. Water Scarcity 6.”
“Will the First Minister please give families and patients who are affected the reassurance that the Government will intervene in that case and will not allow such a devastating cut to mental health services to take place? The First Minister: I am grateful to Mr Sweeney for his kind remarks about Christina McKelvie. He is absolutely right to say that she went out of her way to help members on all questions. I am concerned to hear the news about the Notre Dame Centre.”
“I add my condolences to the family and friends of our colleague Christina McKelvie. She was a kind person and a cheerful and helpful minister who often went out of her way to assist colleagues in resolving many issues that they were dealing with in their constituencies. Earlier this week, families and patients who attend the Notre Dame children’s centre in Glasgow were shocked by the announced closure of the centre, which provides invaluable treatment for children who have experienced trauma through abuse, neglect or bereavement. The centre’s closure is unacceptable, and it is linked directly to the proposal by the integration joint board in Glasgow to cut psychological trauma services by 22 per cent.”
“As of December, the number of homeless applications by refugees in the city stood at 2,753, and the number of refugee households in temporary accommodation was 2,179. I urge the minister to consider how we can expand housing capacity in Glasgow. We have 2,600 long-term empty homes in Glasgow. We can make a greater effort in that regard and join up the policies. Let us look again at the asylum housing contracts and at how we take money from multinational rent-seekers and push it into housing investment. We can restructure that in a way that is positive and beneficial. 18:38”
“I am maybe creating a hostage to fortune in saying so, but there is an opportunity for the Government to introduce that through a statutory instrument, which would allow a more systemic approach to delivering that benefit to people in the asylum system. I turn to the interface between the asylum system and our housing crisis in Glasgow. As members in the city will be aware, councillors declared a housing emergency in November 2023. We have seen a vast increase in the number of people who have been granted leave to remain presenting as homeless in Glasgow. I believe that there has been a 96 per cent increase in the past couple of years, which has put severe pressure on housing in the city.”