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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“Does the minister agree that, despite all that, the planning system in Scotland remains fundamentally discretionary? That can often introduce conflicts in the planning process when plans are just presented and are developer led. The German system could be an interesting benchmark. It is more codified, which means that people know well in advance what the preferred styles and densities are for developments. That can introduce a less contentious system and give greater certainty for developers to invest, because they know what they can build out and where. Ivan McKee: One of the drivers behind the move to the revised national planning framework 4 has been for the planning system to be plan led as much as possible.”
“Irrespective of what ends up happening with the ownership of the yard, our commitment is to continue to invest in it as a shipbuilding facility. The first step is to ensure that it can compete internationally. Artificial Intelligence Sector 5.”
“Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is essential that the demand signal from public sector procurement underpins Scottish ship building? To achieve that, could she look at emulating what the Australians have done with the Australian marine complex in Perth? It is set up as a common user facility, which means that, regardless of who wins public procurement contracts, the companies can use the infrastructure and the facility in Australia to deliver the programmes. Kate Forbes: Right now, we are working with Ferguson Marine to focus on improving productivity and to invest in the equipment and machinery that it needs to update in order to enable the company to compete internationally for procurement work.”
“I do not have the time to elucidate further, so I will close by saying that I know that a lot is being done—I am not here to criticise—but should we not focus much more on this issue and far less on the high-level rhetoric about unachievable targets? Such targets take up so much of our discourse and, frankly, they conceal the real problems that lurk beneath the surface, problems that it is our duty to tackle and solve. 13:02”
“A recent report by Statkraft, the second biggest company in Norway and Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, has found that a “transformational” pumped storage project, according to UHI, offers “significant” opportunities with up to 500 workers needed at the peak of the construction period. That is just one of a very large number of projects; not all of them will go ahead, but many will. I also want to praise the efforts of industry in this respect. For example, the Civil Engineers Contractors Association has created its own scheme, which provides an 18-week course for young people with the opportunity of a guaranteed job interview at the end. It has a success rate of more than 50 per cent going into engineering.”
“The member has made a powerful series of points. Does he agree that, with the change in early recruitment in the shipbuilding industry necessitated by recent difficulties that it has faced—I am thinking of the trade assistant role that it has introduced, which removes academic entry qualifications—a great pathway is being offered to those who do not have traditional skills to enter the industry and build their skills in a practical way, and that that has been compounded by the creation of the applied shipbuilding skills academy in Glasgow? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Fergus Ewing, I can give you the time back. Fergus Ewing: I do not have the knowledge of shipbuilding that the member might have, but I sympathise with his point. A lot has been done by colleges and by, for example, the University of the Highlands and Islands.”
“With regard to the member’s point about windows, the permitted development right for the alteration or replacement of windows in domestic or non-domestic buildings primarily means that, in most conservation areas, the front elevation of properties will continue to be under restrictions. There are different rules for listed buildings, too. However, as I say, local authorities have a degree of authority on this matter when approached by people in such situations. Corridor Care and Temporary Escalation Spaces (NHS Boards) 2.”
“The recent change in permitted development rights has led to significant degradation in the country’s built environment, particularly in conservation areas, due to the loose nature of the regulation. It means that, for example, PVC windows can be installed, which have poor life-cycle performance compared with timber. Will the minister therefore consider putting in place more codified guidance for conservation areas to ensure that people make the right decisions with best-informed practical information that is based on best practice across the country? That could bring down the unit costs of installations such as timber sash-and-case windows, as more people would be encouraged to buy them. Alasdair Allan: I thank Paul Sweeney for his question. I know that he is very interested in built heritage.”
“They have been waiting for so long, often for elective treatments, that they have been forced to pay to go private—some remortgaging their homes or dipping into their pension savings in order to do so, when they should be gearing up for a settled retirement.”
“As many members have said, ministers and back benchers alike are all here to back our NHS workforce and our constituents who are seeking to access healthcare that is free at the point of need, as the purpose of the NHS when it was founded was to remove “money worries in times of illness.” Unfortunately, as we have heard all too often today from members across the chamber, when people are in need, the NHS simply is not there for them. They are waiting so long that they are developing money worries, because they are facing the torment of pain or, in many cases, are having to pour out their life savings to fund their medical treatment. That point was put ably by my Glasgow colleague Pauline McNeill with regard to her constituents.”
“In that time, the spend in Scotland per head relative to the rest of the UK was 17 per cent more at the start of the Government’s tenure, and it is now just 3 per cent more, so a significant decline in public expenditure overall is clearly a priority for this Government. We have seen the consequences of that long decline in its relative importance to the Government as the overall pattern of expenditure has evolved. That point has come from clinicians and from our constituents in correspondence. That is why we are here: to convey their arguments to the Government and represent their interests.”
“I rise to second and commend to Parliament the motion in the name of my friend the member for Dumbarton. It is a very important motion, because the national health service in Scotland accounts for a third of all public expenditure for which the Scottish Government is responsible, and for up to half of day-to-day public expenditure. The current Government’s administration of our national health service has lasted nearly 18 years, which is approaching a quarter of the NHS’s entire existence, so the Government has had almost the largest span of control of our national healthcare system since it was set up 76 years ago.”
“Paul Sweeney: Yes, I am happy to give way. The Deputy Presiding Officer: No, you cannot, Mr Sweeney. Paul Sweeney: Ah, sorry—I am running out of time. I am afraid that I have to conclude. The Deputy Presiding Officer: You have run out of time. Paul Sweeney: Many members made observations about local challenges. We need fundamental reform and we need to build greater value in our public services. That is about moving away from a system of reaction to one of prevention and looking at not just short-term costs but long-term value. 16:56”
“I know that many members and, indeed, ministers share these frustrations, but there seems to be an inability to fundamentally reform the civil service and the institutions of Government to respond to the generational challenges that we face. Many of the speeches in the debate came up short in trying to address the fundamental issues. We have to recognise that every aspect of making decisions comes with costs. The member for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn cited hospices, for example. Yes, there will be a challenge due to the change to national insurance contributions, but, similarly, the change in NHS pay structures for nursing has meant that hospices have struggled to recruit nurses because of the pay differential. In addition, the business rates that councils are extracting from hospices— Bob Doris: Will Paul Sweeney give way?”
“Similar issues due to failures to reform have been laid out by colleagues. Pam Duncan-Glancy highlighted colleges, for example. A couple of years ago, I spoke to a college principal in Glasgow who talked about local industrial and economic needs and why the college could not make bespoke courses and programmes to serve local industrial requirements. He said, “We’re not able to do that—to diverge, to innovate or to be enterprising”. As a result, one of the biggest industries in Glasgow is having to build its own college to train people for its workforce, because the local colleges are not able to provide for its requirements. That is another example of wasted public service innovation and a wasted opportunity to reform public services.”
“The Scottish Trades Union Congress has estimated that, on average, £4,000 per bed is extracted in profit from people seeking social care. The most profitable care home provider extracts £13,600 per bed. That is the fundamental problem at the heart of public service delivery. We are not making the big calls that previous generations made, such as when building the national health service, by saying, “We’re not going to have private profit extraction in our acute hospital system; we are going to remove the grubby pound sign from the provision of healthcare”. Those are the sorts of calls that were needed and, because of the failure to make those calls, we have ended up with the programme falling apart and with the bill a pale imitation of what was originally very ambitious.”
“Paul Sweeney: The cabinet secretary makes a fair point but, as ever, the Government is rich on rhetoric and poor on the delivery of tangible benefits, and that is after 18 years—my entire adult life—of having the privilege of being in power in this country. That opportunity of being in government has been squandered in many respects, not least in relation to the flagship national care service, and that was largely because the Government seemed to want to be an inch deep and a mile wide on the issue. It failed to make the key calls on the structural reform that is needed in social care. As was mentioned earlier by my colleague the member for West Scotland Ms Clark, 77 per cent of residential care capacity in this country is delivered by private providers.”
“It has been somewhat disingenuous—or perhaps naive—of some parliamentarians to suggest today that there are cost-free options available to this country for reforming our public services, putting them on a trajectory where we can build a positive legacy for future generations. Many members reflected on the decline in local services. The member for Banffshire and Buchan Coast talked about libraries. Neil Gray: I accept the challenges that exist in my area of health and social care, but does the member accept that the principles that we set out yesterday on shifting the balance of care, investing further in primary care, investing in reducing waiting times and increasing capacity in social care are ones that we would share, and areas where we can see better public services coming forward?”
“We have grown up in the shadow of a banking crisis, which was then turned into a manufactured crisis in public expenditure by the Conservatives. However, the bad hand that the Scottish Government might have had in recent years has been played very badly indeed. We have seen a Government increasingly characterised by reaction rather than by the prevention of problems, with a focus on stripping out cost rather than building long-term value. Those themes were at the heart of many of the speeches that were adumbrated this afternoon. In a nation where we have had declining living standards and stagnant growth and wages, the chess moves available to build back and improve our public services are very challenging. There are no cost-free options to develop long-term value creation.”
“At that time, I was very attracted by what was being offered by what became the Government, in particular on scrapping and reforming the council tax and dumping student debt. As someone who was just about to leave high school to go to university, the idea of dumping the debt was very attractive, and I was seduced into casting my regional list vote for the SNP on that occasion. Sadly, I feel that, as a naive 18-year-old, I was badly missold in that investment. Eighteen years on, with the long years of this Government in power, it is difficult to see what truly great reforms have been achieved during that generation in office. Reflecting back on that period when I was growing up, it has certainly been a difficult time for our country and for my generation—the first generation in history destined to be poorer than their parents.”
“It is a pleasure to support the amendment in the name of my colleague Mr Marra. There has been an interesting series of speeches this afternoon, reflecting on the great pride that this country has in its tradition of public service—a tradition that we hold dear and a great inheritance from previous generations, going back over a century, of building the public institutions from which we benefit today. The challenge for this generation has been to sustain, grow and build on that legacy. A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday and thought about when I was first able to cast my vote as an 18-year-old, in 2007, at the election when the present party in government first came into office.”
“I implore MSPs to back our budget proposals to cut taxes for workers and businesses. 16:25”
“Transport Scotland continues to reject plans to speed up dualling of the A9, which I think that we all agree is a vital project. However, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, has said that the current timetable for the project was “robust and practical”. Thankfully, the Government said in a recent letter to the City of Edinburgh Council that it will not fund the drawing up of a business case for the Edinburgh north-south tram proposal. The SNP has made a mess of Scotland’s train service, made a disaster of our ferry network by mismanaging state-run Ferguson Marine, and left our roads in a state of crumbling disrepair. Its record on transport is disgraceful and, frankly, embarrassing. As usual, the Scottish Conservatives want to be the party of common sense.”
“Repairs for the ageing CalMac Ferries fleet reached almost £100 million over a decade, the MV Glen Sannox will have less capacity than was agreed to and the future of Ardrossan harbour remains in limbo. Our roads are in a state of disrepair, with almost half a billion pounds being spent fixing potholes since 2022. Despite that, more than £4 million has been paid out by local authorities for pothole damage since 2019. Edinburgh is the pothole capital of Scotland, which will come as no surprise to anyone who, like me, lives here and drives on the roads. Is there a capital city anywhere else that can boast such an accolade? The need for investment has been glaring for years, although the improvement of roads such as the A9, A96, A77 and A75 is essential for sustainable economic growth as well as the protection of communities on those routes.”
“Ivan McKee: The member is—rightly—going through a list of things that she would have liked to have seen in the budget. Would it not have made sense when her party was negotiating on the budget if it had put those things forward? Maybe it would have achieved something, like some other parties did. Sue Webber: We have made the point many times about the need for infrastructure and transport. The SNP’s promises to dual the A9 and the A96 have been broken time and time again. I do not know what more we can say. Transport is key to this economy and for growing and making our communities connect and work. I want to go back to ferries, because here is an area in which we could have saved a little bit of money.”
“Nicola Sturgeon promised passengers that Scotland’s rail service would improve with Government ownership, yet things are manifestly worse than they were under Abellio. Taxpayer subsidies, ticket prices and complaints have all soared, while the number of services and passengers using them have plummeted. More locally, simple improvements to rail infrastructure would bring obvious benefits, such as building the train station at Winchburgh, which would put a booming town of more than 3,400 new homes on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow line, and building the short Almond chord rail link, which would turn the Edinburgh Gateway station from a white elephant into a hub for the new west town, as it connects to Haymarket. The SNP’s record on ferries is no better.”
“Does the member agree that it is deeply frustrating that, in this country, it seems that we cannot deliver infrastructure in a value-for-money manner? We seem to have the highest costs per mile to deliver railway or road projects. There needs to be a deep, fundamental review of how we are doing that compared with other countries. Sue Webber: I welcome those comments, Mr Sweeney. I will touch on that later on, if time permits. Every community across Scotland deserves affordable and reliable bus services, yet the Scottish Government has failed to make the public transport network cleaner, smarter and more accessible than ever before, which was the stated aim of its Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. The SNP’s nationalisation of ScotRail has been an abject failure by any and every measure.”
“Maree Todd: I will probably need to get into detailed discussion with the member on that issue, but I cautiously suggest that, if the bill included collective bargaining, it would not be within this Parliament’s legislative competence. I am working very closely with the UK Government on its Employment Rights Bill, which will, I think, deliver us a legislative underpinning for collective bargaining. In Scotland, we are many years ahead of our UK counterparts in developing a system of sectoral bargaining that will work. Given the complexity of the system, with more than 1,000 employers, it is very challenging to deliver that, but we are very close to delivering it. I will continue my engagement with the unions, and I am very confident that we will make progress on that front, but we will probably do so hand in hand with the”
“In November, the minister told the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee that trade union calls for sectoral bargaining were not covered by the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill and that the matter would need to be covered in a separate piece of legislation. Given that there was scant detail on fair work in the minister’s statement today, I presume that that is still the Government’s view. Does the minister not agree that collective bargaining arrangements for social care staff must be included in the bill, given that the changes that she has set out today can be implemented only with the support and confidence of those key workers?”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to dedicating 10 per cent of front-line national health service spend to mental health and 1 per cent to child and adolescent mental health services. (S6O-04227)”
“Given the tradition of Scottish family businesses going back generations, let us get behind those people and correct that injustice once and for all. 17:29”
“In this, the week when Donald Trump has returned to the White House and signed so many executive orders, I say to the cabinet secretary that he should sign an executive order to correct that injustice. If he cannot do that, he should explain why, given that Richard Lyle’s bill fell because of a lack of time as a result of Covid, the Scottish Government has not picked up the matter to correct that injustice. I want that injustice to be corrected and, using the vernacular of the time, I want to make showmen great again. Let us make the showmen great again and let us back them—not just by welcoming them to Scotland today, but by doing something that will help generations to come to enjoy fabulous funfairs and support a community that does so much for Scotland, such as paying taxes that send our kids to schools and all those things.”
“Richard, who had a voice like a fairground attendant and was known to bark “Yes” or “No” from his party’s benches, was fundamental to ensuring that the work of the Showmen’s Guild was properly represented. Let me sound a slightly discordant note. I think that the Parliament betrayed Scottish showpeople. Richard Lyle had a member’s bill that unfortunately fell because of Covid. That bill sought to correct the huge injustice in Scotland whereby local authorities charge variable rates, as David Torrance said, from £21 up to thousands of pounds for these family businesses to operate in our communities. Those charges are not applied in England and do not exist there—they are a purely Scottish phenomenon.”
“I am very much enthused by the member’s energetic anecdotes about his experiences of attending carnivals in Glasgow. Does he agree that, in this year, which marks the 850th anniversary of Glasgow’s burgh charter, and given the heritage of the Glasgow fair, which dates back to 1190, when Bishop Jocelin first got permission from the King to host the fair, we should be putting the showmen’s traditions of Glasgow, which date back to the 12th century, at the heart of the Glasgow 850 celebrations? Jackson Carlaw: I absolutely agree with that. I thought that I was old, but I did not realise that Mr Sweeney had been around in 1190—it is encouraging to know that he was there. It is a great pleasure to see Richard Lyle, our former parliamentary colleague, sitting in the public gallery.”
“I must point out, though, that the vast majority of port authorities are commercial operators, and we do not hold information about commercial entities across a variety of areas. However, given the current concerns, I will see whether it is possible to identify whether other commercial port authorities would be prepared to share their information to enable us to gain a better understanding. I understand that other such authorities charge in a way that has not been done for some of the vessels that we are discussing. Renewable Energy Output (Value to United Kingdom Economy) 7.”
“As Peel Ports has jurisdiction from the River Clyde at Glasgow Green right down to the Firth of Clyde, it has a significant impact on about 450 square miles of inshore waters. It has claimed that the imposition of conservancy fees for leisure vessels is common practice on the part of other statutory harbour authorities. I asked the Scottish Government whether it could provide data on that, but it does not hold such data, which I find alarming. Does the cabinet secretary understand why that is the case? Will she look to gather data on other statutory harbour authorities’ charging of leisure vessel conservancy fees? Will she also examine the oversight and regulation of port authorities in Scotland more generally? Fiona Hyslop: I set out the oversight and governance aspects in my previous answer.”
“The costs of travel and accommodation are also barriers to accessing healthcare. We desperately need a review of the outdated patient travelling expenses scheme for reimbursements. Many other issues are addressed by the Scottish Human Rights Commission report—more than I can do credit to today. I thank it for carrying out that important work. We, in the Parliament, owe it to the commission to act on its findings. We wish it well in presenting its findings to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights next month. I brought forward this debate to highlight the report’s findings and to ask the Scottish Government to respond to it and say whether it will use human rights-based budgeting to protect all our human rights, including the human rights of people in the Highlands and Islands, in the future. 12:57”
“There are many campaigns in the Highlands and Islands regarding access to health care, from the Caithness Health Action Team and the keep MUM—maternity unit for Moray— campaign, which fights for local maternity services, to the Hopeman and Burghead groups that campaign for local general practice surgeries. Those groups are not surprised by the commission’s report, but they are appreciative of it highlighting issues that they have been campaigning on for years. Mental health services in the region are poor, especially for young people. The waiting list for child and adolescent mental health services in NHS Highland is stubbornly high, and services are provided centrally, which means that young people need to take more time away from school and make long journeys to access them.”
“Rhoda Grant is making a very powerful speech on the report. Perhaps she might reflect on the power of co- operatives and their potential further development in rural settings, which might improve economic justice in areas such as housing, retail and food production. Rhoda Grant: Indeed. Co-operatives are already used in rural areas. Crofting, which is the agricultural system in place in rural areas, is based on co-operative working. Many people know that they need to work co-operatively in rural areas simply in order to exist. The report also highlights access to health and social care.”
“Does the cabinet secretary agree that the financial model that has been pioneered by Lar Housing Trust over the past decade shows great promise? It uses loan-based finance—rather than the traditional grant-based financing model—which could significantly increase the country’s capacity to build affordable housing. Shona Robison: I agree very much with Paul Sweeney on that point. Lar Housing Trust has shown an innovative way of delivering affordable housing. I have visited a number of its innovative sites, where it utilises buildings that have been derelict for some time and are unpurposed, as well as having new-build sites. I am keen to support that model and am happy to work with Paul Sweeney and others in doing so. East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils (Local Government Settlement 2025- 26) 2.”
“With its experience elsewhere in the United Kingdom over the last decade, I know that it has unrivalled experience and I look forward to seeing its work develop in Scotland. It is very encouraging to see it do that. That one-stop-shop approach and consistent point of contact is critical, and I commend its work. 17:34”
“However, when veterans find themselves in the justice system, NOVA Scotland can be there for them at all points. Whether that is assistance in the wake of an arrest or support for those serving a custodial sentence, it is on hand and able to act as a mentor and a consistent point of contact. It is good to know that NOVA Scotland works across Scotland with all 32 local authorities to assist vulnerable veterans so that they can rebuild their lives. As mentioned earlier, that was a key part of the recommendations made by the Scottish veterans commissioner. Those interventions could prevent offending and allow veterans to rebuild their lives in a more productive way. That would be good for the community and for everyone involved.”
“That can often have a knock-on effect on veterans’ mental health, and anxiety, depression and substance abuse are all too often common features of people in the veterans’ community, and of younger veterans in particular. So, it is crucial that the appropriate services are in place. Although it is welcome that priority has been given to the healthcare of veterans, the Government cannot be complacent about the quality of the services—in particular, the quality and accessibility of mental health services. We know, for the reasons outlined by Ms Gallacher, that veterans might, unfortunately, end up in the justice system, and we must ask ourselves whether the correct support was ever available to them to avoid that outcome. Certainly, we must not diminish the seriousness of criminal offences.”
“When you have been taught to do that under certain circumstances, as controlled by officers, it can be challenging to have that control mechanism taken away. That can often be difficult for people. When I speak to veterans, they tell me that the loss of structure and purpose that the military environment offers, with clear rules and routines— as well as a cohesive identity as a group within the military—is particularly tough to lose. A lot of self- esteem is wrapped up in that: the regiment, the tradition, the ship, or whatever it might be. It is difficult to transition to life outside the armed forces. The loss of such a tight structure can make someone feel as though they have lost their identity and that they no longer have a clear purpose.”
“The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): I thank Paul Sweeney for his very moving speech. Would he agree that one of the challenges for our veterans who have served in a theatre of war or a conflict zone is that—I have heard this directly from them—having been trained that the response to violence is greater violence, they come back into civilian life and can genuinely struggle to adapt to it? Whatever form decompression takes needs to take account of that and those circumstances. Paul Sweeney: I agree. It is often said that the art of soldiering is the “controlled application of violence” on behalf of the state. That is essentially the purpose of the army: to close with, make contact with and kill the enemy. At the end of the day, that is what fixing a bayonet at the end of a rifle is about.”
“However, people often found that very difficult—not least those who had lost colleagues, where there was an underlying sense of guilt. In May, it will have been 12 years since my friend Robert Hetherington was sadly killed in Afghanistan. I still very vividly recall attending his funeral just a few yards from here at the Canongate kirk. It was a harrowing experience for all of us, because that should have been his wedding, not his funeral. Seeing people in their 20s in that context is a very jarring experience. I think that a lot of us still struggle to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer with us— particularly in recent years, as the conflict in Afghanistan has come to an end. We often question what the purpose of it all was, in the end.”
“From personal experience, I know that some of my friends who served in Afghanistan often found civilian life somewhat trivial when they came back and that everyday challenges—which I suppose we would colloquially describe as first-world problems—could often lead to low frustration tolerance. When we were younger, I remember going out in Glasgow after people had come back from Afghanistan, and there was an increased tendency to get into scraps because they found arguments more frequently than might otherwise have been the case. Patience was low. That was often countered by having what was known as “decompression,” where units would stay together after coming back from hot conflict zones and try to maintain some cohesion as they slowly transitioned back into civilian life.”
“As I said in December during the Government debate on support for the veterans and armed forces community in Scotland, Labour members “are eager to work on a cross-party basis”—[Official Report, 5 December 2024; c 70.] to ensure that armed forces members and veterans are supported, whether they are in service or are transitioning to civilian life. That transition is often very successful. As members have mentioned, veterans are some our finest and most achieving citizens. However, the transition can also be very challenging. The physiological and emotional impacts of their service, often in very traumatic circumstances— especially in the last 20 years or so—mean that everyday life can be challenging.”
“I congratulate Ms Gallacher, the member for Central Scotland, on securing the debate. It is a privilege to be able to take part in the debate, and I put on record that members on the Labour benches have a huge admiration for the work of NOVA in supporting veterans to address their challenges. I pay tribute in particular to Ms Gallacher’s constituent, Scott, who is clearly doing admirable work such that it has caught the attention of the member; I hope that he continues to persevere and innovate in serving the constituents of Central Scotland in that endeavour.”
“I have been working in Paisley with my colleague Neil Bibby to save the territorial army drill hall, which is under imminent threat of demolition. The council feels that it cannot take on the risk of serving an urgent works notice, because that would leave the council with a financial liability. However, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, it has the power to recover the costs from the owner, but it is not minded to do so. The cabinet secretary could directly intervene and serve an urgent works notice. I wonder whether he could look at that case and perhaps more actively use the powers in the 1997 act to safeguard more of our built heritage. 16:25”