Katy Clark
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“I welcome the fact that we are taking steps to reduce the prison population, but there needs to be a wider discussion—I think that we are all agreed on that. Community justice must be expanded.”
“The chamber has been designed so that members speak through the chair, which also means that the microphones will work. If you face me, your microphone should work. Alyn Smith: I am grateful to Amanda Bland for her comment. She is a good colleague on the Criminal Justice Committee, and, as ever, that was a sensible question.”
“Yesterday, I met constituents outside the Parliament who are concerned about the potential impact on local communities and the environment of the energy consumption of proposed AI data centres in Irvine, Bishopbriggs and Hunterston, in my region. At least 24 controversial sites are being considered across Scotland.”
“The member cannot take an intervention, as she is already in additional time. Pauline McNeill: I will conclude with a specific point on deaths in custody, which the Criminal Justice Committee had a brief chat about on Wednesday morning.”
“I move amendment S7M-00469.2, to insert at end: “; is concerned that the current prison population crisis is chronically hampering effective rehabilitation; calls on the Scottish Government to increase its investment in GPS technology and speed up its roll out, and notes that the current approach to rehabilitation, community justice and e…”
“I understand that there is a request for national guidance, but that would be a deviation from where we are as a Parliament. However, if the mood of the Parliament is changing, the Government is open to listening, and that is a conversation to be had.”
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Every one of 635 lines we hold for Katy Clark, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 13.
“The benefits of a stronger UK oil and gas industry are enormous: continued jobs, major tax revenue, greater balance of payments and greater energy security, with, in particular, the opportunity to reduce imports, including greatly reducing or even ending LNG imports. Let us talk about emissions. UK emissions now account for less than 0.8 per cent of global emissions. Scotland accounts for about 10 per cent of that, at 0.08 per cent—not even a rounding error—and that figure is just going to keep getting smaller and smaller, as large nations such as India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Nigeria continue to use more energy, especially from gas and coal. The UK is still about the 24th largest oil producer in the world, but it accounts for only about 0.7 per cent of world production—another rounding error in global terms.”
“We can do that. The North Sea has a strong and vital future, if we choose it. We need to urgently remove the energy profits levy. We need unambiguous support for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil fields and all new projects. We need unambiguous support for new licences in drilling. That would revitalise our industry. As my amendment states, I call on the Parliament to be a vocal champion for the North Sea oil and gas industry, to apologise for previous policies that show lack of support for the industry— including the presumption against new development—and to provide unambiguous support for Jackdaw and Rosebank and new drilling, with new planning laws needed if necessary.”
“That brings me to our oil and gas sector—a world-leading industry that is being crushed by deliberate policy choices. Despite the massive investment in renewables, the oil and gas industry remains essential. In the UK, 75 per cent of primary energy still comes from oil and gas. Globally, 81 per cent of primary energy comes from oil and gas. We need to acknowledge that, in all scenarios, the UK and Scotland will need oil and gas for decades. It is needed for transport fuels and key chemicals—just about every product in this room requires oil and gas—and it is vital for heating and industrial processes. Paradoxically, the more renewables that we add to the grid, the more flexible gas back-up we need. We need to maximise our use of oil and gas resources rather than import them from neighbouring Norway or from countries even further afield.”
“We also need to maintain 100 per cent back-up. In Scotland and the UK, the back-up comes from gas; in other European countries, it comes from coal. That adds huge cost, complexity and vulnerability. Vulnerability is an increasingly serious concern, with the risks of blackouts rising, as demonstrated by what happened in Spain last summer. Scotland is going to be especially exposed to those risks. We rely on only two ageing conventional plants—Torness nuclear plant and Peterhead gas plant—and both could close in the early 2030s, which would make Scotland extremely vulnerable to blackouts and likely to be dependent on gas plants that are located in the north of England. We have to start facing that energy reality. Renewables will definitely be part of the energy mix, but we have to recognise the high costs and limitations of them.”
“On some of our older wind farms, such as Beatrice, it is priced at well over £200 per megawatt hour. The prices are all index linked and on long-term contracts, so the prices are fixed to go up for nearly 20 years. We can compare that with the direct cost of gas, which is between £50 and £60 per megawatt hour. Secondly, the system costs that are imposed by renewables are even higher, and they continue to grow. They are like the submerged part of an iceberg, making up two thirds of the cost of our bills. The reason for that is that, to support intermittent generation, we have to build a vastly larger grid—much greater than that of a conventional system—at huge expense. There is also a huge amount of ire and anger from those in our rural communities, who do not want giant pylons or battery farms across their back gardens.”
“I remind members that there should be no interruptions during first speeches. I appreciate that the minister took interventions, but there should still be no interruptions. Duncan Massey: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. As Professor Dieter Helm of the University of Oxford succinctly put it, renewables are “not cheap, not home-grown and not secure”. That is where we are. The costs are being driven by two things. First, the direct costs of renewables are very high. We can see that clearly through CFD prices at the moment. The subsidies are paid by the UK Government, on which Scottish wind is wholly dependent. For example, in allocation round 7—the most recent funding round of CFD—offshore wind is priced at £95 per megawatt hour and floating wind is priced at £215 per megawatt hour.”
“An Ipsos survey showed that more than three quarters of Scots think that there should be more devolution over energy, and that only 14 per cent think that it should remain under Westminster control, which would be the case under Labour, Reform and Conservative policies.”
“It is a consequence of a constitutional arrangement that leaves decisions about Scotland’s energy in the hands of Westminster, which is delivering, in this energy-rich part of Europe, energy bills that are among the highest anywhere in Europe. That should be a challenge for all of us in this chamber. The people of Scotland returned a Government with a clear instruction: deliver the benefits of Scotland’s energy wealth to Scottish households, communities and businesses. The First Minister set out that position and the electorate endorsed it. Let us look more deeply into that. I am sure that members will all recall the polling evidence that came out last month during the election campaign.”
“See end of report.] That shows the value that it has to the rest of the UK and the whole of Europe when it comes to energy security. Lower bills where that energy is produced should be part of the solution, but we have been let down. That is why decisions about energy should be made here. Westminster’s track record, be it under the Conservatives—or those former Conservatives—or under Labour, means that it no longer deserves to keep that control. The disconnect between Scotland’s energy wealth and the daily reality that households face is not inevitable. We all talk—I have heard some fantastic speeches—about the conversations that have taken place over the past few weeks.”
“We are a country that produces more energy than it consumes. Mr Fraser will be delighted by this: for context, our oil and gas industry has sent £400 billion to the Treasury over decades, with very little in return and no long-term planning. Can members imagine that? We have a finite resource, but there is no long-term planning. We are one of the few countries on earth never to have put together a future generations fund. That is why Westminster has failed and why this place deserves to have full control over energy. Renewables alone deliver 20.8 terawatt hours outside of Scotland annually. To put it into context, that net export is worth £1.7 billion and, if we kept the energy in Scotland, it would be enough to power every home in Scotland for three and a half years. [Stephen Gethins has corrected this contribution.”
“What would that do for bills that are being paid by consumers here? Stephen Gethins: I have great respect for the member, and I thank him for both his intervention and his welcome. I urge him patience. I merely say this: Scotland is a massive exporter of energy; other markets rely on our energy and have done so for decades. I am sorry to say so, but that speaks to the isolationist approach that has been taken by the Conservative Party, which turned its back on a Europe that is coming together on energy security. Isolationism is not a policy that our party—or a majority in this Parliament—will endorse. I will come on to that point. In energy-rich Scotland, we are facing increasing energy bills. Just yesterday, the Labour Government, which had promised to reduce energy bills, put them up.”
“I remind Mr Fraser that the convention is that there are no interventions on a first speech. However, the member has indicated that he is happy to take one. Murdo Fraser: My apologies to you, Presiding Officer, and to the member. He was so confident in his approach that it had entirely slipped my mind that it was his first speech in this chamber. I very much welcome Stephen Gethins to his place on the front bench as energy minister. I want to ask him about the renewable energy that he is talking about, which Scotland has benefited from and which is funded by subsidies that are currently paid for by 70 million people across the United Kingdom. If he dismantles the UK energy market, as he proposes, will that not mean that those subsidies will need to be paid for by the 5.5 million people living in Scotland?”
“The next item of business is a debate on motion S7M-00159, in the name of Stephen Gethins, entitled “It’s Scotland’s energy”. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak button. 14:30”
“It must be about whether the system genuinely works for children and families, whether it supports child development and tackles inequality, whether it allows parents to work and progress and whether this Scottish Government is prepared to match the scale of its promises with the funding, planning and reform that are needed to deliver them.”
“That is one of the reasons why wraparound care is so important and has to be of good quality and flexible. That is why Scottish Labour has argued for breakfast clubs and better holiday care provision to support working families and provide stability for children, because childcare challenges for parents do not suddenly disappear when a child starts school. I look forward to hearing much more detail about how and when the Scottish Government will deliver that support across all our communities. The debate is about much more than counting funded hours.”
“Yes, there is time. Meghan Gallacher: Does Claire Baker believe that we need to look again at the guidance that the Scottish Government wrote and which local councils implement, as it has led to these problems? Claire Baker: I agree with that. I understand that a difference has been made in England, where there is an agreement in place that has led to a more sustainable approach to rate setting and how the funding is distributed. I agree that we need to look at that. We also need to look beyond the nursery years. One of the biggest pressures for working parents comes when children transition from nursery into primary school. Families can move from longer nursery hours into a school day that finishes in the middle of the afternoon, which creates immediate childcare gaps and additional costs.”
“Mr Kirkwood, I appreciate that you are a new member, but you need to cite which standing order you are relying on for your point of order. If you want to go away and look at the standing orders and then come back, we can take your point of order at that time. Mr Hoy, please continue. Craig Hoy: I had finished, Deputy Presiding Officer, but this gives me the opportunity to remind the Parliament that Mr Kirkwood did indeed support independence and continues to do so. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The next speaker is Jackie Dunbar, who has seven and a half minutes, but we have time in hand. 16:02”
“In order to represent the people, I, Katy Clark, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”
“However, that will be a matter not just for the next Administration but for the next session of the Parliament. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I advise the chamber that we will struggle to get in supplementaries if the questions and responses remain as long as they have been. Stoma-friendly Toilets (National Health Service) 6.”
“I note, however, that statutory responsibility for those decisions sits with integration joint boards. The Parliament had a long and detailed debate about the proposition of a national care service, which would have seen a change in accountability. Ultimately, the Parliament, including the Labour Party, argued that decision making should be local, which is what prevails. Whether that continues will be a matter for the next session of the Parliament, but I note that we can make progress. We have seen an uplift in social care funding in this budget, and with the commitment for sectoral bargaining in social care, which will begin in earnest for the financial year 2027-28, we have a real opportunity to work collaboratively to increase resources for social care.”
“The significant cuts to social care provision that are coming into effect next month in North Ayrshire will mean that social care is restricted to critical risk as a result of a £9 million deficit. There is a similar situation in East Ayrshire, which has a £10 million deficit. Does the minister agree that those cuts are unacceptable and will cause real harm? Does he agree that, although there is clearly a wider discussion to be had about the funding that is needed for social care and how we provide it, steps need to be taken now to ensure that those cuts do not go ahead? Tom Arthur: I recognise the concerns that the member raises. Similar concerns have been raised with me by many members about decisions that have been taken in their localities.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its cross- Government co-ordination on island connectivity, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how to ensure that public transport meets the needs of island communities. (S6O-05693)”
“The guide aims to support those who are active and operating in the leadership of our hospitals to ensure that such issues are properly and fully addressed and that any issues are accordingly reported to the police, as is the obligation to do. We have also launched a national NHS network to bring together health boards and partner organisations to explore and share approaches to preventing sexual harassment across NHS Scotland. That will include information on data and reporting, training and education, sharing of best practice and providing support to staff and employers. A range of action has been undertaken to follow up on the issues that Katy Clark referred to, which were raised in the Parliament last year. HMP and YOI Polmont (Staff Shortages) 6.”
“A 13-year- old girl was sexually assaulted at Crosshouse hospital, and a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl were assaulted at Stobhill hospital. Given that the level of sexual assaults in hospitals was raised in the Parliament and in the media last year, what work has the Scottish Government done to investigate the full scale of the issue? Does the First Minister agree that openness about the risks is essential to ensuring that there is robust safeguarding? The First Minister: Yes, I agree with that point. In August, the Government published a sexual harassment guide to supplement the bullying and harassment and the gender-based violence policies that we have in place.”
“To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the Scottish Information Commissioner is taking legal advice on further legal action against the Scottish Government and his comments that he “can no longer trust the Government to handle this information unsupervised”. (S6F-04758)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that its budget 2026-27 adequately funds health and social care partnerships to deliver services, including social care. (S6O-05662)”
“I do not have the figures for the budget with me, but I will write to Katy Clark on that point. Crime Reduction 2.”
“After the death of 16-year-old Kayden Moy, who was stabbed on Irvine beach in May 2025, cuts in funding for the no knives, better lives programme were raised with me. I asked the minister about that, and we entered correspondence about real- terms cuts in recent years. However, it is not clear whether there will be an increase in funding in the coming year. Will the minister advise on whether it has been possible for her to achieve an increase in funding for the programme? The Presiding Officer: Again, please respond in relation to the substantive question, minister. Siobhian Brown: I do not have the exact figures with me, but I know that, through the children, young people and families early intervention, 11 youth work organisations in the sector are being supported with more than £860,000.”
“To ask the First Minister, in light of the theme of this year’s international women’s day being equal rights and equal justice, what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve the legal rights of women and girls. (S6F-04731)”
“The other evening, we discussed ensuring that, at future meetings, future aspects of development are more fully embraced by the local community, as well as issues relating to immediate investment in the harbour. I have indicated that, when the harbour has to close for the major redevelopment that is required, we need to improve the port. Everybody knows that, and that is part of the purchase arrangement. We need to ensure that the businesses that will be affected at that time are supported. I have put that on the record and discussed it with the task force, but the decisions will need to be made by a future Government. Economic Opportunity (Women) 7.”
“I understand that the save Ardrossan harbour campaign has been involved in discussions with the cabinet secretary about support for businesses over the past few years. It tells me that the cabinet secretary said that that issue could be looked at when the harbour closes for redevelopment. Will the cabinet secretary ensure that campaign groups such as save Ardrossan harbour and Arran for Ardrossan harbour are at the forefront of decisions that are made? Will she outline when compensation discussions can take place? Fiona Hyslop: A number of partners will be involved in the redevelopment, not least North Ayrshire Council, which co-chairs the Ardrossan task force.”
“I think that the cabinet secretary said that there was an Ardrossan task force meeting last night or this morning. It would be helpful to get more details on what decisions have been taken, because there is a great deal of concern that, despite the announcement, which has been made just before an election, there might not be speedy progress and it might be many years before we have a fully operational ferry service at Ardrossan again. Anything that the cabinet secretary can say to give comfort and more detail on that would be appreciated. 16:49”
“Katy Clark: I agree with the member that the private owner has been extremely unreasonable— indeed, I have made that point many times. However, that has been clear for many decades, as there have been other issues with that private owner. The issue was very clear a decade ago, which is why, over that decade, North Ayrshire Labour group has been campaigning for municipal ownership or some form of public ownership. As I said, previous transport ministers did not think that the move was possible and quite often ridiculed people such as me who argued for it. I strongly welcome and support the decision that the cabinet secretary has taken and I hope that whoever is in that role after the election will have the same drive to ensure that progress is made to redevelop Ardrossan, which I am sure will not be straightforward.”
“It has been more than a decade since a strong local campaign forced the Scottish Government to commit to the redevelopment of the harbour, but successive transport ministers had previously resisted the call to take the harbour into public ownership. It is clear to me that the cabinet secretary has undertaken a significant amount of work. She took the decision in principle that it was acceptable to bring the harbour into public ownership and has ensured that negotiations have got to this point. Kenneth Gibson: Is it not the case that the process has taken so long because Peel Ports was not willing to negotiate and because the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to issue a compulsory purchase order on the harbour?”
“Services were also temporarily transferred to Troon, and anyone who has used the service there will be aware of the accessibility issues for disabled passengers and anyone with mobility issues. Of course, there are also longer journey times for all passengers. Just this week, there were no crossings on the route because of an issue with MV Caledonian Isles. Despite all the disruption to the people of Ardrossan and Arran, there has been a failure to adequately compensate communities. It would be helpful to hear more from the cabinet secretary on some of the comments that she made today in relation to compensation. I warmly welcome the work that has been done on public ownership of Ardrossan harbour.”
“As Sue Webber said, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa were chosen to service that route, at an original estimated cost of £97 million yet, as of last year, the cost was estimated to stand at £380 million. As she also pointed out, unofficial estimates now put the cost nearer £500 million. The Glen Rosa has still not come into service on the route and is not expected to do so until the end of the year at the earliest. Although the Glen Sannox came into service last year, it has been plagued with problems and is now being repaired with parts stripped from the Glen Rosa. That led to the unacceptable situation in which there were no ferries running on the route for several months last year.”
“I am pleased to close this debate on Scotland’s vital ferry services on behalf of Scottish Labour. I thank the Liberal Democrats for bringing the motion to Parliament. As many members have highlighted, our ferry network has become increasingly unreliable and inaccessible in recent years. Delays and cancellations have become a regular occurrence, with an ageing ferry fleet and decisions about the ferry network that often fail to take the views of islanders and workers into account. Jamie Greene and Kenneth Gibson referred to the significant disruption on the Ardrossan to Brodick route in recent years. That has been to the extent that islanders and tourists have not been able to rely on the service, which has been a massive problem for Arran and Ardrossan. Indeed, some islanders have moved away from the island.”
“I thank everybody who has been involved in what has been a very uncontroversial piece of legislation, which I hope is successful in passing today. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Lorna Slater to speak on behalf of the Scottish Greens. 15:56”
“As the Law Society of Scotland has stated, such a remedy should be “available in a flexible manner to facilitate more complex transactions and contractual arrangements that Scottish financial institutions (and other large Scottish business entities) are routinely party to.” Scottish Labour will support the bill at stage 3, as we believe that it represents a careful, considered and proportionate step towards modernising Scots contract law. We hope that the Scottish Government will work closely with legal practitioners, businesses and advice services to ensure that the new statutory framework is well understood and smoothly implemented, with clear guidance, effective communications and on-going review.”
“The bill as amended confirms that a party to a contract can “temporarily withhold or suspend performance of an obligation that is due to be performed under the contract” in the event of a breach by the other party, in anticipation of such a breach or “in relation to an obligation subsisting when the contract is ended ... as a result of” either a “breach or an anticipatory breach.” We welcome that change to the bill, as we believe that it serves to make general provisions of the law more accessible to individuals and small businesses.”
“The reforms are expected to improve access to justice by enabling users who might lack a high degree of familiarity with contractual agreements to set terms that are best suited to their needs with relative ease and without reference to case law or commentary. It was also said in the discussion around the bill that it might mean that Scots law is more attractive internationally. The main substantive amendment to the bill at stage 2 was the insertion of a section on contractual retention, which clarified when and on what terms a party to a contract can utilise retention as a remedy.”
“The bill also allows far greater flexibility by allowing parties to contract out of the proposed rules that are set out in it. The bill does not represent a radical departure from, or a total transformation of, the current common-law regime. It simply aims to codify what is believed to be the current law. The bill does not deal with various aspects of contract law, including the law on the interpretation of contracts or the law on penalty clauses. At stage 1, I highlighted that there had been a great deal of consensus on the bill’s provisions, and its proposals continue to receive broad support from legal academics and business groups. As has been said, the Law Society of Scotland has welcomed the bill and believes that it will improve the law’s accessibility for a range of users.”
“As has been mentioned by those who have spoken so far, the vast majority of those who have given evidence supported the bill on the grounds that it would make things simpler for laypeople. Among the bill’s provisions is the abolition of the postal acceptance rule, which provides that a contract is formed when an acceptance of an offer is put in the post, as opposed to when it is received. When I spoke in support of the bill at stage 1, I welcomed that this change would allow the law to reflect the role that current communication technologies play. However, I must also say that—the committee discussed this—we simply cannot rely on the Royal Mail as perhaps we once could in previous decades, particularly before it was privatised.”
“I am pleased to speak in the debate on behalf of Scottish Labour. As a member of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, I was involved in the bill’s scrutiny. I thank my colleagues on the committee for their work throughout the process and the stakeholders who engaged with us during our evidence sessions. The bill seeks to modernise Scots contract law by introducing a statutory set of default rules on contract formation and remedies for breach. Its provisions came in response to recommendations from the Scottish Law Commission, which concluded that certain parts of the current regime may be unclear for many people in that no single piece of legislation covers the topic. The bill aims to improve certainty and accessibility in this area of law, and it is hoped that there will be no unintended consequences.”
“The next stages will be the major development to enable larger vessels to use the port. The task force and the work of Mr Gibson and others will be vital in taking that forward.”
“Fiona Hyslop: When I came into post in June 2023, there was no prospect of investment in Ardrossan harbour, because there was a tripartite arrangement and one of the bodies involved was a private company, Peel Ports. Obviously, any negotiation for development or investment required decision making and investment from it. The solution that I have come up with—I have kept the Parliament updated regularly since—was to purchase the port and put it back into public ownership. That is something that this Government has done when previous Labour Governments did not do it after the privatisation of Ardrossan harbour by others. On the member’s point about investment, the port is currently operational. CMAL wants to do short-term work to secure that on an immediate basis, and funding is available for that.”
“After a strong local campaign, in 2017, the Scottish Government announced that the Ardrossan to Brodick route would continue and that a redevelopment of Ardrossan harbour was needed. I welcome the announcement today but, given that we are nine years on, the cabinet secretary will appreciate that local people want to know when the port will be fully operational again. Can the cabinet secretary therefore advise when the work that is needed to start a tendering process is likely to start and be completed, when redevelopment work is likely to start and when the harbour redevelopment could be finished to allow the new ferries to operate?”
“Nevertheless, questions have been raised about the use of Prestwick and other airports, and we are seeking clarity from the United Kingdom Government on that. Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill (Funding) 3.”
“Angus Robertson: The First Minister has made public his views and the views of the Scottish Government for everyone to hear, so I have no doubt that they have been heard by the United States consulate in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s position in relation to the United States and Israeli offensive in Iran has been made absolutely clear. On the specific question, I have updated Parliament on the position as we find it. We have no information about any aircraft passing through Scottish Government-owned airports taking part in direct military operations. Of course, there is a great distance between Scotland and Iran, so the attacks by US and Israeli forces have been taking place from that theatre.”
“It is believed that almost 800 Iranians have been killed because of the missile and air strikes undertaken by the United States and Israel. Those strikes are clearly in defiance of international law. They have inflamed regional tensions and there has been loss of life and damage in other countries across the middle east. Will the cabinet secretary outline whether the Scottish Government has made any representations to the US consulate in Edinburgh in relation to concerns that international law has not been followed by the US? Does he think that that kind of action would be appropriate? The Presiding Officer: I must remind members that, within devolved competence, it is important that they consider the substantive question when they come to put supplementary questions.”