Pam Gosal
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“I am pleased to deliver one of the final members’ business debates of this parliamentary session on a very important subject. Before I start, I would like to say a few words about my time in the Parliament over the past five years. I hope to return in May.”
“For someone who did not come from a political background or even have any friends or family in politics, it has been the absolute honour of my life to serve the country in which I was born and brought up. Here’s to not writing me off just yet. I hope to be back after 7 May. I will now turn to the subject of the debate.”
“Special thanks go out to Sam Rice from Smartphone Free Childhood and Kids for Now, to Nova Eden from One Collective Power, which provided presentations to the round-table meeting, and to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, who attended as well.”
“Businesses in my West Scotland region are under immense pressure thanks to increased employer national insurance contributions from the UK Labour Government, the failure of the Scottish National Party Government to fully pass down rates relief, and ever-increasing retail crime.”
“I declare an interest as a former trading standards officer. We are all devastated by the fire that took place on 8 March on Union Street in Glasgow, yet it turns out that the shop where the fire began was not listed on the mandatory register, as is required for a business to sell nicotine products, and was thus selling vapes illegally.”
“Ivan McKee: As I indicated, it is the responsibility of local authorities to take forward enforcement measures, and it is also their responsibility to provide the resources to do that.”
The complete record
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“Special thanks go out to Sam Rice from Smartphone Free Childhood and Kids for Now, to Nova Eden from One Collective Power, which provided presentations to the round-table meeting, and to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, who attended as well. Children’s brains are still developing, which is why we have age limits on alcohol consumption, driving and consent. They are now being raised in a world that is more demanding than the one that we grew up in, and a lot of that involves the excessive use of technology and social media. Let us be clear: this is not just an education problem; it also affects health and justice, as we heard at the round-table meeting.”
“For someone who did not come from a political background or even have any friends or family in politics, it has been the absolute honour of my life to serve the country in which I was born and brought up. Here’s to not writing me off just yet. I hope to be back after 7 May. I will now turn to the subject of the debate. I thank all the organisations and individuals who have contacted me regarding the serious issue of mobile phones in schools. My motion stems from my being contacted by concerned parents from my area in East Dunbartonshire, as well as from the round-table meeting that I hosted in Parliament last month, at which parents, teachers and experts spoke in depth about the issue.”
“I am pleased to deliver one of the final members’ business debates of this parliamentary session on a very important subject. Before I start, I would like to say a few words about my time in the Parliament over the past five years. I hope to return in May. However, just in case the stars do not align and the gods above have other plans for me, I would like to say a few words and to thank everybody who has engaged with me. It has definitely been an interesting five years in the Parliament, during which time I have worked with colleagues from across the political parties. Sometimes that leads to agreement, and sometimes it does not. I have highlighted many important issues, including domestic abuse, the safety and protection of women and girls, education and many more.”
“To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to research by Women’s Rights Network Scotland reportedly showing that some children have been assaulted in Scottish hospitals. (S6F-04782)”
“Ivan McKee: As I indicated, it is the responsibility of local authorities to take forward enforcement measures, and it is also their responsibility to provide the resources to do that. The Scottish Government has provided a real- terms increase in funding to local government precisely to enable it to deal with its range of responsibilities, including enforcement in the area of registration that we are talking about.”
“I declare an interest as a former trading standards officer. We are all devastated by the fire that took place on 8 March on Union Street in Glasgow, yet it turns out that the shop where the fire began was not listed on the mandatory register, as is required for a business to sell nicotine products, and was thus selling vapes illegally. After years of cuts, there are only about 250 full- time equivalent trading standards officers in councils across Scotland, with the number having reduced by more than half since 2002. At the same time, 22 of Scotland’s 32 councils now operate with eight or fewer trading standards officers. That puts not only consumers but the general public at risk. Does the minister agree that it is impossible to have effective law on licensing if there are no trading standards officers to enforce the law?”
“We have other initiatives in place to provide support to businesses, but, on an issue such as this, we need to understand what the key drivers are. Predominantly, those are changes in trading conditions and in behaviour, which means that more people are choosing to shop online rather than in person. Venture Capital Funding 3.”
“Businesses in my West Scotland region are under immense pressure thanks to increased employer national insurance contributions from the UK Labour Government, the failure of the Scottish National Party Government to fully pass down rates relief, and ever-increasing retail crime. It is little wonder that so many small businesses are being forced to shut down, which removes jobs and livelihoods. Does the Deputy First Minister agree that more taxes and regulations will only lead to more vacancies on our high streets and in our town centres? Kate Forbes: That is why we have the most generous rates relief anywhere in the UK, including some of the most ambitious support, through the small business bonus scheme. The member will know that a lot of the properties on our town centre high streets are beneficiaries of the small business bonus scheme.”
“The prison guidance has not been changed and, based on the work that the Scottish Government has conducted, it will not need to be changed in the light of the Supreme Court’s judgment. There is a live court case at the moment, so I will not comment on the issue any further.”
“The United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled that single-sex spaces based on biological sex are lawful and that spaces are single sex only if the opposite sex is excluded. However, Scottish Prison Service policy still allows some biological males who identify as women to be held in the female estate. Most women in prison are victims of male violence, and they deserve safety, dignity and privacy. What level of risk to those women does the minister consider to be acceptable? Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government accepts the Supreme Court’s judgment. We are ensuring—as any responsible Government must—that our policies comply with all our legal obligations, including those set out in the Scotland Act 1998 and the European convention on human rights.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland stating there is a “lack of a clear, long-term economic strategy for Scotland”. (S6O-05554)”
“I am sorry to hear about the local difficulties that Pam Gosal reports in relation to the Tower arts centre. I would be grateful if she could forward details to me so that I and my officials can have a look at that, because it would be beneficial to allow a project that is of such importance to the local community to go ahead. Local History Authors 7.”
“Campaigners in Helensburgh in my region have been fighting tirelessly to save the Tower arts centre, which was a popular destination that offered movie screenings and live events. In April, Save the Tower volunteers secured funding from the Scottish land fund, only to find out that the company that owned the venue had been struck off the Companies House register, and they were thus unable to complete the process. It now appears that the company has reappeared on Companies House, but the campaigners need clarity and certainty. What is the cabinet secretary doing to ensure that venues such as the Tower are provided with long-term funding so that they can continue to carry out screenings and events? Angus Robertson: I agree that the Scottish land fund invests in many projects that we would all support.”
“Although that meeting did not lessen any of my concerns, I was pleased to hear that the guidance will cover issues such as the age of legal capacity and how conflict between parents and pupils will be managed. However, as we know all too well, the devil will be in the detail. As we have not yet seen the guidance, I cannot support the bill. Instead, I welcome the amendments from my colleague Stephen Kerr, which include vital safeguards and recognise that pupils under 16 may lack the maturity to form an informed view.”
“I have raised several concerns regarding the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill in committee, in the stage 1 debate, in the debate on stage 2 amendments and while meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. I put on the record that my issues of concern are the possibility of parents being overruled, increased pressure being placed on teachers, and the danger of a precedent being set. For example, controversial organisations such as LGBT Youth Scotland are already entering schools, including primary schools, to deliver material that many parents believe advances a political agenda. That being said, I welcomed meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills last month.”
“That will happen only if Parliament supports the Government’s budget. I will certainly be voting for the Government’s budget and I encourage others to do likewise. The Presiding Officer: We move to constituency and general supplementary questions.”
“Can the First Minister guarantee that services in the Highlands, in West Dunbartonshire and across the country will receive the funding that they deserve? The First Minister: There is provision in the Government’s budget for funding to tackle domestic violence and the abuse that women and girls suffer, and that is to the tune of more than £30 million. In my answers to all questions about violence against women and girls, I have made no secret of my view that the behaviour of men has to be confronted. It is completely legitimate for that argument to be made in Parliament or in parliamentary committees. I say to Pam Gosal that an important opportunity is coming up in the next few weeks to vote to provide resource to women’s aid organisations and to tackle domestic violence.”
“Like the Highlands, my area of West Dunbartonshire faces an ever-increasing number of incidents of domestic abuse. It has been reported that the total number of women and children who experience domestic abuse in West Dunbartonshire and ask for help rose by 7.59 per cent to 1,729 in just one year. Those are shocking figures. They make West Dunbartonshire the local authority with the second-largest number of recorded incidents per 10,000 people. At the same time, services that offer vital support are starving for funding. When I brought that up during the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government blamed misogyny and not her own Government’s shortcomings.”
“I realise that I need to conclude, Presiding Officer. I cannot emphasise enough that people are sick and tired of the SNP’s high-tax and high- spending agenda. The SNP has already made Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK, and it most certainly cannot be trusted with reshaping our tax system. 16:33”
“Another issue that frequently comes up is the fact that bin collections in East Dunbartonshire have now moved to a three- weekly cycle. That is especially worrying for big families and families with young children. In addition, there is no money to tidy up the green areas, such as parks, with children being exposed to needles and dog waste, and let us not forget SNP-run Glasgow City Council’s crazy idea of imposing congestion charges, which affect my constituents even when they enter the city to visit a hospital, among other things. That shows that the 19 years of the SNP’s financial mismanagement extends beyond Holyrood and into our councils, with services being worse off now than they used to be. Public services and local authorities are in desperate need of a fair funding settlement.”
“As my colleague Craig Hoy said, under the SNP’s plans, anyone who lives in a home that is worth more than £240,000 will pay more in council tax. Under those plans, the bills of some households could rise by as much as £2,700 to a shocking £6,515 a year. The SNP likes to talk a good game. On one hand, it says that it is the saviour when it comes to helping people with the cost of living crisis while, on the other, it raises taxes. The SNP is squandering the money of hard-working taxpayers on the wrong priorities. One would have assumed that services would be getting better but, instead, they are being cut left, right and centre. When I speak to people on the doors, the number 1 local issue that comes up is the state of the roads and the number of potholes.”
“We have had 19 years of SNP financial mismanagement, under which it is the people who have not been getting value for money. Somehow, Scots still face crumbling local services and even paying more and getting less. I want to take some time to speak about the state of public services in my area of East Dunbartonshire. East Dunbartonshire Council faces an £18 million budget gap, which is expected to become even bigger. Council budgets keep shrinking, while the SNP Government keeps ring fencing millions for certain projects that could have been used for the council’s own priorities, as it saw fit. To make up for all that, once again, East Dunbartonshire residents will be the ones who will pay the price. Last year, council tax increased by 13 per cent.”
“I praise my party, the Scottish Conservatives, for bringing this very important topic to the chamber. Local governance affects each and every one of us. Our local roads, schools, parks and social care services are primarily the responsibility of our councils. However, 19 years of the SNP in power have led to a deterioration of our services, with our councils struggling for funding. Every year, the SNP is presented with a new opportunity to properly fund local government. However, every year it seems to find any excuse not to. COSLA leaders have agreed that the settlement in the latest SNP budget fails to address the dire situation that our councils are in. At the same time, the Accounts Commission has forecast that Scottish councils face the pressure of a budget gap of £528 million.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Douglas Ross, for up to two minutes, to be followed by Graham Simpson, for up to two minutes. 17:24”
“At the same time, part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 is still not in force. What all those bills have in common is the aim of protecting women and girls, which the SNP Government does not want to do, whether that is through members’ bills or through its own bills. This is an SNP Government that cannot even define the word “woman”. It was my intention to speak a bit more about this bill, but—surprise, surprise—there is no time for that. Sex workers are some of the most marginalised women in Scotland and have often been coerced into soliciting their bodies. The general principles of this bill aim to put a halt to that horrible practice. Therefore, I will be supporting the bill at stage 1, and I encourage all MSPs to consider breaking their whip and voting for the bill today.”
“However, when it suits the SNP, there is time to debate bills with hundreds and hundreds of amendments. We never heard about any issues of time with those bills. For example, with the doomed Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, the SNP forced MSPs to sit in the chamber and vote until the early hours of the morning. I am still bearing the bruises of the First Minister not backing my Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill and killing it before the stage 1 report was issued. I know all too well what it means to work hard on a bill for three and a half years, and so does Ash Regan. With regard to bills focusing on issues such as female genital mutilation, non-fatal strangulation and misogyny, the SNP has decided to kick the can down the road.”
“Prostitution is commercialised and often involves systematic rape, and many of the people who sell sexual acts endure numerous human rights violations when doing so. The bill aims to stop that by criminalising the buyers of sex as opposed to the seller. That approach, which is commonly referred to as the Nordic model, has been approved in many countries, with the evidence suggesting that, in those countries, it has been successful. The general principles of Ash Regan’s unbuyable bill are in the right place. That is why it is important that the bill is given the proper scrutiny that it needs now and why it should make it to stages 2 and 3 with the proper set of amendments. The minister has made it clear that the SNP Scottish Government does not support the bill due to a so-called lack of time.”
“I thank Ash Regan for introducing the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill and acknowledge her passion and all the hard work that she has done on the bill and on the rights of women and girls generally. Introducing a member’s bill is not an easy process, especially when the member is in Opposition. Having gone through the process myself, I understand the complexities that it entails. I also thank all the organisations that have supported the development of the bill and that have provided briefings for today’s stage 1 debate. Protecting women and girls is an issue of the utmost importance and, for the past five years, it has been a number 1 priority for me. Prostitution is an issue that primarily affects women. Today, we have heard from members across the chamber that prostitution is violence against women and girls.”
“Through the CPG on India, we have managed to do so much, including the trip to India in October 2023, not to forget the facilitating of the signing of the memorandum of understanding on fintech collaboration between Scottish Financial Enterprise and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to promote economic and cultural prosperity. I hope that a CPG on Bhutan will manage to do the same and more. 18:40”
“Bhutan has a low number of female members of Parliament, so a series of exchange visits, round-table discussions and shared learning events could highlight successes and challenges in advancing female participation in politics. Finally, tourism is a major part of both economies. Scotland could help Bhutan to promote itself more effectively to certain markets, such as the religious pilgrimage and trekking markets, but that can happen only if we work together. I hope that we will continue to work on strengthening relations between Scotland and Bhutan, including after the election in May. Our trip has shown what good cross-party work can do. As Michelle Thomson mentioned, the first step would be to establish a CPG on Bhutan. As convener of the CPG on India, I know at first hand the importance of CPGs and the great work that they do.”
“Bhutan’s focus on gross national happiness provides an opportunity for Scotland to learn about approaches to improving and measuring national wellbeing, which my colleague Michelle Thomson mentioned we were very interested in, and we need to learn more about that. As both countries have a rich cultural heritage, they could benefit from a partnership between cultural bodies, museums and universities by enabling skills exchange, research collaboration and joint cultural preservation projects. Our countries could also work together when it comes to promoting participation of women in politics, which I know the Presiding Officer has been doing a lot of work on.”
“During our trip, we were lucky enough to meet the Prime Minister, the head of the Opposition party, members of Parliament, non-governmental organisations and entrepreneurs to learn and share information about our respective countries and legislatures. Some of the lessons that we learned during our trip to Bhutan and hoped to bring to Scotland included the fact that positive cultural values facilitate good governance and that political systems work best when they reflect the development stage of the relevant country and its cultural values. We should aim to reduce the present confrontational nature and short-termism of Scottish parliamentary politics by learning from Bhutanese experiences. Something that struck me during the trip to Bhutan was the focus on wellbeing and happiness metrics.”
“When we say there were mountains, I can certainly say that there were mountains to climb. My colleague Kenneth Gibson mentioned ponies, which helped us, but, believe me, these legs did a lot of work in Bhutan. It was so good because not only did we learn about the educational, economic and cultural side of things, but it was also very spiritual. We all, across different parties, need to think about what we say and what we do, but having that spiritual downtime helps. Unfortunately, Bhutan shares similar alcohol and drugs problems with Scotland, as well as the shortage of young entrepreneurs who want to stay in the country and start new businesses.”
“I begin by thanking my colleague Michelle Thomson for lodging the motion, as well as all the MSPs who supported it. It is great to have cross-party support for this topic. I also thank the Tam O’ Shanter Trust for organising and providing funding for the trip to Bhutan that we took in October. I give a special thank you to Michelle Thomson, who organised and led the whole trip. What an experience—it is something that I will never forget. I welcome Lesley Kennedy and Tshering Dorji to the public gallery. The reason we visited Bhutan was to see what Scotland could learn from that beautiful country. The two countries are similar in many respects. Much of Bhutan is covered with mountains and therefore sparsely populated, with agriculture and tourism the major industries.”
“Our business manager has put a request for that to the bureau but it has yet to agree to it. Therefore, I hope that MSPs vote for Ash Regan’s amendment. 18:11”
“I put on record that I support Ash Regan’s amendment to move decision time to 6.30 pm on Tuesday 3 February. The Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill has generated a lot of interest among members of the Scottish Parliament and many—me included—want to speak in the stage 1 debate. I cannot emphasise enough how important the subject is, especially to women and girls. In the past, multiple members have been allowed to speak on certain topics. Under the business motion, my party would get fewer speakers than it would have when the debate was due to run for 80 minutes. That does not seem right. Ms Regan’s amendment would resolve the issue. It is also my understanding that Meghan Gallacher and Ash Regan are happy to swap the order of the stage 1 debates for their bills.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its policy on single-sex spaces in the NHS in Scotland, what its response is to the recent ruling in the case brought by eight nurses at Darlington Memorial hospital. (S6O-05436)”
“The minister and I lodged similar amendments at stage 2, but I agreed to support his amendment at that point on the proviso that we could add this further tweak at stage 3, which would simply require the SFC to publish its reasons for amending or revoking an apprenticeship framework when it takes those actions. It would provide a bit more transparency and allow us to understand the SFC’s rationale for taking whichever course of action it has chosen to take. I am pleased to have the minister’s support for those amendments, and I hope that the rest of the chamber will support them, too.”
“They would support apprenticeships as a serious route into skilled work, including higher and graduate apprenticeships—or degree apprenticeships—and they strengthen the link between education, skills, industry and the outcome of real economic growth. That is why I urge the Parliament to support them. Ross Greer: As the minister mentioned, my amendments 34 and 36 would add to the list of consultees in section 4. Amendment 34 would add apprentices, representative bodies and trade unions to the list of required consultees for the preparation of the apprenticeship frameworks, and amendment 36 would make the same change for when a framework is being amended or revoked. I hope that all members will support giving greater recognition to the voice of apprentices and trade unions in the system. Amendment 35 would make a further slight tweak.”
“I think that it is logical that my amendments have a place in the bill. I am not at all suggesting that ministers step back from their responsibilities—I am not removing or diminishing their role—but there is a difference between strategic oversight and centralised control. The amendments strike that balance. They keep national coherence while grounding frameworks in evidence, demand—that is the real economy—and delivery capacity. That is why I lodged amendment 83 in the first place. We must have the means to deliver the apprenticeships. Taken together, amendments 83, 37 and 38 would make the system more responsive, more credible and more durable.”
“All that matters, because if employers are not at the heart of the process—if they are not consulted or are only consulted at the margins and are not embedded in the framework—we undermine the very outcomes that I think that we all agree that we would like to see. 16:15 That also matters for productivity. It is not just Scotland in the United Kingdom that has a productivity gap—the UK as a whole has a problem with productivity. The gap will not be closed by providing qualifications that do not match what businesses need. Frameworks that are designed with employers, training providers and colleges together are far more likely to deliver skills that raise output, support innovation and help firms to grow. I keep hoping that the minister might intervene to explain to me why what I am saying is not entirely logical to him.”
“If we want apprenticeships to be a genuine alternative to the traditional university route, and if we want real parity of esteem—there has been a bit of a mention of nomenclature, which I think is relevant—apprenticeships must lead to real jobs in growing sectors, with progression and earning power. That becomes a compelling reason for apprenticeships to become a priority choice that people make. That is why I lodged the amendment on outcomes, which we debated earlier. Obviously, outcomes matter to the people involved, but they also matter enormously to all of us who are part of the real-world economy, and they should certainly matter to the Government. If we are talking about expanding the tax base in this country—the Conservatives certainly want to talk about doing that—we need to tool up the economy to allow it to grow.”
“They would require the Scottish Funding Council to work in conjunction with employers, industry representatives, managing agents and training providers when preparing, amending or revoking frameworks. In other words, the amendments would put those who actually employ apprentices and train them at the heart of the process. That is not an abstract principle. It is not ideology or some kind of grandiose theory. Employers are the ones who know where skills shortages are emerging, how technology is changing job roles and what competence looks like in practice. We already know, from evidence to committees of the Parliament and from the SPICe analysis, that weak employer engagement is one of the reasons why apprenticeship frameworks can lag behind labour market need. From my point of view, this is about economic realism.”
“A one-size-fits-all assumption about delivery leads to a risk of having frameworks that look neat on paper and are, to paraphrase the minister, efficient, but that do not actually work on the ground or in the real world. Colleges Scotland supports amendment 83, precisely because colleges already play a central role in apprenticeship delivery and design, but also because it recognises that flexibility matters if we want frameworks to stay relevant and responsive. The amendment would protect the flexibility that the minister alluded to but would avoid hardwiring a system that becomes outdated as sectors evolve. Amendments 37 and 38 deal with how frameworks are created in the first place.”
“I know that Government ministers, and the Government in general, always like to have the maximum amount of broad and non-specific manoeuvrability, but amendment 83 asks that the Scottish Funding Council, when preparing a framework, consider who is best to deliver it— whether it be a college, a local authority or a private provider—as part of the preparation. That would mean that we would not be building a framework around the institutions or organisations that we ask to be involved in the preparation of a framework; we would be involving the appropriate people in the preparation of the framework from the beginning. To me, that sounds obvious, and it matters, because Scotland’s labour market is not uniform. Capacity, expertise and employer relationships vary by sector and by place.”
“I am afraid that the word “efficiency” does not inspire me to believe that everyone who should be involved in the preparation of a framework would be involved. That is the motivation behind my amendments in this group. The truth is that apprenticeship frameworks will work only if they are rooted in the real economy. They cannot be designed in isolation and then imposed on the real economy. Amendment 83, which the minister addressed in his remarks—I tried to intervene on him at that point—would go beyond the broad and non-specific general approach that he outlined as the preference of ministers.”
“I hope, therefore, that Brian Whittle will not move his amendments 30, 32 and 40—or that Miles Briggs will not do so on his behalf, if that is the case—and that Stephen Kerr will not press his amendments 37, 38 and 83. Similarly, I ask Miles Briggs not to move his amendments 76, 78, 80 and 82, and I ask Willie Rennie not to move his amendments 77, 79, 81, 84 and 85. In all those cases, if the amendments are moved, I urge other members to vote against them. I ask members to vote for my amendment 31 and for Ross Greer’s amendments 34, 35 and 36. Stephen Kerr: I listened to what the minister said about my amendments and in response to Willie Rennie’s intervention. He described his aspiration for the preparation of frameworks for apprenticeships as a desire for efficiency. I think that a better word would be “effectiveness”.”
“They ensure the inclusion of apprentices and their representatives and trade unions where appropriate. These amendments respond directly to the appeals that were made by various members at stage 2. Finally, Ross Greer’s amendment 35 would place a duty on the SFC to publish its reasons for amending or revoking an apprenticeship framework. Although that could have been achieved through regulations under proposed new section 12F(4) of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 as set out in section 4 of the bill, placing the requirement in primary legislation ensures even greater transparency, and I am pleased to support Ross Greer’s helpful amendment. As I mentioned, many of the amendments in this group cover similar ground to amendments that were lodged at stage 2, and my arguments against them remain the same.”
“Amendment 83 would at least enable the mixed economy of public and private provision to continue. However, the relevant requirements of an apprenticeship are expected to be prepared with a view not to who would provide the training, but, rather, to the required standards or qualifications to be achieved and the types or amounts of necessary training. Turning to my amendment 31 and Ross Greer’s amendments 34 and 36— Stephen Kerr: Would the minister give way? Ben Macpherson: I apologise to Mr Kerr. I have moved on to Ross Greer’s amendments, but I will be listening carefully to what is said later. My amendment 31 and Ross Greer’s amendments 34 and 36, together with amendment 60—in my name, in group 12—augment the lists of consultees across the bill.”
“Amendments 78, 80 and 92 would shift the definition of a Scottish apprenticeship from a focus on agreed training to a focus on the attainment of competence. They would require apprentices to achieve competency through a combination of training and workplace demonstration, as set out in the relevant framework. However, that is not workable. The definition of a Scottish apprenticeship must be based on the work that is undertaken, the training that is provided and the agreement between the parties; it cannot be defined by whether an individual achieves a particular outcome. Stephen Kerr’s amendment 83 revisits his stage 2 amendment that sought to put colleges and local authorities ahead of private training providers in delivering training of apprentices to meet the requirements set out in apprenticeship frameworks.”