Tim Eagle
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“I do not approach immigration by seeking to divide communities or inflame tensions, as Reform appears to. I seek solutions even when they are difficult or unpopular in parts of this chamber. Victor Currie: Britain is a multiracial country, and people of all backgrounds call this their home.”
“Using thorium, the current stock of nuclear waste could be recycled into new reactors, which presents an opportunity to solve the waste problem once and for all. Does Tim Eagle recognise that we should be at the frontier of those developments and not simply a laggard? Tim Eagle: I absolutely recognise that.”
“We still have no timeline for the Nairn, Elgin or Keith bypasses. When concerns were raised about the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, we led the opposition. When concerns were raised about the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, we fought the fight. When our fishing industry needed a voice, we were there for it.”
“When others were afraid to discuss welfare reform, we were prepared to have that conversation, not because it is easy but because responsible government requires difficult conversations. When Scotland’s ferries descended into chaos, it was us—the Scottish Conservatives—who continued to relentlessly pursue answers.”
“That is the point: there were good, skilled jobs, which allowed young people to stay in the area, so that they could have crofts and families and build houses.”
“I will try to keep to that, Presiding Officer. It has certainly been an interesting debate to listen to. My colleague Murdo Fraser talked about the word salad of the motion. I was not quite sure what I should zone in on, but I will start with the title, which is “Scotland Needs Reform”.”
The complete record
Every one of 444 lines we hold for Tim Eagle, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 9.
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to monitor the impact of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 on small and medium-sized businesses in the local authority areas that apply it. (S6O-04283)”
“Our NHS, our NHS staff and our communities all deserve better. 16:23”
“Some might say that we should have a modern, efficient and local health service that works for all, which just happens to be the title of the Scottish Conservative plan for the NHS, as Dr Gulhane mentioned earlier. Everyone can see that the SNP has run out of road and out of ideas. Matt McLaughlin, Unison co-lead for health, criticised John Swinney’s recent health speech as being full of re-announcements of previous pledges. He said that Swinney “completely missed the key issue, which was how do we improve social care to make sure that the delayed discharge problem is tackled once and for all.” Today, the Scottish Conservatives are calling on Neil Gray to resign but, in many ways, I feel for him. He has spent a year in a job that was always going to be a poisoned chalice, under a tired and failing Government.”
“If members do not know what that is, I urge them to look it up, because I am convinced that it is a model that we can use to solve Scotland’s alcohol and drug problem in young people by getting behind sport and recreation. We all need to be more open about obesity and food and how we educate people, young to old; we need to be better with mental health prevention and support; and I cannot shout enough about putting more and better incentives in place to encourage a strong rural workforce and accepting that rural healthcare simply costs more. We also need to widely encourage large urban centres to do more research and to invest in pioneering medical technology, which I am sure that my colleague Brian Whittle will talk about later.”
“Let us not blame GPs for the SNP’s crisis in the NHS. My new boss, Russell Findlay, talks a lot about common sense, and I am with him on that. I often wonder whether we overcomplicate things. Why can this Government not recognise the value of primary care and allow the profession to restructure itself? If we want more community care, it makes sense that GPs will be a big part of that. Money has to flow between secondary and primary care much more freely. Why can this Government not change its attitude to the caring professions more quickly? Why can it not pay more, create a better job structure and provide benefits in recognition of the fact that those professionals play one of the most important roles in our society? Why can this Government not do more to put money into preventative health plans such as Planet Youth in Scotland?”
“Managers would tell us that we should move to care in the community, but with little in the way of plans to deliver that. I have seen health boards shut minor injuries units, de-skilling local staff and adding to pressures on ambulances and A and E departments. That approach has led to more and more pressure being put on primary care. Yesterday, I was shocked when Christine Grahame—who has, sadly, left the chamber— stood up in the debate on public services and told me that the reason why we cannot get through to our GPs on the phone is that they are private practices. That is not the reason. The reason why we struggle to get through to GP practices is, as I think Pauline McNeill pointed out, that the failures of secondary care are putting ginormous pressure on them, meaning that more people are phoning and more people need appointments.”
“It has wasted £30 million, with repeated delays and redrafts, only to scrap the flagship part of it. That £30 million could have been spent on investment in remote and rural healthcare, especially in my Highlands and Islands region, where we are still waiting for the new Belford hospital in Fort William, upgrades to Dr Gray’s hospital in Moray, and the replacement hospital on Barra. I speak to a lot of medical staff, and I also speak as someone who, for many years during my time as a councillor, sat scratching my head on the local integration joint board as we were asked to shut community hospitals despite having no plan for the patients who went into them, which meant that more patients ended up in community hospitals much further away—a long way from friends and family.”
“The NHS as we know it will struggle to see out another year.” I want to pause and repeat that statement: “The NHS as we know it will struggle to see out another year.” It is arguably our greatest institution and is a source of national pride, yet, for too long, both staff and patients have been let down. What are the SNP’s priorities at this time? It has a cabinet secretary who is engulfed in a scandal that is, maybe dangerously, distracting him and his office as well as the office of the First Minister, who is repeatedly having to come to the chamber to defend him. The SNP Government is also distracted by the disaster that is its National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. The SNP ignored the warnings of a raft of experts, including trade unions and local authorities, who argued from the outset that the NCS bill was fatally flawed.”
“A Scottish nurse who is quoted in the recent RCN report noted: “Department with capacity for 13 beds, we had 40 in, with patients on chairs having treatments administered, also sitting in the waiting room on cardiac monitors, using privacy screens to put around patients to use the bedpan.” We have also heard the BMA warning that the NHS will struggle to make it through another year without urgent reforms. Dr Iain Kennedy, who is the Scotland chairman, said: “Doctors have heard a lot of warm words recently from the first minister … but words must be matched with a clear vision, a timetable for reform and action.”
“I remind members that my wife is a GP. I congratulate Scottish Labour and Dame Jackie Baillie on holding this debate, and I associate myself with Jackie Baillie’s comments that the staff are the backbone of our NHS and something that we should cherish. There is no doubt that we are experiencing a crisis in both our NHS and social care in Scotland, but that is not because Labour is talking them down—it is because the SNP has fundamentally failed to deliver what is required. For example, we are increasingly hearing that corridor care has been normalised.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to Police Scotland to increase visibility in remote and rural communities and deliver the community policing model, as outlined in the Chief Constable’s 2030 vision for safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce. (S6O-04262)”
“Both those policies were in place and designed to benefit everyone other than British farmers and fishermen. The SNP, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens want us to go back into those policies, but that view is not what I hear when I speak to farmers and fishermen in my region. Since we left the EU, the Scottish Government has benefited from the opportunity to design—”
“I say that not because I do not want to talk about Brexit or the benefits of it—I do not want to shy away from facing up to the problems of significant constitutional change—but because it has been nearly a decade since voters across these isles voted by a clear majority to leave the EU. It has, as Clare Adamson’s motion states, been five years since we left the EU. However, the motion does not, at any point, mention fishing or farming—two sectors in which I have a great interest. These issues are very important to the thousands of farmers and fishermen whom I represent in my region and across the whole of Scotland. Our farmers knew of the challenges in the common agricultural policy, and our fishermen loathed the common fisheries policy.”
“I quickly remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, as I am a farmer. I thank the member for the debate—I do not enjoy a debate on Brexit, because I do not think that it is necessary, but she brought it to the chamber, so I say well done for that. However, there is a pretty one-dimensional focus on Brexit, with all the negatives and none of the potential positives, so perhaps I can touch on a couple of those positives in a minute. I am one month away from my one-year anniversary as a member of the Scottish Parliament. In that time, I have been extremely fortunate to have participated in only a single Scottish National Party debate on Brexit, as that is quite the grievance that it likes to bring to the chamber, and I was told at one point that such debates were very common.”
“Sadly, Westminster is also out of touch with Scotland, and the UK Government’s actions continue to undermine Scotland’s public services. The failure to fully fund the additional employer national insurance costs has left our public sector with a significant shortfall, and this attack on local services disproportionately affects rural areas. It reflects a broader pattern of neglect and austerity from Westminster, which the Scottish Government works tirelessly to mitigate. Frankly, Scotland deserves better. I want to take a moment to put on record my immense gratitude to our public servants who deliver our public services, which are the foundation of a fair and thriving Scotland. The draft Scottish budget demonstrates a clear commitment to investing in our people and our future. 16:07”
“That shows an unacceptable disregard for our communities’ needs. The closures are not just administrative changes; they are decisions that could have real and devastating consequences. Delays in accessing healthcare can be the difference between life and death, especially in areas where travel times to alternative services are substantial. My constituents are vehemently opposed to the closures and are demanding answers. I thank the Scottish Government for its significant investment in our NHS and ask the Cabinet Secretary to do all that he can to urge Aberdeenshire Council to maintain these overnight services. Healthcare access is a fundamental right, and our communities deserve better than decisions being made without their input.”
“Yesterday, the First Minister’s speech on NHS renewal laid out a bold vision for strengthening primary and community care, which is significant for rural areas like Banffshire and Buchan Coast, where local GP services are stretched and are often the only healthcare provision for miles. Increased primary care investment will reduce delays, improve outcomes and ensure that no one is left behind due to geography. I welcome that for my constituents. When the Conservative councillors in Aberdeenshire voted to close overnight minor injury units in Fraserburgh and Peterhead, communities were livid. Those units are vital, as they provide timely care in emergencies to rural communities, who face unique challenges in accessing healthcare, yet councillors made the decision to close them without consulting the very people those services support.”
“I implore Moray and Aberdeenshire councils to do the right thing and to put the Scottish Government’s investment where the people want it. They would not only be doing the right thing; they would be doing the essential thing for their citizens. The draft Scottish budget underscores the Government’s focus on fairness and sustainability. Increased funding for primary care, community health initiatives and local authority grants demonstrates our commitment to leaving no one behind. Rural communities will benefit significantly, with resources strengthening local services. That contrasts with the UK Government’s policy decisions, such as the family farm tax and its right-wing Farage-flirting stance on immigration, which ignore Scotland’s distinct needs and undermine progress.”
“Our public services are places of connection, and a delivery of books in a box disguised as library provision cannot replace that. The passion and emotive responses from my constituents for their libraries set the temperature for how fiercely we should be defending them. Tory-controlled councils are jeopardising these much-loved services by earmarking libraries for closure and are leaving our communities in limbo by later announcing that those libraries have been saved only to U-turn on their U-turn mere hours later. I welcome the Scottish Government’s record investment in culture and digital connectivity, which is essential for sustaining vital community assets. However, this is a call to action for all spheres of government to recognise libraries’ centrality to rural resilience and to act accordingly.”
“I completely agree with the member on the point that libraries are essential. However, does she not agree that the previous year’s SNP budget has put so much pressure on local authorities that they cannot sustain front-line public services any more? Karen Adam: The SNP groups at Aberdeenshire and Moray councils managed to propose a budget that did not include cutting libraries. If the member thinks that it is down to resource, surely he will welcome the extra investment by the Scottish Government. I met constituents who are campaigning to keep open libraries that have health initiatives, resources and signposting. Surely, if we learned anything during Covid it was how important connection is to our communities.”
“I know that I have already said this, but I want to say it again: I move that the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill be passed. [Applause.] The Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. Decision Time 18:12”
“With the passage of my bill, I hope that we will avoid the current situation in which abandoned and discarded puppies and dogs fill the kennels of the rescue centres, and ensure that owner and dog have a happy and rewarding relationship in the years ahead. I had such a relationship with my late dog, Roostie, who was a wonderful, kindly Irish setter who, to this day—40 years after her death—I remember with fondness. Once again, I stress that I hope that the bill is a small step in reducing the impulse buying of puppies or dogs, which so often lines the pockets of the criminal fraternity. In so doing, I hope that, when the time is right, for the right reasons and in the right place, with the right dog and the right person, a relationship will develop between dog and person that will only enhance that person’s life.”
“That is the point—the current code is for existing dog owners. It is 36 pages long; I call it “War and Peace”. Perhaps that is unfair, but my code should fit on one side of A4, and—as the minister indicated—it will contain clear and uncluttered language. Finally, I turn to the certificate, which has to be produced if it is “reasonably” requested by animal welfare agencies where they have concerns about a dog’s welfare. That document, which is signed by both the person who is transferring the dog and the new owner, indicates that both the previous and new owners have fully considered the questions in the code. The code is not punitive—it is there to assist and educate.”
“I heard what the minister had to say, but the Scottish Government has dodged the issue for far too long. Once those reports are in, I look forward to draft regulations being produced for scrutiny by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, and ultimately by the Parliament. Ross Greer’s amendments have pushed that argument forward. The bill was not the place for them, but he brought the issues forward, and I hope that we will now make progress. This is my last session in Parliament. By the time that I have finished—and Parliament will be finished with me—I will have been here for 27 years. Before then, I hope to see at least scrutiny of a ban on shock collars being used in Scotland. I will be brief, but I want to highlight the need for a stand-alone code, when a code already exists for dog owners.”
“I thank the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, which did not go easy on me, for its rigorous scrutiny; the Scottish Government, for being prepared to negotiate with this difficult back bencher; members who have supported me from start to finish and engaged with the bill today, and who have lodged some very helpful amendments; and, most of all, the staff of the non-Government bills unit, who have helped me so much and have survived my idiosyncrasies, which tested their professionalism. Finally, I thank my excellent staff—team Christine—for not only their work on the bill but the support that they provide for me day in, day out. I make it clear—and I repeat—that I unequivocally support a ban on the use of shock collars in line with the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s recommendation of April 2023.”
“The Scottish Government therefore fully supports the bill. Once again, I urge the entire Parliament to vote in favour of Christine Grahame’s bill, which will recognise her enormous efforts throughout her career. I hope that she is proud of the work that she has done, but more important is that the bill is for the betterment of the welfare of dogs in Scotland. 18:08 Christine Grahame: I thank members for bearing with me on this long day. I repeat that it has taken seven years to get here, but I hope that the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill will today become law. First, I thank all the organisations and individuals who contributed to the process.”
“That will respect the parliamentary process and allow proper scrutiny of the issues. However, I make a commitment to Ross Greer and other members that I will not kick that issue into the long grass. I once again commend Christine Grahame for all her hard work and her dogged determination in getting the bill to this stage. She asked for a short code that is in plain English, and she asked to be able to ensure that people understand their responsibility. That will be for the people who bring the code together, but I encourage consideration of all of the points that Christine Grahame has raised. Members’ bills such as this show what we can achieve when the Parliament and the Government work together on a cause that is of common concern for the benefit of Scotland’s people, its communities and, in this case, its animals.”
“There are undoubtedly many interrelated issues regarding responsible breeding and access to and acquiring of pups and dogs, and there must be a commitment to care of the dog throughout its whole life. The bill does not attempt to solve all those issues, but it raises the importance of behaviour change in tackling many of them. That will take time, engagement with educational resources and effective public awareness. I acknowledge the concerns around e-collars that Ross Greer raised, and the public interest in the issue. However, I reiterate my earlier points that there are two reviews of e-collars, which are expected to report in the near future, and those will allow the Scottish Government to carefully consider the recommendations from both reports before deciding how to proceed.”
“There is, of course, always more that can be done, and we have signalled clearly our commitment to further improvements in the future. At stage 2, committee members raised the issue of microchipping. I reiterate that we are working with other devolved Administrations to develop a single point-of-search facility for UK microchipping databases, which will enable authorities to more easily trace the owners of microchipped pets. We will continue to press the UK Government on that, and I will add urgency to those requests. I hope that the publicity around today’s debate will encourage the Scottish public to take more responsibility when people are considering taking on a dog, and that it will ensure that they do proper research on how to source one responsibly.”
“I and the Scottish Conservatives are delighted to support the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill. Again, I warmly congratulate Christine Grahame on all her work in bringing the bill to its conclusion. 18:05 Jim Fairlie: It is very fitting that we are starting 2025 considering a member’s bill that has strong cross-party support, that addresses a matter that is of serious concern to everyone with an interest in animal welfare, and which, specifically, improves the welfare of dogs. Notwithstanding the issues that we have debated on shock collars—I will address those—I am strongly committed to improving the lives of Scotland’s animals and I am pleased that, during the past few years, the Government has been able to deliver many groundbreaking and innovative improvements in that area.”
“I hope that the minister will bring forward more information on that in the future, once the next report comes out. I agree with Rhoda Grant and Ariane Burgess about getting rid of the illegal puppy trade. We need to raise awareness among our population about that. I know well that dogs can give comfort and support when they are well looked after. I am a collie man through and through, and I am most delighted when I am outside with Rosie, my sheepdog. I also have a golden retriever, who I would love to compliment, but she spends her entire life sitting on my sofa. In the spirit of the bill, I ask everyone who is thinking of getting a dog to first study the Scottish SPCA’s checklist. It is crucial to carefully research the potential breeder and not to buy online or from someone if it is not possible to check where a puppy has been bred.”
“I agree with the Kennel Club’s support for the bill because it will complement the current regulatory environment, which places all the emphasis on the breeder. I also note that the Scottish SPCA agrees that we need to challenge buyers and change the pathway so that they take more responsibility. We have been told horror stories about irresponsible, neglectful and rogue dog breeding—something that was turbocharged by the increase in puppy purchases during and after Covid—and my hope is that the bill will bring help in resolving those issues. I do not disagree with Ross Greer’s point about shock collars. I remember learning that they are not the right way back in 1997, when I did an animal care course. That was many years ago. However, I also agree with my colleague Finlay Carson that there is maybe another way of doing this.”
“I am happy to speak loudly during any further alerts, so do not worry, Presiding Officer. As there is a weather warning, I will try to be quick so that we can all get home. I add my tributes and those of my party to Christine Grahame for her tireless campaigning on the matter over the past six years, and for all the work that she has done to bring her bill to stage 3. As Rhoda Grant did, I congratulate the non- Government bills unit and the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee and its clerks for all their work on the bill. I thank all the stakeholders, groups and individuals who responded to the consultation and supported the bill throughout its scrutiny stages. I fully support the aims of the bill, which will bring about a cultural shift in the way that puppies and dogs are bought, sold and given away.”
“Will the Government make sure that CalMac Ferries talks to our island agricultural community to make sure that people know that the change is not going ahead?”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am a farmer. The First Minister might have heard this week of a very unhelpful change by the United Kingdom Animal and Plant Health Agency that means that livestock would need to be accompanied on ferry journeys by someone who could euthanise the animals. However, I have just heard—literally in the past couple of minutes—from the Scottish Crofting Federation and NFU Scotland that the APHA has rolled back on that, which means, I hope, that the change will not need to go ahead. Has the Government had any contact with the APHA on the issue, and if it has not, will it do so to make sure that we do not need to put that change in place?”
“That is exactly what we are targeting with the interventions that we are taking through the budget, which is why I hope that colleagues on all sides of the chamber will support it and allow us to get on with that work. Dentistry Provision (NHS Dumfries and Galloway) 5.”
“Last month, NHS Grampian declared a board-level critical incident, due to overoccupancy at Aberdeen royal infirmary and Dr Gray’s, which is in my region, caused in large part by delayed discharge. My constituents have to travel long distances, including to Raigmore, which puts further pressure on the Highlands and Islands. What more could be done, and at quick speed, to get rid of the delayed discharge issues that we have? Neil Gray: I thank Tim Eagle for his question, because it allows me to reiterate the fact that the pressures that impact on the hospital environment are shared with the social care environment. We need to ensure that we respond to the pressures that exist in primary and secondary care and in the acute system.”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a farmer. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for future agricultural support. (S6O-04221)”
“Of the 52 students who graduated, two have taken up posts in my region and eight others have taken up other rural posts. If I had longer to speak, I could talk about social care, community nursing, mental health support, cancer diagnosis, vaccines and immunisations. We have unique challenges in rural Scotland, but we should never feel that we are being treated as second-class citizens.”
“There is also a lack of specialist trainees rotating through smaller rural hospitals to provide support to consultants and doctors in their foundation years. Another doctor pointed out that, when a long-term generalist who is amazing in their field is expected to retire in a few years’ time, there should be a mechanism by which another doctor can be brought in earlier to learn their core skills. I am sure that the cabinet secretary is aware that, at present, maternity and orthopaedic services—and even basic screenings—are not being delivered in some areas. In my region, there are serious staff shortages in Elgin, Thurso, Campbeltown, Stornoway and Uist—I could continue. There are also recruitment challenges in general practice, as we saw with the first group of graduates from the Scottish graduate entry medicine programme.”
“One GP said that the role of a GP has fundamentally changed over the years, with most GPs now working part time, partly due to the workload and partly for a better work-life balance. A higher headcount is therefore required, which, in turn, is harder to deliver in rural areas. GPs need a realistic funding model that can sustain smaller establishments. The current system does not work. Another GP spoke about the lack of any real push on remote and rural training programmes and said that a specialism in rurality should be encouraged in early work at medical schools. One doctor said that, due to their sheer size, larger hospitals tend to have a responsive and dynamic learning environment—something that is not easily delivered in smaller hospitals.”
“First, there are the macro problems: the big issues that fundamentally lead to poor health outcomes in rural areas—the topics that are discussed around the dinner table and are much discussed in this chamber, such as rural transport, connectivity, roads, local provision of services, housing and employment. Then, there are the smaller issues: the niche technical issues around rural healthcare delivery. I asked a range of doctors across the north-east and the Highlands to tell me in their words what the issues are. They said that smaller teams are less resilient, so a small reduction in staffing has a bigger impact, whether temporarily or in the long term. They noted that there is less third sector community support than there was before, and they spoke of significant recruitment challenges.”
“I will not lie: there is an element of politics in this, as I fundamentally do not believe that the Scottish National Party Government has served residents of rural Scotland well. That is not just my view; I have heard too many stories of appalling failures to deliver healthcare from the people I represent—a lady who slipped and fell having to lie on her back for eight hours while waiting for a 20-minute ambulance journey; a man having a heart attack sitting outside a local district general hospital; the fact that it takes five, six or seven years to reinstate maternity services; and cancer diagnoses taking longer in rural areas than in urban areas. Those are appalling failures, but, as I know my colleagues will show, that is what is going on. I think that I can split the issue into two areas.”
“I remind members that my wife is a general practitioner partner in a practice in Buckie and that I previously served for five years as a councillor in Moray. When I first came to the Parliament, nearly a year ago now, the one thing that I really wanted to address was rural depopulation, and I focused on that issue in my first members’ business debate. In this debate, I want to focus on arguably one of the most fundamental issues that impacts rural depopulation: access to healthcare. Following the debate on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry into remote and rural healthcare, I raised some of the pressures that rural communities face, but I wanted more debate on such a big topic and to give other members an opportunity to highlight their local issues and stories. I am grateful to everybody in the chamber today.”