Sarah Boyack
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“It must ensure that people get support to make their homes warm and energy efficient; support on solar, heat pumps and heat networks; affordable and accessible buses that they can rely on, with links to our railways; investment in our land to restore our peatlands; and a joined-up approach to food production and biodiversity.”
“Referring to what Ariane Burgess said, I have also been campaigning on the need to urgently address our climate and nature emergencies and to create decent jobs and empower local communities at the same time. For me, being in here is about delivering change that will benefit my constituents.”
“That taught me that constructive hard work and using the powers of our Parliament could deliver real change. For me, it was about investing in our railways—Airdrie to Bathgate, Larkhall to Milngavie and Stirling to Alloa, and supporting work on the Borders railway—as well as new CalMac ferries, improving island airports and tackling potho…”
“I hope that it is okay that I borrow a minute from my colleague. In the run-up to the 2016 election, I worked on a member’s bill to introduce a transient visitor levy.”
“In the climate change plan, we also set out greater detail on our methodology in order to provide greater transparency on the key assumptions and dependencies. However, Sarah Boyack is absolutely right, and that is where constructive criticism comes in— constructive criticism that recognises all the things in the plan that we need to do.”
“We need an urgent focus on implementation. Does the cabinet secretary agree that a key message from those who gave evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and other parliamentary committees was that it is all about delivery and that the draft plan did not go far enough?”
The complete record
Every one of 502 lines we hold for Sarah Boyack, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 11.
“The report that we are debating references proposals for new commissioners and describes them as “advocacy” commissioners. I do not agree with that in relation to my proposed commissioner, and I was clear about that in my evidence to the committee. As Martin Whitfield acknowledged, yesterday, the Parliament established a new victims and witnesses commissioner—that, too, is listed as an advocacy commissioner. There have been questions about whether the powers of that new commissioner are actually sufficient. I am glad that the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee acknowledges the positive contribution that has been made by existing commissioners and that they “fulfil a vital function in safeguarding public trust, institutional integrity and democratic accountability”.”
“In his speech earlier today, John Swinney referenced George Reid’s call for a sense of purpose, because “Today is tomorrow.” Last year, I secured a debate to recognise the United Nations declaration on future generations. I argued that one of the most important things that we can do is to think about how we build a society in which people’s wellbeing and sustainable development are built into the actions of, and the policy and spending decisions made by, all our Government and public sector bodies in Scotland. To deliver on those principles, we need clear guidance, accountability and a focus on ensuring that they are not just warm words but actually delivered. Hence, I propose that there should be a commissioner with investigatory powers.”
“The key issue is the justification and effectiveness criteria, which should be used when the relevant parliamentary committee is considering proposals to establish a new commissioner. I have followed the committee’s work both because it addresses the important issue of the growing landscape of commissioners and because, during this parliamentary session, I have been working on my own member’s bill, which is focused on accountability; on coherence in public bodies in relation to wellbeing and sustainable development; and on ensuring that the Scottish Government, our councils and the wider public sector are held to account for their impact, both now and in the future.”
“I think that the committee’s report is a must-read for all MSPs. Although we lodged an amendment to the motion, Scottish Labour welcomes and notes the report, and recognises the range of recommendations that have been made on new and existing commissioners; on governance and accountability; on budget and audit issues; and on shared services. The problem that we have with the motion is that, on the one hand, it says that “the SPCB supported body landscape should not be expanded to include new advocacy-type SPCB supported bodies”, but on the other hand, it goes on to state that new bodies should meet the justification and effectiveness test that is set out in paragraph 150 of the report.”
“I have indicated that tens of thousands of jobs have already been created in renewable energy in Scotland and there is potential to create tens of thousands more. Regarding those who work in the nuclear industry, I refer to the significant potential for the economy that comes from deploying their skills in nuclear decommissioning. There are many opportunities to create new jobs in Scotland and to sustain those that we currently have.”
“I am proud to have set Scotland’s first renewables targets, and I agree that we need a lot more renewable energy. The SNP opposes new SMRs—and Torness is due to close in spring 2030—even though they are being built across Europe. Torness currently has 550 full-time EDF Energy employees, 180 full-time contract employees and up to 800 employees every time there is a statutory outage. Why is the SNP happy to import nuclear-generated electricity but not to see it continue to be produced at Torness, given the massive annual benefits of around £45 million for the wider local economy? Richard Lochhead: I welcome Sarah Boyack’s support for our renewable energy targets, which her Administration set before ours came to power. Since 2007, our Government has achieved its targets.”
“I urge the Scottish Government, in the final months of this parliamentary session, to say what will happen following our cross-party group’s recommendations in “Mind the Gap: Tackling Transport Inequalities in Scotland”, from earlier this year, and to listen to the SYP’s manifesto on what can be done now. We need to listen to our young people’s experiences in order to build transport not just for them but with them and to create a system that unlocks opportunities, builds bridges and advances decarbonisation. That would enable them to use low-carbon travel options on a daily basis, and it would deliver the fairer Scotland that is called for by the SYP and that our young people richly deserve. 12:57”
“It challenges all parties to translate that energy and evidence into action to invest in reliable and local rural services, active travel and inclusive design, to ensure that safety and accessibility are built in and are core to public transport planning, and to have staff to keep people safe across our bus and rail services. It challenges all parties to embed youth voices in co- design, policy, delivery and oversight in order to bridge the gaps that are holding young people back—from the Lothians to our islands, and from urban to rural communities—and to create joined- up and sustainable transport.”
“I found it inspiring to hear from the Welsh Youth Parliament at our recent Commonwealth Parliamentary Association regional conference in Cardiff, and from young women at our CPA regional women’s conference in the Scottish Parliament earlier this year. The SYP’s manifesto calls for accessible, equitable transport, safer infrastructure, more reliable rural services and the extension of free travel to under-26s, all underpinned by youth participation at every stage. The SYP also asks to be involved in local and national decisions to create a public transport system with equal access for all, reducing geographic inequalities and barriers that prevent young people from accessing the system.”
“It is precisely in that context, where policy ambition, climate commitments and young people’s lived experience intersect, that the SYP’s work becomes essential. Its advocacy on accessibility, safety, affordability, inclusion and co- design is not just relevant—it is vital. Young people need bus services that they can use in their communities. As the SYP’s manifesto says, “Supported public transport is essential for young people to live their lives freely.” I know that I need to move towards a conclusion. Let us reaffirm the critical message: the Scottish Youth Parliament has not just identified failings in our transport system; it is calling for action with practical, inclusive and future-focused solutions. Young people need to be involved in shaping our transport services.”
“There are also plans to progress the decarbonisation of the network, but we know that there is much more to be done to increase capacity in our public transport services. Hundreds of bus services have been lost in recent years. As reports from Audit Scotland and the Climate Change Committee have stated, Scotland’s ambition to reduce car usage by 20 per cent by 2030 is off track. However, achieving that is critical if we are to deliver the change that young people need for a safe future, given the increasingly negative impacts of the climate and nature emergencies that we see in extreme weather, wildfires, excessive heat and flooding. Some progress has been made, with 203 miles of walking, wheeling and cycling routes having been added last year, but overall funding for active travel has fallen significantly in the 2025-26 budget.”
“The manifesto says: “Transport Scotland and public transport companies should ensure that public transport services are accessible and reliable for young people across Scotland, particularly those living in rural areas.” We had an excellent debate in the chamber this week about Scotland’s railways. We need to build on the successes that we have had over the Parliament’s life, such as the Airdrie to Bathgate railway, the Larkhall to Milngavie railway, the Stirling to Alloa railway, the Borders railway and the reopening of the Levenmouth rail link in June 2024, which has reconnected communities to Edinburgh and promises young people in Fife improved access for commuting, study and social participation—something that can happen only if we get safe and reliable transportation throughout the country.”
“Young people need access to transport to live their lives to the full, whether it is to access education, to access sports and leisure, to visit friends or family, or to get to and from work. For all of those activities, they need accessible, affordable and reliable public transport. This week, we have had a Scottish Youth Parliament stall that MSPs have been able to visit. MSYPs have been giving us copies of their manifesto, “Dear Scotland’s Future: For Young People. By Young People.”, which reflects the voices of nearly 5,000 young people across all 32 local authorities, including a strong input from the Lothians. The manifesto places sustainable transport and a “just and fairer Scotland” at its core, not as an aspiration, but as an immediate priority.”
“One young person’s words resonated deeply with me: “The young people’s free bus pass is great, but it’s not much use if there isn’t a bus to use it on.” All of us should reflect on that comment. The SYP’s transport, environment and rural affairs committee has been working hard on the matter, championing issues such as rural infrastructure deficits, accessibility for disabled young people and safety at bus stops and on vehicles. Its timely and considered interventions remind us that policy must be grounded in lived experience if it is to serve our communities well. That committee truly represents the voices of our future in terms of transport and how much is needed to give young people the access that they deserve.”
“It is a real honour to open this important members’ business debate on the contribution of the Scottish Youth Parliament to our evolving transport system. I extend my heartfelt thanks to colleagues who supported securing time for the debate, because ensuring that Scotland’s young people have access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport is vital to their wellbeing, social inclusion and future opportunities. I was motivated to lodge the motion after attending a meeting of the cross-party group on sustainable transport. At that meeting, MSYPs shared first-hand experiences, especially from rural, island and Lothian communities, highlighting barriers that relate directly to the lived realities of young Scots.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the voting system. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Boyack. We will ensure that your vote is recorded.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Residential Outdoor Education”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament recognises that it is now 20 years since the devolution of executive powers over rail funding, specification and strategy for Scotland’s railway; celebrates the 15th anniversary of the completion of the Airdrie- Bathgate route, instigated by the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition and completed under the Scottish National Party, the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Borders Railway and the first anniversary of the reopening of the Levenmouth route; recognises the many significant achievements over those 20 years, including electrification of over 570 kilometres of track, the opening of 30 new stations, and an increase of a fifth in ScotRail passenger numbers; welcomes the consistent delivery of operational performance and passenger satisfaction under public ownership and control, which are among the best levels in Britain; notes the need to continue to improve those performance levels; welcomes the investment of £13 billion over this period to sustain and grow the network through value-for-money projects, including the complete renewal of the Caledonian Sleeper fleet and operation; notes the cross-party support for the removal, for good, of ScotRail peak fares, first piloted while Scottish Green Party ministers were part of the Scottish Government; looks forward to the benefits from developments such as the completion of the electrification of the East Kilbride route, and the progression of procurement of new train fleets and further electrification, including the recently announced Fife and Borders routes; recognises that the UK Government’s current proposals for rail reform draw heavily on the widely recognised success of the devolved approach to rail in Scotland; notes the Scottish Government’s position that full devolution of rail is the optimal position but, in the absence of full devolution, Scotland’s railway must benefit at least as much from those reforms as is promised for England and Wales, and agrees that any reforms that would diminish the Scottish Ministers’ powers and the role of the Scottish Parliament already constrained by current UK legislation would be unacceptable to the Scottish Parliament, given the success the delivery model in Scotland has produced over the last two decades.”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) [Proxy vote cast by Willie Rennie] Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Abstentions Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18763, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, is: For 69, Against 44, Abstentions 1.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S6M-18763, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, on 20 years of Scotland’s railway providing a strong platform for the future, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) [Proxy vote cast by Willie Rennie] Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-18763.3, in the name of Claire Baker, is: For 23, Against 89, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I voted yes, but my app is displaying the message: “The item is ready to be voted on.” I want to check that my vote has been counted. The Presiding Officer: I can confirm that your vote has been recorded.”
“Particularly in Scotland, we need more trains, because, every day, 250 fewer run than was the case pre-pandemic. We need more trains— accessible and affordable trains that everybody can access across the country. If we do that, we will build passenger confidence, build our economy and support our environment. Let us work together to get that done. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Finlay Carson to close the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. 16:54”
“It is shocking, too, that 70 per cent of RMT’s ScotRail members had experienced violence at work in the past year, with 80 per cent of those staff being lone workers. Again, I hope that the cabinet secretary will outline what action can be taken to make people safe on our trains. We need to build a railway that people feel is safe, is accessible and is worth the fare that they pay, and that it deliberately links our economy and our climate ambitions. It needs to be fit for purpose and resilient to extreme weather. Passengers deserve better. I will focus briefly on the fact that UK rail reforms will be a massive benefit. There are explicitly no plans to diminish the powers of Scottish ministers. As has been discussed, we need joint working between the UK and Scottish Governments.”
“For example, Waverley station relocated its ticket office this summer, making it less accessible for a lot of passengers who need to get tickets in person and who also need in-person assistance. In her summing up, I would like to hear from the cabinet secretary about the companion travel scheme. I have been working with Sight Scotland and the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland, which are pushing for passengers to get the support that they need when they need it, so that everybody can travel on our trains. We also need to make sure that passengers and railway staff are safe. The points that were made by Katy Clark and Richard Leonard about women passengers were very powerful.”
“We need to go further and make sure that stations are properly connected, with access to local buses, safe cycling routes and walking access. A key issue is accessibility—step-free access, lifts and ramps. We need to make sure that our railways are accessible for everybody. The debate’s title refers to a strong platform, but platforms do not sell tickets. Several colleagues have talked about ticket offices. Although many of us use the ScotRail app, Audit Scotland has highlighted the fact that around one in 10 people do not have internet access and that around one in six lack foundational digital skills. If we are to get a sustained level of modal shift, we need to make sure that accessibility is built in.”
“[Interruption.] Sorry, it is 15 years. In December, we will be able to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of the Larkhall to Milngavie line. There is something about the benefits of that work. Mark Ruskell’s point about strategic planning is absolutely critical, because we need to take a national approach to supporting our regions—one that benefits passengers, our economy and our environment. It was therefore good to hear about the north-east. I would like to have heard a bit more about Inverness, because the northern routes urgently need access to passenger and freight connectivity. Before the summer, we were lobbied by the freight sector about the need to link freight routes to ferry connections in the south- west of Scotland. There is therefore a lot of work to be done.”
“On some key routes, there are not even enough bike spaces, so addressing capacity is key. As we have discussed, the abolition of peak rail fares is a huge opportunity for Scotland, because it makes rail travel more affordable and has the potential to encourage people out of their cars. However, it was a long time coming; it was the result of cross-party pressure and work by trade unions. If there is to be a real shift, we need the capacity on our trains so that people can use them. We also need to have railway stations that enable people to get access to our trains. When I was transport minister in the first session of the Parliament, I was proud to approve the Airdrie to Bathgate, Larkhall to Milngavie and Stirling to Alloa lines. It is good to see that it is 20 years since the Airdrie to Bathgate line was opened.”
“I welcome today’s debate, because there is huge interest across the chamber in improving our rail services right across Scotland, including in the Lothians. Communities such as Winchburgh have been promised a station for years. I thank Lawrence Fitzpatrick, the leader of West Lothian Council, for his persistence in pushing for that station. Without a station, it is harder for people to get to work, which leads to more delays and congestion on our roads—and that is not good enough. Claire Baker’s points about overcrowding also urgently need to be addressed. Christine Grahame mentioned the Borders railway. Way more people are using it than was anticipated, and we need the trains to be big enough. Trains from East Lothian and Fife are now regularly at capacity, and passengers can be left standing.”
“The committee’s recommendations need to be implemented urgently and consistently across the public sector. 16:09”
“We should also be talking about sewage. Research that was carried out by Surfers Against Sewage highlighted the need for more reliable data and monitoring of sewage outflows and the need for increased action on extreme weather events causing heavy rainfall and water shortages. As was discussed at First Minister’s question time today, we now have water shortages that are impacting on our constituents, farming and business communities. That all means that WICS has to work properly by holding Scottish Water to account through value for money in the bills that we all pay. It means that WICS needs to deliver value for money and be accountable. The committee’s report highlights significant repeated failures by WICS and the Scottish Government. The lessons need to be learned, not just by WICS but across the public sector. How did this happen?”
“We should be using our time today to talk about Scottish Water, because it is key to producing high-quality clean water for our constituents across Scotland. However, affordable bills have gone up by inflation-busting increases of almost 10 per cent this year after 8.8 per cent last year and there have been large bonuses for senior staff who already have big salaries. There are concerns about the widening gaps between the wages of workers who do the daily work that keeps our infrastructure working and those on the top salaries. I was concerned to hear from Unison members about the fact that they are seeing privatisation by stealth and an increase in private contracts and tenders. We need support for concerned staff across the public sector who want to be whistleblowers. That was emphasised in the committee’s report.”
“It is deeply concerning that the committee and the Auditor General also highlighted Scottish Government failures to hold the commission to account in decisions that involved expenditure that did not meet standards of value for money and accountability. Taxpayers’ money was being spent in ways that did not meet the Scottish Government’s guidance. We have had numerous debates during recent months about the Government wasting taxpayers’ money. Those huge failures must be addressed urgently. We should be proud of the fact that we have a publicly owned water company in Scotland. WICS is meant to be the economic regulator for the industry and to promote the interests of Scotland’s water and sewerage customers.”
“WICS is there to determine the lowest reasonable cost that Scottish Water will have to incur to meet ministers’ environmental, quality and service objectives for the industry. WICS’s decisions must be consistent with the guidelines that are set by ministers in their principles of charging. The repeated failures that the committee has highlighted and that Audit Scotland identified need to be addressed urgently. In a powerful opening speech, Richard Leonard highlighted the extreme examples of governance and financial issues. The Auditor General noted that WICS fell far short of what is expected of a public body.”
“It is vital that lessons are learned from today’s debate, that the Scottish Government is held to account for the failures and that the culture in WICS fundamentally changes. It is also important that other public bodies are made aware of the issues so that the failures are not repeated. The areas that the committee investigated and the work of the Auditor General for Scotland are wide ranging. There was poor governance in WICS’s expenditure approval and weakness in its financial control. There is also the role of the Scottish Government’s sponsorship team, the role of the board and the departure of the former chief executive. This is about accountability and value for money. WICS is the organisation tasked with holding Scottish Water to account—what an irony. Its job is vital in that regard.”
“I thank the members of the Public Audit Committee for their work, and the clerks to the committee for their support. This is a damning committee report. There is clear evidence from the Auditor General for Scotland that WICS and the Scottish Government consistently failed to lead by example in ensuring value for money due to significant weaknesses in governance, financial management arrangements and accountability. There was spending on overseas training courses costing more than £70,000 and Christmas gift vouchers bought without proper approval, and a culture that tolerated excessive hospitality and poor accountability. That matters to all of us, because Scottish Water is a publicly owned utility that people across Scotland depend on every single day. We should be able to take clean, affordable water for granted.”
“I note that the Auditor General for Scotland intends to monitor WICS closely and to look at the sponsorship of public bodies more broadly. We welcome that scrutiny. I wholly endorse the committee’s findings and thank its members for their important scrutiny. I recognise the positive steps that my officials and the new board and senior management team of WICS have taken in order to address historical issues, and I assure the Parliament that lessons have been learned. 15:58”
“One of the committee’s key recommendations was that a robust whistleblowing policy should be put in place for staff. It is one thing to have a sponsorship team engaging, but it is critical that that team can hear from staff who feel able to report matters without fear of losing their jobs. The Deputy Presiding Officer: It would be helpful if you could bring your remarks to a close soon, cabinet secretary. Gillian Martin: Sarah Boyack makes a very good point. One issue that was uncovered was that those in the lower ranks at WICS were afraid to speak out. That was part of a culture that was allowed by senior management and that flourished unchecked by the board. All those measures are fundamental to ensuring that the relationship between the Government and WICS functions properly and that any support is accompanied by critical challenge.”
“I ask the cabinet secretary to focus on the issue of creating green jobs in the area of green hydrogen, in which there is huge economic interest. Green hydrogen could be used in supply chains, in heavy goods vehicles, on our railways and in industry, and it could also be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel for future use by aeroplanes. Gillian Martin: I assure Sarah Boyack that I am concentrating our efforts on green hydrogen, because that is very much where the market is. There may be some instances of developers initially choosing to produce blue hydrogen but moving on to green hydrogen over time. We know that, if we are to export our hydrogen, any European countries that might buy from Scotland are interested only in green hydrogen, so it is fair to say that that is where our efforts lie.”
“I thought that it was really significant that the cabinet secretary did not directly answer Ben Macpherson’s question about Edinburgh’s housing emergency. Our constituents desperately need to see more support for our councils, housing associations and housing co- operatives so that they can build the affordable, accessible housing that we desperately need.”
“[Interruption.] Colleagues should remember those debates—they are in the Official Report. Our constituents deserve better than government by U-turn. They deserve government by delivery, whether that is in the NHS, where 900,000 people face massive waiting times, or in my constituency, where young people are massively impacted by the lack of access to CAMHS services and by the failure to deliver on educational attainment that was cited by Pam Duncan-Glancy. Mark Griffin’s response to today’s statement on housing was spot on. Although we welcome more investment, it is too little, too late. We are still in a housing emergency and there is a lack of affordable, accessible housing. It is unacceptable that more than 9,000 children will still be in unsuitable accommodation.”
“I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests regarding my former employment. I will focus today on missed opportunities and on how the SNP is letting down people in my area. As ever, we heard blame today, even though our new Labour Government allocated this Government an extra £5.2 billion in Barnett consequentials. That is real money that should be making a real difference to people’s lives, but it is not being delivered where it is needed because of SNP waste. We have pushed SNP ministers so hard to focus on the day job. We saw that with the Edinburgh eye pavilion when, after huge public pressure, they were forced into a U-turn, and we saw it again with peak fares when, once more, the Government had to U-turn after pressure by Labour members.”
“I can point to many areas of activity; indeed, she herself pointed to the abolition of peak fares on trains. The Scottish Government recognises that the transport sector needs to do much more, and to do it in a fair way. The emissions statistics that the member referred to point to the fact that the car remains the single largest contributor to transport emissions in Scotland. Indeed, it accounts for 5 megatonnes of emissions from domestic transport, including international aviation and shipping. Those are areas that I am sure that future ministers, and the Parliament as a whole, will want to work together on. We need to invest—and we are investing—in our public transport system.”
“We also need to accelerate electrification; increase the use of rail freight; have buses that people can use their bus passes on; and, indeed, have buses that are built in Scotland by Scottish workers, and which are not imported from China. Also, should we not be doing more to use our fantastic natural resources to remove, and not emit, carbon? When will we see the right trees in the right places, and the investment to support our peatlands at the scale that is needed? Finally, will the minister outline specific new actions that the Scottish Government will deliver to ensure that the next set of statistics shows that we are on track to deliver the net zero change that we urgently need? Alasdair Allan: The member rightly points to the importance of, among other things, tackling carbon emissions in the transport sector.”
“I thank the minister for notice of his statement. Environmental groups such as WWF say that progress has stalled; the evidence of this Government’s net zero efforts is lacking; and the bold climate targets that the SNP pledged to deliver have all but disappeared. We are seeing those failures again today, but there is no acknowledgement of the need to do way more, and to learn from the failures to deliver the action that this Parliament supported. What are we going to get for the transformational change that we need? If are to address transport emissions, we will need to do more than dump peak rail fares, however much we campaigned for that.”
“Do we not need to support local authorities to work together to deliver low-carbon heat networks? Local authorities are discussing the issue now. Given that we have such a huge excess of electricity, is now not the time for the Scottish Government to step in and help them to get there? Alasdair Allan: I am not sure that I would characterise the future situation as one in which we will have a huge excess of electricity, given the electrification of the country that is taking place. However, I understand Sarah Boyack’s point about the need to ensure that different local authorities work together. We are seeking to support such work in the part of the world that she represents, and we will do that elsewhere in the country. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio question time.”
“However, as I indicated previously, that fact does not keep us from action. For instance, we have allocated £125 million to the economy of Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland; on top of that, we have allocated £75 million to the just transition capital fund for the north-east and Moray. As a Government, we are committed to putting in real resources and effort to ensuring that the transition is a truly just one. Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 (Implementation) 8.”
“We know that urban and rural communities across Scotland are at risk from extreme weather and the impact of the climate emergency, with homes and businesses now at risk. What is the Scottish Government’s plan to deliver the sustainable jobs that we need locally, both to increase our resilience and to reduce emissions? I give the example of the manufacturing of renewables and again ask: when will we see the energy strategy and the just transition plan to give the certainty that developers and supply-chain businesses urgently need in order to deliver that sustainable, low-carbon economy? Alasdair Allan: As I said, some of the plans are dependent on something that is happening in another sphere—that is, on the United Kingdom Government’s interaction with the courts. We must wait for some of the information from that.”
“Will the Scottish Government request that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reconsider its plans to close Marionville fire station, in the light of the recent fire at Cables Wynd house in Leith, the community petition, which now has more than 3,500 signatures, and reports that such plans would weaken fire services in Edinburgh and the Lothians, while our fire services are under increasing pressure, for example from wildfires, as we saw in West Lothian last month?”
“I remember the rite of passage that I went through in my youth in being able to see films at the Filmhouse, so I am very supportive of it. We will see what the Government can do to help. Child Sexual Abuse Investigations 5.”