Fergus Ewing
Independent · Scotland
“Last October, the Chinese renewables company Ming Yang announced an investment of £1,500 million in my constituency, which would initially create 1,500 direct jobs and lead to 4,000 jobs in phase 3.”
“As her cabinet secretary, I thank her for her diligence as a minister and congratulate her on the successful passage last week of a vital piece of Government legislation that was also supported across parties. I am glad that the bill that we have worked on together will—as I hope—pass this evening. It sends a strong signal.”
“I turn to the concerns of stakeholders, and particularly the teaching trade unions, with whom I have spent a lot of time in the past three years. First, I am sympathetic to some of the concerns from the teaching trade unions.”
“I will embarrass the minister now with all this praise in front of his colleagues, but he is known to be pro-business, and that is a good thing. Sadly, he is an oasis of common sense amidst a desert of disdain and disinterest.”
“Most practitioners will not need training, but those that do, definitely need it. Therefore, we need a focus on the training and on ensuring that it is available to all practitioners who require it.”
“Its work was diligent, detailed and critical to providing the scrutiny that allowed the bill to be improved. I pay tribute to Douglas Ross. He has been a diligent parliamentarian throughout, and I agree with him on what the Parliament needs to aspire to being when it comes to how it works and how contributions are made.”
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“Shortly after the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee inquiry, the Scottish Government commissioned a working group to review its policies on the issue. However, the former chair of the group told the committee that the Scottish Government had implemented only one of the group’s 42 recommendations. The committee is disappointed by that and has said that a clear timetable for delivering those recommendations is urgently needed. In response to the committee’s report, the Scottish Government has now provided more information on the status of each recommendation, but that seems to be more of an update on progress, with minimal detail on the timescales for the recommendations to be delivered.”
“We are supportive of the revised regulatory framework and of the additional monitoring of the sea bed that it requires, but significant gaps in knowledge and understanding about the environmental footprint of salmon farming, which were identified back in 2018, remain, largely due to the lack of scientific evidence. To address those gaps, the committee feels that there is a case for the Scottish Government to establish research pens to develop scientific evidence about the environmental impacts of salmon farming and how those can be reduced. The cabinet secretary seems to agree with that in principle and said that the Scottish Government would take forward further discussions on that. The interactions between farmed and wild salmon are another area on which the committee felt that minimal progress has been made since 2018.”
“Again, I hope that, in her remarks today, she will say more about exactly what that analysis will look like. The committee was also pleased to see that the industry is making improvements with regard to reducing sea lice. That progress has, in part, been made by tightening the enforcement thresholds and by the introduction of mandatory reporting of sea lice counts. That is to be welcomed, but it makes me question even more why the cabinet secretary seems so reluctant to take a similar approach to tackling fish mortality. The committee also took evidence from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the changes that have been made since 2018 to the regulatory framework for controlling the amount of waste that is discharged from fish farms.”
“The committee feels that it is time, and that it would be good for the industry, which often goes above and beyond statutory requirements in other areas, for the statutory regime to keep pace with knowledge about what constitutes good fish welfare. That was communicated to the committee in great detail in the evidence that was provided to us by the likes of Professor Lynne Sneddon and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. For that reason, the committee recommends that the Scottish Government introduces new regulations to set specific baseline standards for farmed fish. Those standards exist for most other farmed animals, so why not for farmed fish? The cabinet secretary said that that recommendation would require further analysis and that she would update us on what she intends to do in September.”
“The cabinet secretary’s position on mandatory reporting is even more concerning, given what I have said about the need to improve regulatory oversight of farms when it comes to mortality. We do not believe that reporting would be an additional burden, given that much of that data is already being collected. However, the cabinet secretary has not completely rejected our proposals for new enforcement powers but has said that further analytical work is required before she can come to a view on that. I hope that, in her contribution to the debate, she will elaborate on precisely what that work will entail and when it will be completed. The committee was also concerned to hear that specific welfare standards for farmed fish are set voluntarily rather than required by regulation.”
“Does the member recognise, acknowledge and welcome the fact that, since 2018—seven years ago—the sector as a whole has invested a staggering £1,000 million in addressing many of the issues that he raised? It has increased survival rates to a four-year high, and sea lice rates are at an historic low. Finlay Carson: Absolutely. We recognise that the industry has gone some way in innovating and looking at how it can tackle some of the challenges. Of most concern to the committee was whether the rate at which climate change challenges are being addressed is effective. During our visit, we learned that fish farms already collect a lot of data for onsite audits and management purposes.”
“Biffa is suing the Scottish ministers for a reputed sum of £160 million. Has the Scottish Government made, or will it make, any provision in its annual accounts for potential losses not only in that case but in cases of other major companies incurring costs of tens of millions of pounds due to faith in assurances that the former minister apparently made? Alasdair Allan: As the member is well aware, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on live litigation—[Interruption.] I do not know why people find it unusual that ministers cannot comment on live litigation. However—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the minister. Alasdair Allan: However, I confirm to the member that we will deal with the question of the accounts as a contingent liability in line with our public finance rules and commitments.”
“Violence against women and girls is a fundamental violation of human rights and has no place in our vision for a safe, strong and successful Scotland. To achieve our vision, we are implementing the equally safe Scotland strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.”
“Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Shirley-Anne Somerville: The behaviour in Scottish schools research for 2023 identified concerns among school staff about increasing experiences of misogyny in schools. That is why, in March last year, the Scottish Government introduced new guidance for schools on preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The guidance provides clear advice for schools on challenging misogyny and responding to any incidents that arise, which, thankfully, are rare. I recognise that the points that have been raised on single-sex spaces concern the safety of women. We remain absolutely committed to protecting and asserting the safety of women and girls in our society.”
“Fergus Ewing: Renewables are cheap when they operate, but the fact that they do not operate all the time adds to the constraint costs, albeit that those costs are greater for gas. In concluding, I was going to make a remark about the Greens, but I do not think that I will spoil my peroration. I will just say that I hope that, across the parties, we can face reality, come to our senses, recognise that we need a proper mix, take emotion out of the debate and get back to common sense to ensure that our electricity system does not cost massively more for the people who sent us here. 15:39”
“Moreover, I understand that the technology for new gas-fired power stations is such that they are far more efficient and less emitting than either coal or nuclear ones, especially in the modern combined cycle, which can reach 60 per cent efficiency. Because the new plants capture and use the plant’s hot exhaust gases to spin a secondary turbine, which generates more electricity, less energy is lost in the conversion process of gas to electricity. Their efficiency rate is 60 per cent, compared with that for nuclear or coal, which is 33 per cent. Kevin Stewart: Will the member give way? Fergus Ewing: I think that I might not have much time left. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The member is bringing his remarks to a close.”
“One problem is that we have long warned that some of the fields that he mentioned, on which I will not go into detail, should have had stricter climate compatibility checkpoints that would have taken such matters into consideration. Does he think that not foreseeing the existing issues, and doing the critical work required, represents a misstep on the part of previous UK Governments? Fergus Ewing: I do not want to be political, but whoever did it was certainly stepping off a cliff. At one point, we were toying with that injudicious step forward as well—there is no point in denying it. However, if we got things wrong in the past, that does not mean that we cannot get them right in the future. We just need the guts to admit that we have to do that. More and more people are coming to that view in every opinion poll that is taken in Scotland.”
“I think that it was rejected on 7 March last year, in the review of electricity market arrangements—REMA—process. I am not quite sure that, in itself, that would do anything other than change the way in which the deckchairs are arrayed. It seems to me that we need to look more widely. We must maximise gas production in the UK from the North Sea fields—for example, from Jackdaw. In doing so, we would support fields that produce oil and gas at much lower emissions. From the internet, we can see—I recently checked this with Equinor—that Rosebank will produce at carbon emissions of 12kg of CO2 per barrel. In Qatar and the USA, fracked gas is produced at nearly 80kg. Gillian Martin: I am always interested to hear Fergus Ewing’s thoughts on such issues.”
“Others who are younger might decide to do the same work in other countries, and then we will lose all their income. Sadly, others might end up in fuel poverty for one reason or another. That will further exacerbate the problems that we face today. In other words, we cannot isolate consumer cost issues from the wider economic picture—they are umbilically connected. If we ignore those factors, we ignore reality, and we might as well be re-enacting a grisly version of the emperor’s new clothes. On energy prices for the UK, to paraphrase the great singer Al Jolson, if you think things are bad now, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I regret saying that, but what are the solutions? Decoupling the electricity market price from that for gas should certainly be considered.”
“Britain has the highest industry energy costs in the world. We are likely to see the possible extinction of chemical manufacturing in the UK, alongside many other sectors. Why will that impact on consumers? Because of the enormous financial contributions that they make towards maintaining the transmission and distribution system. The planned upgrade of the grid is an enormous cost— we are talking about more than £1 trillion in total, according to some estimates. If we eliminate a huge chunk of the revenue, who will pay? People’s bills will go up, unless we are willing to open our eyes to such possibilities and change things radically. Moreover, many people who currently work in those industries will simply retire—they will not seek other employment if they are of a certain age.”
“The inevitable result of the high energy costs in the UK—which, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs, are four times those of the USA and 48 per cent higher than average European industry costs—is that, if what the internet tells me is correct, steel costs for manufacturers in the UK are £113 per megawatt hour, as opposed to £61 in Germany and France. In modern countries, we can produce steel, fertiliser, chemicals, concrete and all sorts of things. However, if our energy costs are of such a magnitude in excess of those of our competitors, I am afraid that we do not have to be Adam Smith or Warren Buffett to realise that something must give. We have noticed that Grangemouth is closing, and high energy costs seem to me to be—as the lawyers would say—the causa causans of that decision.”
“I will address a somewhat different perspective to that which has been offered so far, as the gravity of the issues requires us to consider the wider and bigger picture, and I am afraid that there is a foreseeable danger—a likelihood, I believe, sadly—that energy costs for people throughout the UK will rise further over most years for the next decade. A substantial reason for that is the factor that I mentioned in an intervention earlier, which is that, at the moment, much of the bill for running the grid is paid for by heavy industry.”
“Earlier in the debate, Liz Smith spoke in a characteristically thoughtful way, drawing our attention, rightly, to the most serious situation facing the world in my lifetime. The common sense, always expressed with grace, that has been expounded by Liz Smith over her long period in Parliament will be missed by a great many. I hope that her Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill will be passed by this Parliament—I am not quite sure what the whips have in mind for me in that regard, but I plan to vote for it anyway, so that is that. If I may gently break another rule, Presiding Officer, I say: Liz, we will miss you.”
“That particularly disadvantages people who live off-grid in the Highlands—in the places that Fergus Ewing and others represent. We must try to resolve that problem. We know that the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets is looking at decoupling at the UK level, but that should be accelerated, not only to bring down people’s energy bills, but to incentivise the use of renewables. The long-term issues and solutions that we should be looking at are economic inactivity, the support that is available for home energy, the decoupling of energy prices and, first and foremost, helping individual families to help themselves out of poverty. 15:16”
“I recognise that we have area-based schemes, but that is still a fraction of what we should be doing. Why is retrofitting those homes so slow? We surely should be speeding up the process, which, again, would help people with their bills at home. My final point is about the campaign that my colleague in the Highlands, Angus MacDonald MP, has been running, as I know others in the chamber have done, about decoupling gas and electricity prices. In 2021, the average lifetime cost of producing onshore wind was 39 per cent lower than the cost of gas generation, and the cost of producing solar power was 11 per cent lower than that of gas generation, so why is the price that people pay for electricity in their homes so high?”
“Another area that I hope that the cabinet secretary will look at closely is the operation of insulation programmes and home energy system support. The application process for the installation of heat pumps and other home energy systems is too complex and takes too long. As a result, the installation of new technologies is far too slow—it is a fraction of what we need to get to if we are to tackle the problem. It is the same with insulation. The Scottish Government stopped publishing the figures constituency by constituency when I started publishing press releases in response to that. In north-east Fife, there are 40,000 homes. Home Energy Scotland boasted that it had insulated a few hundred homes in the past eight years, which is a fraction of what we should be doing.”
“If they already have deep-rooted health problems that make them incapable of working, the lack of work will compound those particular problems by not giving them the goodness of work. I think that work is good. We should be encouraging people into work and giving them the means to work. A big part of that is that our national health service is not supporting people to get back into work because the waiting lists are so long, particularly for the new causes of economic inactivity in relation to mental health, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which the waits are just enormous. We should therefore be looking at the deep-rooted issues with the way in which our public services support people to get back into work. However, as I have said, I support the child payment, and we will support the Government’s motion.”
“As I have said before, although I am a strong supporter of the Scottish child payment, it simply covers up the fact that there are many children in Scotland who are in a precarious position and whose families are unable to support themselves. That is what we should be trying to tackle—and seeking long-term solutions for—to make sure that such families are able to sustain themselves. The economic inactivity rate in Scotland is shocking—it is 24 per cent—and it is not much better in England, at about 21 or 22 per cent. Those economic inactivity levels should deeply concern us, not just because our economy is weaker due to our not having fiscal returns from those individuals who could be paying their taxes, but because it is not good for them either.”
“I worry deeply about the long-term consequences, as well as about the dumping of cheap steel from China into other markets around the world and the consequences that that will have for our domestic production and our internal security. One of the most significant parts of the cabinet secretary’s speech was when she spoke about the long-term solution in the support that she is providing to the Wise Group and its relational mentoring programme, which I have been impressed with. It looks to try to calm households, to bring them out of poverty, to give them the tools to be able to sustain themselves and to lift out of poverty the children in those households. It is about putting a sustainable future in their own hands, which is surely what we have to try to get to.”
“I agree with Willie Rennie’s sentiments and the generous manner in which he makes those reflections. I put it to him that an equally profound risk for Britain is that the high energy costs here— four times greater than those in the US and an average of 48 per cent higher than the average in Europe—mean that industrial activity is really under threat for commodity products that can be manufactured in just about any modern country. We stand on the precipice of losing not just Grangemouth but many more such industries over the next decade. Willie Rennie: Fergus Ewing and I have been working closely with a lot of those very industries.”
“We are focused on making sure that, where we invest any money of that sort going forward, the value of the premises in relation to which the investment is made is taken into account in order to ensure that public funds are applied most effectively and efficiently. National Security (Infrastructure Policy) 6.”
“Quangos and other public bodies have had access to the £200 million heat in buildings decarbonisation fund. One successful application was by a public body headquartered at 25 Chambers Street in Edinburgh, which was valued before the works at £4.75 million. The works cost £11.3 million and the grant was £9.1 million. That is the headquarters of no less than the Crown Office. Has the Crown Office not committed a major offence against the public purse? Ivan McKee: As Fergus Ewing knows, we are hugely committed to identifying any use of public funding that is excessive and ensuring that it is addressed. He knows fine well about the example that he cited. Other examples have also been cited.”
“As I set out in my original answer to Mr Ross, I very much recognise the significant importance of that arterial route for the economic prosperity of not only the north-east and the Highlands but the whole of Scotland. As the member will be well aware, we endured 14 years of austerity in an exceptionally turbulent period, which has impacted the delivery of a number of infrastructure projects. As I set out in my original answer, the Government’s position has not changed. We remain in favour of the full dualling of the A96, and we are progressing the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including the Nairn bypass. Self-catering Accommodation Businesses 5.”
“There have been serial breaches of commitments to dual the A96 by 2030. The A96 connects Aberdeen, which is the European capital of renewable energy, with the Highlands, which is the powerhouse for renewable energy—the number 1 priority for the Government. Why should the Highlands be expected to deliver all of that, given that a goat track connects those two areas? Does the minister agree that it is simply impossible to defend the failure of the Scottish Government to implement policies that have been promised in every election since 2011? Tom Arthur: I recognise the member’s tenacious campaigning on the matter for his constituents and the wider region.”
“It is growing in the Highlands and it is growing in Aberdeenshire and in the south of Scotland. The way to deal with it is for the UK Government and the Scottish Government to revive the scheme that I was pleased to take forward with some good officials, whereby communities were provided with 10 per cent or thereabouts of the capital cost of a share in a development by the renewable energy investment fund— Gillian Martin: Will the member give way? Fergus Ewing: I am sorry, but I do not have time. I have just 10 seconds left. There was assistance with that, with 90 per cent of the funding coming from a variety of banks. That can happen, and it should happen. If it does happen, not all but some people will come with us on this journey as volunteers, not conscripts. 16:40”
“If Scotland ceased to exist, that would not make the slightest difference to global warming, and nor would anything that we do. We do need gas storage, as Britain’s storage capacity is about 10 times less than that of Germany, the Netherlands or France. My friend Charles Hendry, an excellent former UK energy minister, has been making that point for a long time. I have made this point before and I will make it again: communities need to come with us on this journey towards renewables. It is a journey that I started off. This will not make me popular with some of the audience in the public gallery, but I possibly granted more consents than any other minister in Europe in my time. They should please feel free to boo—sorry, they are not allowed to do that. [Interruption.] To be serious, the opposition is growing.”
“I was about to say that I think there is a necessary future for oil and gas in Scotland and the UK but that it is dwindling and the cessation of production that we are talking about means that fields such as Rosebank and Jackdaw are, frankly, de minimis in relation to global production. There are 100 million barrels of oil—or the gas equivalent—in the world every day, but we, in the UK, do not contribute much more than about 1 per cent of that. Our Green colleagues would like to see the reduction and elimination of all future developments—even though we have invested billions of pounds in them and the taxpayer would have to get that money back—but that would be completely futile, because we produce only 0.1 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions.”
“My second question is being asked for the people who are in the gallery today, who have come from the north-east and really want to hear this. What is Mr Ewing’s view on bringing people along with you and not taking away prime and productive arable land or destroying their homeland in the process? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms White—that is quite enough. We will go back to Mr Ewing for a response to those points. Fergus Ewing: I think I will leave the first point. I am not sure that I would accept that, but, to be candid, I have not made a specific study of the matter and it would therefore be wrong for me to form a view. I know that it is a bit of a novelty not to form a view when one is unacquainted with the facts, but I am an old-fashioned kind of guy. I will come to the second point.”
“We discussed Ukraine earlier today, and I am bound to reflect that, within the past 24 hours, the Norwegian Government has confirmed that it is now considering utilising its sovereign wealth fund to assist Ukraine. That sovereign wealth fund is currently worth almost £1.4 trillion. For those of us who, like me, are unfamiliar with that particular figure, that is £1,380 billion. That fund came about because Norway invested what it earned from its vast oil and gas resources. The Norwegians did not even put any money in for the first five years, until 1990 or thereabouts. Tess White: Will Mr Ewing address two points? First, there is the issue of the Scottish Government selling the sea bed off cheaply and not using the money to invest in new energies.”
“Therefore, over time, floating offshore wind would give Scotland an innate advantage, not least because turbines could be located to take advantage of different wind directions, so that, when the wind was not blowing in one direction, the floating turbines could be relocated to the most efficacious location for generation. The Hywind project was the world’s first commercial array of floating offshore wind turbines, and I am indebted to my friend Halfdan Brustad of Equinor for ensuring that some work for part of that project came to Global Energy, although I question how much of the value will accrue to Scotland over time in the form of renewables.”
“When I had the privilege of being Scotland’s energy minister, for five years from 2011, I was honoured, during a visit to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, to breakfast with the great Norwegian Fred Olsen. He gave me some advice that helped to shape our then policy and that has remained with me. He explained that, because Scotland has deeper waters than those in the south of England, we would find over time that the cost of constructing offshore wind farms would be far greater if they were fixed to the sea bed, because that sea bed is deeper in Scotland than in the south of England.”
“Although she supports development of our renewable resources, does the cabinet secretary agree that, in order to have a functioning electricity system, every country needs a variety of sources of generation? Indeed, it was Sir Winston Churchill who said that, when it comes to electricity supply, the solution is “variety and variety alone”. Gillian Martin: I cannot disagree with any of that. In particular, I feel that hydro power has been a very overlooked generator in the past. Neighbouring countries—in particular, Norway— have placed a great deal of importance on hydro power and are very energy secure in a way that other countries are not. However, that does not mean that there should be wholesale acceptance of all the technologies that are out there. I am setting out the Scottish Government’s vision in relation to new nuclear.”
“I visited Colonsay a couple of years ago to hear about the project there and to see the direct investment in housing that is making such a positive impact on the local community, and that is not to mention that the sector is worth £1.1 billion and supports more than 12,000 jobs both directly and across the wider supply chain. We recognise the contribution that aquaculture makes to Scotland and our national economy. The Presiding Officer: Question 5 has been withdrawn. Cervical Cancer Screening Rates 6.”
“Mowi is an exemplar of investment in the remote Highlands and Islands. It has already massively invested in the isle of Colonsay and supported the people there with housing and broadband. It has exciting plans to bring people back to the island of Sanda and to bring back housing, the hotel, yacht moorings and tourism. Should we not be encouraging that as it is the lead company investing in parts of Scotland where there are no other jobs, no other opportunities and, currently, no people at all? Mairi Gougeon: In response to that, I say that the Scottish Government of course recognises that aquaculture is a significant contributor to our rural economy, particularly when we consider our rural and island communities. Fergus Ewing mentioned the example of Colonsay.”
“Beat also supports family and friends to ensure that they are equipped with the skills to look after their loved ones. In addition, Beat advocates to increase knowledge of eating disorders among healthcare staff and other relevant professionals. When people have the courage to come forward, it is important that they get the right help in the right place at the right time. I hope that the minister’s summing-up speech will provide the Scottish Government with an opportunity to indicate the position that it is taking, not least as we need to see much more focus on the issue brought to the fore at a national level. We all want to ensure that every individual who has such an issue is supported, and that they and their families can support one another together and live free of eating disorders. 18:22”
“It is salient to mention that eating disorders do not affect only the person who has the condition. Friends and family often become carers, with many feeling helpless and heartbroken as they watch their loved one struggle with the disorder. Eating disorders are one of the largest mental health challenges of our time. Such disorders are about so much more than just food—image, social media and many other issues are in the mix. They can also be a coping mechanism for broader and more complicated issues that have progressed. Beat, which was formerly known as the Eating Disorders Association, does extremely strong and positive work in that regard, and its national helpline encourages and empowers people to seek support and advice. As we have heard, ensuring that individuals get support for their illness is vitally important.”
“We are aware that—as that radio programme highlighted—a number of schools are finding that girls are now not using their facilities because of what may happen in those facilities, and that that is having an effect on them when it comes to eating. The Government should look at that, and I whole-heartedly agree with Fergus Ewing’s comments in his intervention. As I said, eating disorders are underreported, which may be due to people feeling that their GP may not know how to help them with what is happening. We have heard this evening about the charity Beat and the work that it does, which I whole-heartedly support. We know that eating disorders, which come in many forms, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder, as well as lesser-known conditions, are often misunderstood, mislabelled or even undiagnosed.”
“Is the member aware of last week’s Radio 4 programme that highlighted that many children, in particular those in secondary school, and especially—although not exclusively—females, are afraid, for various reasons, to use the lavatories and toilet facilities in schools to the point that some of them refrain from eating and drinking for the whole day? One mother who contributed to the programme said that that had triggered an eating disorder in her daughter, which had very serious complications for her. Does the member believe that the Government should look at that issue when it is consulting on changing the separate and same-sex provision of toilets in schools? Alexander Stewart: I thank Fergus Ewing for that intervention—he makes a valid point.”
“Following spirited discussions, whatever our other disagreements, the Scottish Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and Alba have indicated that they can support the budget, which is very welcome. I thank them for their pragmatic approach, which sees the budget contributing towards their priorities. This is a budget to improve services, tackle child poverty and bring new opportunities, but Labour, so far, will not back it. However, it is not enough to will the ends—we also have to will the means. [Interruption.] Would Anas Sarwar like to intervene? [Interruption.] He needs to put his card in first— dearie me.”
“We know that the Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee, is leading that initiative. How much does she expect it to save in this financial year? Shona Robison: That will depend on the invest to save proposals that come in to ministers, which Ivan McKee and colleagues will look at. They will be scored, essentially, against what they will deliver in terms of savings. At that point, we will be able to set out what that investment will deliver. I am sure that Ivan McKee will be very happy to keep Stephen Kerr and others updated on the detail of that, and I am sure that Mr Kerr will continue to be interested in it. As I have said before, in order to see the benefits of this year’s Scottish budget, the Parliament must now vote for it.”
“It is one part of the journey to net zero, but it is an important part nonetheless. The budget delivers £21.7 billion of investment in health and social care services and takes funding to a record level. We understand that challenges remain and that extra support is needed. That is why almost £200 million is being provided to reduce waiting times and support the reduction of delayed discharge. The budget also recognises the importance of local government and provides local authorities with a funding package of more than £15 billion in 2025-26, which is a record level of investment for local government. Investment in public services must go hand in hand with reform, which is why I am making available nearly £30 million in 2025-26 to advance reform and enable future savings. Stephen Kerr: The cabinet secretary mentioned invest to save.”
“I understand that, as of last summer, the overall value of grants issued by the heat in public buildings fund was £99,348,000 for works that were valued at £116 million. In other words, 85 per cent of the work was grant aided. In most cases, the cost of the grant just for heating and insulating the building was more than the building was worth. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that is an egregious waste of money that should come to an end? Shona Robison: Two points are important. First, we need to ensure that buildings are insulated and that the bills for running them are kept as low as possible, which is what the heat in buildings programme seeks to do. Secondly, that work is part of meeting our climate obligations, which the Government considers very important indeed.”
“That the internal market act can be used on a whim by the UK Government to harm Scottish businesses and undermine the will of the Scottish Parliament without democratic accountability shows that it is a flawed piece of legislation. Any UK Government that respected devolution would immediately repeal the act. 15:56”
“Will Lorna Slater take an intervention? Lorna Slater: I will take one during my closing speech. I have only four minutes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ms Slater indeed has only four minutes. Lorna Slater: I know that there was significant concern among members of the Scottish Parliament about the uncertainty for Scottish businesses that was caused by that delay, and that there was devastation for the people who lost their jobs as a result of that ultimate refusal. There is a slew of correspondence between the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and the UK Government, repeatedly asking UK ministers to appear before the committee to explain themselves. The UK Government refused on every occasion.”
“When will the Scottish Government bring forward a full debate on the provision of safe spaces for women, especially those who are required to disrobe in connection with their work, such as health employees? Neil Gray: I have already set out that I expect all public bodies, including health boards, to comply with legislation and the guidance that is in place to ensure that all employees can safely go about their work and do so in a way that meets their needs. University Hospital Wishaw 6.”