Dawn Black
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Ensuring that Scotland’s communities remain safe places to live in is absolutely crucial, which is why we must invest in early intervention to target those who are at risk of engaging in crime. Can the minister advise how that is reflected as a priority in the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling knife crime?”
“Education programmes on the danger and unacceptability of carrying a knife, such as YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives, Better Lives initiative, have provided information to hundreds of front-line practitioners who are particularly engaged with young people.”
“Every child’s day should start with a nutritious meal. We know that that benefits their learning experience and that wraparound care aims to accommodate parents’ working hours. Will the cabinet secretary outline the role of breakfast clubs in supporting Scotland’s families amid the cost of living crisis?”
“Despite Scotland’s vast energy resources, energy policy remains reserved to the UK Government, meaning that the benefits of our energy wealth are not felt by the Scottish people. What assessment has the minister made of that lack of control and the impact on Scotland’s economy, fuel security and natural environment?”
“The high rates of inflation in recent years, which are thanks to Westminster economic mismanagement, have had a huge knock-on effect on the Scottish budget. Does the minister agree that that makes a clear case for the block grant in Scotland to be inflation proofed, to prevent the erosion of Scotland’s funding?”
“The fact that the block grant remains linked to the UK Government’s spending decisions means that Scotland’s funding can increase or decrease regardless of Scotland’s needs and priorities. I repeat that we are playing the game with both hands tied behind our back.”
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“Education programmes on the danger and unacceptability of carrying a knife, such as YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives, Better Lives initiative, have provided information to hundreds of front-line practitioners who are particularly engaged with young people. Of course, there are consequences when offences are committed, but the final element of our approach is sustained school and community engagement with young people, for instance through Police Scotland’s youth volunteers, to ensure that we have a focus on prevention and creating responsible citizens.”
“Ensuring that Scotland’s communities remain safe places to live in is absolutely crucial, which is why we must invest in early intervention to target those who are at risk of engaging in crime. Can the minister advise how that is reflected as a priority in the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling knife crime? Kirsten Oswald: I am grateful to Dawn Black for her focus on the vital importance of our communities being and feeling like safe places to live in. We know that the consequences of knife crime can be devastating. That is why we continue to invest in violence prevention programmes and, in particular, in early intervention programmes that are aimed at children and young people.”
“With up to an extra hour of care for children being provided at the beginning of the day, the policy also helps parents and carers through the cost of living crisis by allowing them to take up employment or increase their working hours.”
“Every child’s day should start with a nutritious meal. We know that that benefits their learning experience and that wraparound care aims to accommodate parents’ working hours. Will the cabinet secretary outline the role of breakfast clubs in supporting Scotland’s families amid the cost of living crisis? Màiri McAllan: In an earlier response, I mentioned that there are co-benefits to universal breakfast club provision across our primary and special schools. We know that, in order to learn well, children must eat well. Although most children can rely on doing so, many cannot, so such meals will provide a nutritional start to the day.”
“This place is much better placed to have powers over energy, and that is why this Parliament voted for that. SPSO (Complaints Allocation) 2.”
“Despite Scotland’s vast energy resources, energy policy remains reserved to the UK Government, meaning that the benefits of our energy wealth are not felt by the Scottish people. What assessment has the minister made of that lack of control and the impact on Scotland’s economy, fuel security and natural environment? Stephen Gethins: Dawn Black is right. Like me, and unlike those who have questioned me previously, she believes that those powers should be in this Parliament. We consistently get criticism about policy that was pursued by Westminster. Scotland’s vast energy resources have contributed £400 billion to the Treasury, with very little back, and the energy profits levy puts the just transition at risk and accelerates the decline in oil and gas before renewables are ready.”
“The fact that the block grant remains linked to the UK Government’s spending decisions means that Scotland’s funding can increase or decrease regardless of Scotland’s needs and priorities. I repeat that we are playing the game with both hands tied behind our back.”
“The high rates of inflation in recent years, which are thanks to Westminster economic mismanagement, have had a huge knock-on effect on the Scottish budget. Does the minister agree that that makes a clear case for the block grant in Scotland to be inflation proofed, to prevent the erosion of Scotland’s funding? Hannah Mary Goodlad: We recognise the significant pressures that inflation has put on public finances in recent years, and we understand the importance of ensuring that Scotland’s funding keeps pace with rising costs. However, that situation also highlights the wider limitations of our current fiscal framework, which, as I said, does not provide the Scottish Government with the necessary flexibility to respond effectively to economic shocks, especially towards the end of the year.”
“When interventions are timely, we create stronger families, calmer classrooms and a more productive society. It is time for Scotland to commit to a comprehensive whole-system approach, and it is time to invest in our neurodivergent citizens, unlocking their potential and saving their lives. 18:14”
“We are locking away immense talent, creativity and potential as undiagnosed and post-diagnosis neurodivergent people are left without the support that they need, leading to lost productivity and preventable unemployment. We are choosing a reactive, crisis-driven system instead of investing in a proactive and preventative support-based system. That status quo is counterproductive and cruel. We must standardise multifaceted diagnostic support pathways across all NHS health boards and health and social care partnerships so that a person’s geography does not dictate their access to the care that they need. We must also elevate neurodivergence out of the shadows, because it is not an illness to be cured but a spectrum of human difference that requires targeted and timely support.”
“They need support through the whole process of diagnosis, from realising that there might be something to investigate to the waiting time for the investigation and the post- diagnosis period. Support is needed even if the threshold for diagnosis is not met, because there was clearly something that made the person take that route of investigation in the first place. I have heard from people whose children are diagnosed that they recognise traits in themselves and then seek diagnosis as an older adult. When they get that diagnosis, they discover that there is little support out there for older adults, because most support services concentrate on family support for children, which leaves older adults floundering.”
“During their 20s, they both found themselves in crisis and it was only at the suggestion of their respective counsellors that they realised that autism might be the root cause of their issues with coping in their environments. For one of them, it explained so much about the struggles that they had during high school and it even explained their challenging behaviour as a toddler and young child. Girls are frequently misdiagnosed due to their presenting differently from boys, which is because they are so good at masking, and they are typically diagnosed much later and into their 20s—I could go off on a tangent about how that is discriminatory towards women. The cost to the mental health of those individuals and their families should not be underestimated.”
“It should not be necessary to have an existing mental health diagnosis to even be able to access the pathway for an ADHD or autism diagnosis—that is fuelling the unmanageable waiting lists. With diagnosis, coping mechanisms and strategies can be put in place and catered for, including sound-cancelling headphones to prevent overwhelm or stimming devices to occupy hands. The recent review by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which has already been referred to, warns that, without dedicated neurodevelopmental diagnostic pathways that cover ADHD and autism together, individuals will be pushed into overstretched mental health and justice systems, showing up only when they have already reached a crisis state. I know that all too well, because two of my adult children have experienced it.”
“That is not helped by local health and social care partnerships, including the Aberdeenshire health and social care partnership in my constituency, completely stopping adult diagnosis pathways to make budget savings. Children, adults and working professionals are having to wait months and, in some cases, years just to understand how their brains work. What happens when people are left without a diagnosis? Navigating a world that is built for neurotypical people without proper tools and coping mechanisms causes deep psychological strain, frequently leading to mental breakdowns and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide. Without early intervention, neurodivergent individuals are frequently misdiagnosed with general mental health issues and end up receiving treatments that fail to address their core needs.”
“I thank Helen McDade for bringing this members’ business debate to the chamber. It is such an important subject, and I applaud her for putting it forward, considering the negative and derogatory views of neurodiversity that have been expressed by some of those higher up in her party. The true cost of undiagnosed ADHD and autism in Scotland is not merely a line on a national health service budget sheet; it is a compounding mental health and economic crisis. The cost of failing our neurodivergent community is not only a personal tragedy for the individuals and families who are affected, but a monumental failure of our societal infrastructure and a drain on our economy.”
“Transport Scotland’s tier 1 bus infrastructure funding needs to be used by regional transport partnerships and local authorities to increase remote connectivity, which is vital alongside making buses affordable. Those are the prerequisites if we are to achieve the national transport strategy’s goals of cutting carbon emissions, reducing our reliance on cars and bringing our rural and urban economies closer together. Let us commit to creating a Scotland where reliable, affordable bus travel is not only a temporary pilot project, but a permanent reality for everyone. 16:06”
“Even if they have a seizure only once every few months, they cannot get behind the wheel. Moreover, neurodivergence can prevent some from learning, or it can take them a longer time to learn, which can be cost prohibitive. That brings me to the issue of cost. The cost of learning to drive puts it out of reach for many people, and for those who do pass their test, the fact is that cars are expensive to buy and run, given the current skyrocketing of fuel prices, vehicle tax and the exorbitant insurance that so many people cannot afford. I agree with Lloyd Melville, Willie Rennie and Graham Simpson that we need more accessible public transport—a truly representative network that connects all communities—to make buses a viable option for our rural population as well as those living in our urban areas.”
“The matter is one of equal opportunity, as regular and reliable public transport makes it possible for those who cannot drive to get about and access town and city centres. It is generally taken for granted that the majority of people are capable of driving, but there are myriad reasons why a good proportion of the population cannot do that. Age is one such reason, with young people relying on their parents for transport, and people losing their ability to drive in older age, with the loss of the independence that comes with that. There are also medical reasons why people cannot drive, such as loss of sight or blindness, or conditions such as epilepsy—or, indeed, any form of non-epileptic seizure. A person cannot legally drive if they have had a seizure in the previous 12 months.”
“Small-town circular services are pretty much a thing of the past, and people connect to the main cities mainly through a hub-and-spoke model— which, as Willie Rennie and others have pointed out, involves routes being cherry picked. People have to go into the hub to connect and make their journey back out to their destination. Because buses between small towns and villages are few and far between, there is a disproportionate amount of transport poverty in rural areas such as my constituency of Angus North and Mearns, where people might have to travel miles before they even get to a bus route. That said, the introduction of Ember buses has had a hugely positive impact in Angus and Aberdeenshire.”
“That is exactly why the push for fairer, capped and affordable fares is critical. We have seen the tangible difference that has been made as a result of the trial of the regional £2 bus fare cap pilot across the Highlands, Argyll and Bute and our island communities. By capping exorbitant rural fares at just £2, we are putting money back into people’s pockets, and giving them their time back. We are replacing a prohibitive cost-of-living burden with a simple, practical and accessible transport alternative. The evidence is clear: when public transport works well and is priced fairly, it gives communities a new lease of life. However, as has been mentioned by others, and as the cabinet secretary has acknowledged, the same right to public transport is not afforded to those who live in small towns and rural areas.”
“Through the SNP Scottish Government’s commitment to the future, we are providing entirely free bus travel to everyone over the age of 60, those with eligible disabilities, and all children and young people under 22. That is a total of 2.3 million Scots who can hop on a bus without reaching for a penny, thus saving families money. However, we cannot stop there. The reality for working adults and families who fall outside those brackets is that, because the daily commute in my area can cost upwards of £15 a day—which often amounts to more than an hour or two of wages— people are forced into their cars. It is cheaper to drive and pay parking fees, especially if family members travel together. That is not just an economic penalty on working families—it is a hurdle to our environmental ambitions.”
“I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency-approved driving instructor and a serving councillor in Aberdeenshire. I should also say that members might have a little bit of déjà vu, as my speech echoes quite a few of the views that have already been stated, especially those of Lloyd Melville. When we talk about public transport, we are talking about not just buses, timetables and ticket prices, but freedom: the basic fundamental right to connect, get to work, attend school, access healthcare, socialise and see loved ones. We are making immense strides in that respect. Scotland boasts the most generous concessionary travel scheme of anywhere in the UK.”
“It employs 16 people, who, along with 112 volunteers, deliver 32 educational, health and sporting programmes that serve more than 6,000 participants annually, and it has invested almost £850,000 locally since 2012. That is a record of which to be proud—it is an organisation to be encouraged and championed, and it is just one of many. We need to be supporting such organisations with multiyear funding so that they can plan ahead and have stability for both the programmes that they currently deliver, and that they aspire to deliver, in their mission to help people to live happier, healthier lives, built on inclusion, connection and purpose.”
“Its services range from football coaching for youngsters and walking football for those who are less able, to Montrose connections, its dementia service, and the “breakfast in a box” free breakfast club, alongside household budget advice, an international speaking club for those for whom English is a second language and the trust’s latest initiative, the midlife matters programme for women who are experiencing menopause. Significantly, it is ambitious to do far more, with its Gable End project to provide the dedicated dementia centre that Montrose and the surrounding area deserves. The impact that the trust has locally cannot be overestimated.”
“Those in the third sector, whether they be national organisations or local initiatives, Scottish charitable incorporated organisations or social enterprises, are delivering services that are vital to the wellbeing of our local communities. Some will be managing to employ staff, but many also rely on the good will of volunteers, and some are run solely by volunteers. Those organisations, no matter what their focus is, all have one thing in common: to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of the communities they serve so that folk can live healthier and happier lives. An example is Montrose Community Trust at Links Park stadium in my constituency of Angus North and Mearns, which I had the pleasure of visiting during the recent election campaign.”
“I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as I am a serving councillor on Aberdeenshire Council and chair of the charity Kincardine and Mearns Youth Clubs. I welcome the debate on improving and strengthening the Scottish Government’s relationship with third sector partners; I suggest that it is long overdue, and that some of our local authorities could perhaps be encouraged to follow the approach. I also welcome the supportive tone of the cabinet secretary’s statement. Increasingly, public services are reliant on the third sector to deliver the services that the public sector cannot deliver as a result of budget and capacity constraints.”
“No one knows their place as well as the people who live there. Harnessing that expertise, as the Our Union Street campaign is doing, is leading to the excellent, tangible results that we are seeing.”
“I welcome the Scottish Government’s ongoing support for the regeneration of Aberdeen and the north-east. Does the minister share my view that community-led regeneration initiatives such as the Our Union Street campaign demonstrate the power of local people to shape the future of their neighbourhoods and that they deserve our full backing here and elsewhere? Tom Arthur: I concur entirely with Dawn Black. A powerful point that cannot be stressed enough is the importance of community-led regeneration. Empowering communities and giving them national support is a fundamentally different approach from what prevailed in decades past, when things were done to communities. Community-led regeneration is not just good in terms of engaging communities in the here and now—it leads to better outcomes.”
“Offshore Energies UK has warned that North Sea energy infrastructure should be designated critical national infrastructure and, as such, should be guarded by the navy and air force to protect against potential Russian attacks. The Westminster United Kingdom Government has failed for years to properly invest in adequate defence provision in our North Sea, leaving our energy infrastructure vulnerable. Does the First Minister agree that it is urgent that additional defence investment is directed towards the North Sea as a priority? Will he join me in calling on the Westminster Government to do so?”
“We need call-outs for adult community engagement and welcoming community groups so that people can contribute to their places. We need to ensure signposting to support services for all and we need to help those support services to provide appropriate intervention through adequate funding to keep doors open. As parliamentarians and community leaders, we have a responsibility to lead the charge, in our work here in this place and at committee, in support of our local communities, as leaders, neighbours and friends. 17:49”
“Understanding and compassion can go a long way. As Carol Mochan mentioned, people need to be helped to get the support services that they need. That is a major issue when many public support services are being cut by local authorities because of budget constraints. Yes, we need more police presence for prevention, but we can also use civic education in schools to instil good values in our young people. We also need better support and social services for the prevention and intervention piece with adults. If we tackle the root causes of antisocial behaviour, the impacts can be lessened. We need more universal youth clubs, such as the charity that I run. Young people need to have constructive and safe places to go where they can socialise and learn social responsibility without being judged.”
“We need to give people purpose and encourage them to take an active role in their communities, because people who have pride in their place are far more likely to look after that place and their neighbours. I believe that the perpetrators of such behaviour are often victims themselves. They might find themselves in a spiral of behaviour from which they just do not know how to extricate themselves. When people are reported as problem neighbours, what is going on in their lives that is making them act in the way that they do? Perhaps a friendly ear and a listening for support are what is needed rather than hostility and complaints. Behaviour, good or bad, comes from how a person is coping with their personal situation, and none of us knows for sure what has happened in a person’s life to trigger such behaviours.”
“Mr Beattie concentrated on antisocial behaviour among young people but, from the police reports that I see in my local area, it seems that there is actually more antisocial behaviour coming from adults. Drunken and abusive behaviour in the street and on public transport, waste accumulation in gardens, which attracts vermin, and neighbourhood noise, arguments and fighting are all issues that are regularly reported to me by constituents. I do not want to stand here and be accusatory of any particular group; I want to balance the debate that we are having this evening. Antisocial behaviour has negative impacts where it happens, but we need to encourage all members of our communities, whether they be young or old, to take pride in the place where they live and to have consideration for their neighbours.”
“There is also the strain on police and public resources, with police leaders consistently warning that the high numbers of low- level complaints about issues such as public nuisance, vandalism and underage drinking can divert valuable resources away from tackling more serious crimes. Widespread antisocial behaviour, including fire- raising, off-road biking, irresponsible riding of illegal e-scooters and littering in derelict and rural areas, can generate a widespread fear of crime, making residents feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods and discouraging people from fully utilising their local amenities. We need strategies that prioritise early intervention and more foot patrols, rather than relying solely on criminal justice outcomes.”
“I point to my entry in the register of interests, which shows that I am the chair of the Kincardine and Mearns Youth Clubs charity. We all know that antisocial behaviour can impact local communities through severe psychological distress, increased strain on police and public resources, and the degradation of town centres and housing estates, as has been mentioned. The most profound effect is the long-term impact on the mental and physical health of the victims. Noise nuisance, harassment and intimidation cause sleep deprivation and severe anxiety and make residents change their daily routines to avoid known trouble spots.”
“However, in Finland, for example, there are 308 municipalities with a median of just 6,000 residents. That is truly local. Although they are overseen by 19 regional councils that handle broader regional planning and development, the municipalities have a much higher degree of autonomy, as well as the power to levy local taxes. It means that all local decisions are truly local and made by people living and working in the space that the decisions impact, which is similar to what we had before 1996. As we look to transform our public services, we must change the way in which things are done, work with our communities and empower them to ensure the provision of public services that fulfil their needs. 16:12”
“It stretches from Braemar in the west, in the Cairngorms national park, to St Cyrus at its most southern coastal point, and to Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Banff on the north coast, and each of those places has vastly different needs. Economies of scale for procurement and management structures might be a justification for such large authorities, but they do not serve local communities well. We cannot expect change in our local government and public services from just tinkering around the edges. We must be bold and radical in our thinking. I suggest that we look north to the model that is set by our Scandinavian neighbours, where local authorities truly are local. Since 1996, in Scotland, we have had 32 local authorities, averaging a population size of around 175,000.”
“For that to happen, the culture needs to change. It is necessary to ensure that there is buy-in at all levels of Government and local authority delivery, and we will achieve that by breaking free of entrenched ways of working and listening to the staff and volunteers who work at the coal face. I also question whether our local authorities are truly local—as my colleague Alyn Smith has already said, many are geographically so large that they cannot possibly be. To be frank, many of our local authorities are just too vast. Aberdeenshire—part of which makes up the northern part of my constituency, and where I am a councillor—has an area of 2,437 square miles, yet that is just the fourth-largest local authority in the country.”
“However, they are all too often marginalised or ignored by public authorities, and there needs to be far more respect for their contributions to local life and services. Those contributions often come from places of lived experience and concentrate on early intervention and prevention, without which many vital community services would, quite frankly, collapse. We also need to recognise that, rightly or wrongly, a pound in the hands of the third sector goes much further than when spent by either the Government or the local authority. It is vital to understand that a one-size-fits-all approach just does not work. Every place has its own needs, foibles and quirks that need to be taken account of as we make decisions on legislation, guidance and delivery. Place must be taken account of and be respected.”
“However, it is the people and the communities that make those places extra special—communities that are proud and passionate about their places. I have been proud to represent those communities as a community activist through my local business association and community council to becoming a local councillor in Aberdeenshire Council and now here in the Parliament. I move to the essence of this debate. In the face of rising demand for public services and public finance pressures, there must be more partnership working. There is currently far too much duplication. More needs to be done to share services and there needs to be a willingness to work more collaboratively and efficiently—to work smarter. It must be acknowledged that people who work and volunteer in communities and the third sector are experts in their fields.”
“Just down the road is Forfar, home of the delicious Forfar bridie and historically a major manufacturing hub for linen and jute and home to Ramsay Ladders. On the coastal southernmost point of the constituency is Montrose, with its working port that is so vital for offshore support to the oil and gas industry and the emerging renewables industry through offshore wind maintenance and support operations. It also has the impressive Montrose basin, which is the largest inland saltwater basin in the UK and attracts more than 100,000 migratory birds every year. All those places are beautiful and quintessentially characteristic of the north-east of Scotland, from the North Sea to the mountains of the Cairngorms.”
“There is the Howe o’ the Mearns, which was the home of one of Scotland’s most famous and loved writers, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, who had a love of the land and the earth and the communities that worked on it, which were so evocatively depicted in the Doric of “Sunset Song” and the other books of “A Scots Quair”. The rich agricultural heritage of the Mearns and Strathmore that he depicted lives on and is vital for our country’s food security. There are the Angus glens of Glen Esk, Lee, Lethnot and Ogil, each of which is stunning in its own right. They lead up to the Cairngorms national park, which includes the easternmost Munro, Mount Keen. There is the small city of Brechin, which is rich in medieval heritage and the birthplace of Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the inventor of radar.”
“She brought an incredible energy to her roles and I can only hope to match that. As many of my colleagues have done in their first speeches, I claim my constituency as the best constituency in Scotland. It is a constituency that has a bit of everything, from incredible beaches and historic fishing harbours to market towns, an industrial port, a small city, beautiful glens and a Munro. I moved to Stonehaven, in the north of the constituency, at the age of 13 when my family’s circumstances and my father’s job brought him to work in Aberdeen as part of the oil boom in the mid-1980s. It is in my soul and, despite having spent some time living overseas, it is and always will be home. At the constituency’s most northerly point stands the iconic Dunnottar castle, as well as the historic Stonehaven auld toon and harbour.”
“I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am a councillor in Aberdeenshire Council. It is an absolute pleasure to be here, in this chamber, representing the people of Angus North and Mearns. I thank the hard-working activists that did so much in the campaign to ensure my election and those who placed their trust in me. I also pay tribute to my predecessor, Mairi Gougeon, who represented this constituency for 10 years as well as serving as the Minister for Public Health and Sport and, latterly, as the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands. From steering through historic land reform legislation to leading significant agricultural reform, Mairi demonstrated the power of kindness and respect in politics while always striving to build consensus across the chamber.”
“That means supporting staff to move into priority roles, including in areas such as the Highlands, where HMP Highland will replace HMP Inverness. That includes targeted local recruitment, outreach with partners and encouraging experienced staff to transfer, thereby ensuring both community benefit and a safe, resilient service. Farmers and Producers (UK and EU Markets) 3.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for the detail that he has already given, but could he also outline what more can be done to use the public service reform agenda to encourage staff to move outside the central belt and into other regions and areas where they are needed, such as to the new HMP Inverness, which will require an increase in staff? Ivan McKee: Public service reform gives us the tools to better match staff to where they are most needed, and the strategy includes commitments on strengthening leadership and on workforce reform to ensure that we have the right number of people in the right roles with the right incentives and empowerment to deliver change. The forthcoming workforce management governance framework will include good-practice guidance on recruitment and redeployment.”
“Hannah Mary Goodlad: As I have said a couple of times, the first step will involve a comprehensive meeting with business leaders from across the portfolio on six priority areas—leisure, hospitality, tourism et cetera—to ensure that we gather views, that I listen and that we understand the asks and the offer; to ensure that Scotland is a place where business is welcomed; and to give predictability, stability and, ultimately, the ability to grow the economy. That meeting will be happening just before the summer as we take forward the review, through the recess into August and beyond. Local Authority Pay Negotiations 2.”
“It is welcome that the minister has given a clear commitment to consider carefully what improvements the Government could make as quickly as possible to ensure that all businesses can continue to invest, rather than have issues arising with business rates impeding their success. Will the minister expand on the steps that the Scottish Government will be taking, as part of the process, to engage with business stakeholders more widely, outwith hospitality, to ensure that their voices, too, inform any decisions made?”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of the business plan for the A90/A937 Laurencekirk junction improvement scheme, including when it expects the scheme to move from the development pipeline to the delivery pipeline. (S7O-00024)”
“I will discuss the extent to which such exemptions will need to be reflected in the legislation. The policy that James Gillespie’s high school produced was clear and concise, and it explicitly stated that exemptions would be considered on a case-by-case basis.”