Murdo Fraser
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“This has been quite a lively debate so far. I might take a slightly more sympathetic approach to Reform than other colleagues who have spoken. To be fair to Reform members, they have been on a steep learning curve in relation to how they approach debates in the Parliament.”
“After all the promises that were made about Reform members coming in to shake this place up, they cannot even get the basics right. If these are the foxes in the hen house, the chickens will be sleeping pretty safely tonight. That seems reflected in Reform’s most recent electoral performances.”
“I will make what I hope is a constructive suggestion, which is that it would be more helpful to have a debate on any one of those topics to allow us time to discuss the issues in detail. We will all be here for another five years, so Angela Ross should not fire all her bullets at once.”
“Murdo Fraser: I will give way in a second. The only things that have been left out are the NHS and justice. Virtually every topic in the remit of the Parliament is covered in the motion, as are some topics that are not in the remit of the Parliament.”
“Most significantly of all, we had a superb Conservative victory in the Aberdeen South constituency, with my good friend Douglas Lumsden winning just shy of 50 per cent of the vote—a massive swing from the SNP. Reform received just 2,478 votes, or 8.6 per cent of the total.”
“He will know that there is a necessity in the case of individual judgments for those involved to consider whether there is any basis on which an appeal should be mounted in a particular case.”
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“Just in the past year, the Scottish National Investment Bank, which was created by this SNP Government, supported more than 3,000 jobs and £168 million of supply chain spend in Scotland. The Techscaler programme that was created by this Government supported almost 1,700 individuals, representing more than 1,200 start-up and scale-up businesses. Over £500 million of investment in net zero, which was committed by this SNP Government, will unlock infrastructure and manufacturing facilities that are critical to growing the offshore wind sector. There is much that we can be positive about.”
“Will the minister take an intervention? Ivan McKee: I do not think that I have time. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There is no time in hand—it is up to the member. Ivan McKee: Be very quick. Murdo Fraser: If what the minister says is correct, why did Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli make the point in his report that was published just two weeks ago that, had the Scottish economy grown at the same rate as the UK economy, we would have an extra £1 billion in tax revenues to spend? Was he wrong? Ivan McKee: If we look back at the data for the most recent full year—that is, 2024—we will see that the Scottish economy grew faster than the UK economy as a whole. The latest figures show that Scotland’s unemployment is lower than that of the UK and that Scotland’s median monthly pay is higher.”
“We acknowledge that mistakes were made and that lessons must be learned. The decisions that were taken by the Government were entirely focused on fighting the pandemic and protecting the people of Scotland, but we will review the report in detail. As Murdo Fraser has said, it is a large report, and I fully accept that, in the space of 30 minutes, none of us in this room will have had time to digest it. I understand that other Governments were planning to issue lengthy written statements, but I do not believe that our parliamentary procedures would have allowed for that. It felt like the issue was too important just to be put into an answer to a parliamentary question, which is why I am here.”
“He will understand that we carefully considered the recommendations from the Martins review of the Scottish Government’s use of mobile messaging applications and non- corporate technology and that, on 20 June this year, a new policy came into effect that ended the use of mobile messaging applications to conduct Government business. Murdo Fraser talked about gold command meetings. As set out in our closing statement to the Covid inquiry, gold meetings were not convened to make decisions to apply or lift measures. In general, in response to the inquiry’s report, I would say that we are committed to learning lessons from the pandemic. We will consider all recommendations that are made in the module 2 report. I have already offered, and I repeat again, my deepest sympathies and condolences to the many thousands of people who lost loved ones.”
“Out of respect to them and all Scots, will the Government now commit to scheduling, after a suitable time has passed to allow the report to be digested, a full debate in the Parliament in Government time, so that we can properly discuss what is in the report? Kate Forbes: I suspect that, if I had not scheduled a statement, I would have been called to the chamber to give one, and I wanted to make myself available to all Opposition members as quickly as possible. I reassure Murdo Fraser and others that I am sure that there will be plenty of further opportunities for scrutiny and debate. On the issues that Murdo Fraser identified, he will understand many of the changes that have already been implemented, particularly after the report of module 1.”
“We now know that both she and the current First Minister, John Swinney, deliberately deleted WhatsApp messages, seemingly under official guidance, to dodge freedom of information requests in the future. They have taken no responsibility for those actions. Moreover, no minutes were kept of the gold command meetings between ministers and senior advisers. The Scottish inquiry counsel said that it is “difficult to understand what precisely the ultimate decision- making process is when there is no record of how those decisions were ultimately taken.” Shockingly, those gold command meetings were so secret that Kate Forbes herself told the inquiry that even she did not know that they were happening until a year after they started. The absurd boast that the Government is committed to transparency is an insult to those who lost loved ones.”
“I thank the Deputy First Minister for her statement and for advance sight of it. I echo her thanks to the inquiry chair and the team for the preparation of this very detailed report. That said, I wonder what the point was of scheduling the statement this afternoon. It is deeply disappointing that the statement was scheduled for a time just half an hour after the 800-page report was published, with no time for members to read—far less to digest— the very detailed information that is contained in it. That appears to be part of the pattern of secrecy and cover-up that was exposed by the inquiry. In 2021, the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, told journalists that nothing would be off limits in providing evidence to a public inquiry.”
“Without resources in place, the requirement to implement action plans might not be deliverable. The bill will achieve very little in itself. It will require resources to produce and deliver action plans, and unless we see implementation of those plans, it will make very little difference. If we want to see proper community wealth building, the bill is only a first step. Much more needs to be done if the promised benefits are to be delivered. 15:24”
“We need to see communities—that includes the local business community—being consulted and engaged. It is also important that unrepresentative bodies and voices are not allowed to dominate discussions. There is also the question of resources. Some witnesses told the committee that they have issues with the lack of estimates for the implementation costs of the action plans. There will be a resourcing issue for local authorities and other public bodies in drawing up those action plans, and those resources could be spent on delivery of measures, rather than bureaucracy. The minister, in giving evidence to the committee, acknowledged that the financial memorandum does not include the cost of implementation of those action plans. It is unclear at present what that cost would be or where those resources would come from.”
“Murdo Fraser: We can explore that as the bill progresses. I will say very clearly that I am not proposing a top-down approach to the setting of targets, because I entirely understand the minister’s point that they need to be set at a local level and, crucially, in consultation with stakeholders, including the business community. It is important that the local plans, when drawn up, include targets so that some ambition is baked into them. According to the FSB’s research, “Nearly three quarters of small businesses who bid for public contracts find the process ‘complex and challenging’”. That needs to change if we want to see the benefits of public sector spend supporting local businesses. Another point that was made in evidence to the committee was that community voices have to be engaged when local action plans are being devised.”
“However, our concern is that, without more concrete provisions, we are unlikely to see much progress being made. I will give some examples of how the bill might be improved. The Federation of Small Businesses has stated that, although it is supportive of community wealth building as a concept, the bill should include “statutory targets for procurement spending with local and small firms and standardised rules for reporting on that spend.” The FSB’s head of policy and external affairs warns: “Without clear benchmarks and transparency, there’s a real risk the Bill won’t deliver the change towns, villages and local businesses expect.” Ivan McKee: I addressed the point regarding specific targets in my opening remarks, but I would be interested to hear how Murdo Fraser envisages that such targets would operate and how he would set those targets, given the significant variation in economic base, size and scale across Scotland’s 32 local authorities.”
“That is fine, but it is already obvious that the bill might deliver very little in terms of practical outcomes. As the committee noted, the bill’s aims “could potentially be delivered through non-legislative means” without the necessity for a bill at all, because much of what it aims to do is already in the power of the Scottish Government. Moreover, the relevant public bodies that are listed in the bill are relatively few. Key public bodies are not on the list. That includes, for example, large landowners such as Forestry and Land Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland, ferry operators, Marine Scotland, ScotRail and the Scottish National Investment Bank. The Scottish Conservatives will support the bill at stage 1, because it is a useful step in the right direction.”
“Indeed, good work on developing community wealth building in different parts of Scotland by local authorities and others is already going on, as the committee heard in its evidence. That takes us to the second question: what is the point of the bill, and what will it achieve? On one level, the answer to that question has to be: not a great deal. Essentially, the bill will require Scottish ministers to prepare a national statement setting out the actions that it will take to reduce economic inequality and to support economic growth by ensuring that wealth is generated and retained in local and regional areas. It will also require public bodies, including local authorities, to produce and implement community wealth- building plans.”
“As the minister outlined, there are five pillars to community wealth building. They are spending, which involves maximising the benefits of public procurement; workforce, which involves increasing fair work and skills development opportunities; land and property, which involves ensuring that land and property are used to benefit communities, SMEs and the environment; inclusive ownership; and finance. For example, community wealth building is about better using the vast sums that are spent by public bodies to support more local businesses, employ local people and ensure that derelict properties are brought back into productive use. With that definition, I think that we can all conclude that community wealth building is a good thing, regardless of our different political perspectives.”
“I start by echoing the thanks of the committee convener to all those who gave evidence to the committee in relation to our stage 1 scrutiny. I also thank our clerking team, the Scottish Parliament information centre and my fellow committee members, who worked on a mostly consensual basis in agreeing a unanimous report, which I commend to the chamber. The first question that we have to address when looking at the bill is what community wealth building is. It is one of those terms, a bit like “wellbeing economy”, that is bandied around a lot but not easily understood. The committee’s report attempts to answer that question. Community wealth building seeks to utilise the economic impact of anchor organisations, which can be public, private or third sector, to stimulate and retain economic activity in a local area.”
“On targets, our perspective as a Government is that those targets are best set locally, not least because each local area will have a different dynamic around what it wants to include, largely due to the size of the local area. Smaller local authority areas will have less scope for procuring in that local authority area than others will. We think that the targets are best set centrally, but the guidance that we will bring forward will indicate that local authorities and community wealth building partnerships should seek to include those local targets as appropriate.”
“The minister mentioned procurement, so I wonder whether he agrees with the comments from the Federation of Small Businesses that, for the bill to be effective, targets should be included in the community wealth building plans for each public body and local authority, and that there should be targets for the amount of public spend in local economies. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back for that, Mr McKee. Ivan McKee: That is a very fair question. Mr Fraser will know that I have had extensive engagement with the FSB on this issue. I have met its representatives face to face to talk through its proposals on the more general issue of procurement, which it is very interested in, and on thresholds. We are taking forward that work through a separate consultation, which has been launched.”
“I move amendment S6M-19756.1, to leave out from “, with better” to end and insert: “; believes that this must be underpinned by a demand- led skills system that equips young people with the qualifications that employers need to grow Scotland’s economy; notes that the Scottish National Party administration has failed to pass on over £170 million of Apprenticeship Levy funding and has provided around 10,000 fewer apprenticeship places than learning providers requested, contributing to a widening skills gap in key sectors including hospitality, construction, engineering and care; further notes that colleges have faced a 20% real- terms funding cut, leading to job losses, falling student numbers and financial instability, and calls for urgent reform to invest in colleges, fix Scotland’s broken apprenticeship system, address skills shortages and allow local employers to shape training that matches their workforce needs.” 15:19”
“Data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs shows that at least £875 million was raised by the apprenticeship levy between 2020 and 2024, but, in the same period, only £704 million was spent on apprenticeships in Scotland. If we are serious about supporting apprenticeships, that apprenticeship levy money needs to come back into the sector and not disappear into the SNP’s black hole. This week, we set out our plans for a demand- led system for skills and apprenticeships. Those plans are covered in my amendment, which I am pleased to move.”
“Unless that trend can be reversed, we will continue to see an issue whereby our skills offer does not meet the needs of the population. Daniel Johnson rightly mentioned the apprenticeship levy. I am consistently told by employers in Scotland that they are being disadvantaged in comparison with employers south of the border. Kate Forbes: Will the member give way? Murdo Fraser: I think that I am in my last minute. The Deputy Presiding Officer: You are. Murdo Fraser: I apologise to the Deputy First Minister. Whereas employers in England can directly access those funds, that is not the case in Scotland. The latest data shows that the SNP is siphoning off £171 million from the apprenticeship levy to spend elsewhere in its budget.”
“The shortage is greatest in acute sectors such as construction and engineering, where there is substantial demand for a future workforce but not enough people are being trained. Investment in apprenticeships is money well spent. The evidence shows that, for every £1 of public money that is spent on training and apprenticeships, £10 is invested by employers, and that, for every £1 that is invested, between £4 and £5 is returned in tax. Just a few weeks ago, I led a debate in the chamber on funding for the college sector. According to Audit Scotland, there has been a 20 per cent real-terms reduction in funding for colleges over the past five years, which is causing significant issues in that sector, including redundancies, the cutting of courses and reductions in campuses.”
“We can see today the funding crisis that our colleges and universities are facing, and there is real concern that funding that currently goes into apprenticeships will be diverted into filling the black hole in funding for universities and colleges. As Daniel Johnson said, we know that far more apprenticeship places are sought than are funded. According to Skills Development Scotland, there is currently demand for 34,000 modern apprenticeship places annually, but, in the most recent year, funding was provided for just 25,000 places. That gap means that we are not meeting the needs of our economy. According to the Open University’s business barometer survey, 56 per cent of Scottish businesses are currently experiencing a skills shortage.”
“Every single stakeholder that we heard from said that the current system is not working, and that is why it needs to change. Ben Macpherson: I challenge Mr Fraser and colleagues on that. The current system is working very well for many people, including many employers and many learners. Is it necessary for us to continue to improve the system? Yes, but let us work collaboratively on that as a shared challenge. Murdo Fraser: I say to Mr Macpherson that he should go back and review the evidence to which I referred, because it gives a somewhat different picture. Part of my concern is that the Government’s focus is on structural reform and shifting apprenticeship funding into the Scottish Funding Council.”
“When I saw that it was to be Labour business today, I thought that Daniel Johnson might have chosen to debate next week’s tax rises by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or perhaps the communications strategy of 10 Downing Street towards his colleagues, but instead we are talking about skills. I very much welcome that, because there is much in the Labour motion that we agree with. Daniel Johnson is right in his basic proposition, because the simple fact is that Scotland’s skills and apprenticeship system is not working. It is not working for business, it is not working for the economy and it is not working for young people, who are being robbed of opportunities. I heard Mr Macpherson’s defence, but I say gently to him that he should look at the evidence that the Economy and Fair Work Committee took from stakeholders back in the spring.”
“It is perhaps a bit ironic that they are calling for more people to get the real living wage when it is not a policy that they have necessarily supported in the past. It is important that the UK budget and Scottish Government measures continue to support the promotion of the real living wage. Workers Camps (Highlands and Islands) 2.”
“The latest data shows that, actually, the number of people receiving the real living wage in Scotland is in decline and has been for years. In 2022, the figure was 90.6 per cent; it has now dropped to 88.6 per cent. The numbers are going downwards and not upwards. Rather than congratulating itself, will the Scottish Government take some action to support businesses that want to employ people and pay them the real living wage but are struggling to do so at the moment due to Scottish National Party policies? Richard Lochhead: As I said in my initial answer, the number of accredited employers has increased from 14 in 2014 to more than 4,000 today, and 72,000 workers benefit from that. We will continue to support the living wage agenda, which Conservative Party members have not always been the most enthusiastic about.”
“On the action that the Scottish Government will take, I was clear in my statement about our determination to convene a task force to phase in some of the work that we have been doing with Grangemouth, to identify some of the projects that have the most potential and to consider whether there is a future for them at Mossmorran. It is early days, but that work illustrates this Government’s determination to ensure that we protect the local community from the worst economic impacts of the decision.”
“It is our understanding that ExxonMobil has been in prolonged dialogue with the UK Government regarding the future of the site. The business has been clear with me that it recognises, as I have explicitly asked it to do, that the Scottish Government does not have the policy or fiscal levers to make a material difference to the economic fundamentals of the decision. The business has also been clear that the UK Government’s approach to carbon taxation and energy prices has had a fundamental bearing on the decision—members can read its comments. The UK Government must seriously reflect on the fact that its choices are having a fundamental impact on the livelihoods of people who live in Scotland. In order to respond well, we must understand what the root causes are, and I have just outlined them.”
“Rather than just putting the blame on the UK Government, as the cabinet secretary was doing in her statement, can she tell us what action the Scottish Government will take—for example, in its forthcoming budget—to create an economic environment in Scotland that will support industries such as this and avoid future, similar closures? Kate Forbes: I agree with Murdo Fraser’s comment on the impact on staff and I recognise the impact on the wider supply chain. We have secured agreement with the company to ensure that we have all the evidence and data that we need for a thorough economic analysis of what the impact will be. The Conservative Party is always quite quick to defend the Labour-run UK Government when there are such challenges. I prefer to look at the details that the company has given for why it has made the decision that it has.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for her statement and for advance sight of it. She is entirely correct to reference the body blow that the closure is, not just to the workforce directly employed at Mossmorran but to the wider supply chain across Fife and Scotland as a whole, with a threat to 400 high-value, highly skilled jobs. It comes on the back of the closure of Grangemouth refinery, which had a similar impact. Our industrial capacity in Scotland is being hollowed out, and the cabinet secretary cannot put all the blame for that on the UK Government. From both Governments, we have seen an environment that is hostile to the oil and gas sector, and the pursuit of a high-tax, low-growth agenda that is damaging both the economy and the business environment.”
“Yesterday, the United Kingdom Supreme Court issued a judgment in the cases of David Daly and Andrew Keir, which, while upholding their convictions, raises serious issues about the conduct of trials involving sexual offences. Legal experts say that the judgment could trigger multiple appeals by those who are convicted of sexual offences. The courts have a difficult task in balancing the need to protect complainants—usually women— from intrusive questioning about their behaviour, while also guaranteeing the accused a fair trial. How will the Scottish Government respond to the judgment?”
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“Secondly, we have the specific point that Murdo Fraser has raised, which is about the speed of disposal, which may be too quick for communities to have the option to get the best advice. I assure Murdo Fraser that advice and information are available through the Historic Environment Scotland website. As we heard from Claire Baker, there has been Historic Environment Scotland involvement with other community groups. If Murdo Fraser has specific issues about specific sites and communities, I would be grateful if he could forward those to me. I am having discussions with the Church of Scotland and other denominations to best understand what we can do, because, if the process is accelerating, that will present an even greater challenge—albeit, potentially, an opportunity—and we have to make our way through the process as well as we can.”
“I therefore encourage the cabinet secretary, if he is engaging with the Church of Scotland, to encourage it not to force the process along too quickly and to allow any community interest that expresses a view that they might want to purchase a property the time to put together a business case so that those assets are not lost to the communities that they serve. Angus Robertson: Murdo Fraser has made a very good point. First, there is the issue of the accelerating rate at which churches are being disposed of across denominations. Incidentally, it is not just the Christian church but other faith groups which have been disposing of property, because of societal change and so on. I think that everybody understands that.”
“I declare an interest as a member of the Church of Scotland. That said, I share the concern about the speed with which the Kirk is disposing of so many properties that have been at the heart of their communities—for centuries, in some cases—and to which many people have a strong emotional connection. I am certainly aware of community groups across my region that are interested in acquiring historic church buildings, but need time to put together a business case and raise the funds, and are concerned about the speed with which the Church of Scotland is putting those properties on the market. Those groups are worried that they will not get that opportunity, because a delay has not been built into the process.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding patient safety at NHS Grampian arising from faulty sterilising equipment, whether an independent investigation into the procurement practices will be held. (S6O-05099)”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: There is an awful lot of interest in participating in this debate, and I am keen to ensure that every member gets a chance to speak and their full allocation of time. I am also conscious that we are due to resume business at 2 o’clock, and staff will need time to prepare the chamber ahead of that, so I ask members to stick rigidly to their time allocation. I call Jamie Hepburn, to be followed by Liam Kerr, to speak for up to four minutes. 12:59”
“This is a special case, and those who know the town understand its unique needs. The closure is imminent, but the decision is not irreversible. I recognise that banks need to be commercially viable, but they have a duty to look after the communities that they represent. The pace of change is simply too fast for some, and the rate of closures is too high. Those customers have stood by their banks for decades. Their savings allowed the banks to lend, and public money bailed out the banks in 2008, but, sadly, for too many communities, those banks are now bailing on them. I look forward to listening to contributions to the debate from colleagues from around the country. I just hope that bank bosses are listening, too.”
“Alongside David Mundell and Councillor Julie Pirone, I was recently contacted by the Peebles Community Trust after the closure of the Bank of Scotland branch in the town. The trust sought our support to acquire the building, and I am pleased to confirm that, this week, it has been successful in its bid. That will let the trust move its reuse hub there and create space for a future banking hub, if Link Scheme determines that that would be necessary. The bank closure is regrettable, but I welcome the legacy move by the bank. I believe that this debate will show that bank branches are a lifeline for many, and I hope that the Scottish Government will do everything that it can to persuade banks to remain visible on Scotland’s high streets. I will close with a direct appeal to the Bank of Scotland in Moffat.”
“Community bankers visiting communities once a fortnight, for example, might be sufficient for some customers, but, for many, a traditional bricks-and-mortar high street bank remains a lifeline—often one that is used in times of distress, such as when scams are occurring. The sad thing is that it does not have to be like that. I recently met the teams at Virgin Money and Nationwide in Dumfries, and they talked to me about their 2028 branch promise. As part of the merger agreement, every Nationwide and Virgin Money branch will stay open until at least 2028. Virgin Money also offers free accounts to community groups—a service that is, sadly, being withdrawn by other banks, which now charge for such accounts. However, it is not all bad news, and let me offer praise where it is due.”
“Moffat is a small town, but it has a large number of visitors and several cash-only businesses. Evelyn spent her career in banking and she is someone who understands what community banking should look like. However, despite the petition, several rallies, a public meeting held in conjunction with Age Scotland and, most recently, a meeting with a representative from the Bank of Scotland, held here in the Parliament with Oliver Mundell, the Bank of Scotland has refused to change course. Link Scheme believes that an upgrade to the post office provision will be sufficient, but many local businesses and residents disagree, and they now face a 42-mile round trip to Dumfries to access a bricks-and- mortar branch. Digital banks might work for some and banking hubs might work for others.”
“That is definitely the case in Moffat in Dumfriesshire, where, in less than three weeks’ time, the Bank of Scotland will close its doors for the last time. That will leave this vibrant tourist and retirement town without a bank, an easily accessible high street ATM or a banking hub. The community is rightly concerned, and I commend Evelyn Atkins—who is in the gallery with her husband Bryan today—for leading the community campaign against the branch closure. Evelyn first asked for my support when she came into the bar at the Famous Star Hotel on a Saturday night to seek signatures for her petition. Through her hard work and tenacity, Evelyn secured more than 3,000 signatures, and her petition was recently presented in the House of Commons by my colleague David Mundell MP.”
“The issues that Craig Hoy outlines are reflected in Highland Perthshire, which is part of the area that I represent, and in many other parts of the country. There is also frustration that applications for banking hubs, which are a very valuable resource, are not being granted because of strict criteria. I have written to the Financial Conduct Authority about that. Does he agree that the FCA needs to revise its rules on where a banking hub can be granted? Craig Hoy: I agree with Mr Fraser, particularly in relation to rural areas where the problem is most acute. For example, certain towns have high seasonal demand for cash or have particular demographics, and the current criteria do not reflect that.”
“I have referred to the fact that we have already given some extra bursaries to those who want to change their careers, to encourage people to come into teaching computing science and some other subjects. In the past, we have looked at innovations; going forward, it is important that we stick to the principle that we are always looking for innovative ideas to address what, as the member says, is an important issue for the future of Scotland’s economy and our society. British Sign Language (Parity of Treatment) 4.”
“Davy Russell is right to raise a serious issue about the decline in computing science teachers. It is an issue that we have known about for years. I welcome the measures that the minister has set out; whether they will arrest the decline, we will have to wait and see. Is the minister open to more innovative ideas—for example, looking at potentially paying higher salaries to attract teachers into computer science and other hard-to- fill areas of teaching—given its importance to the needs of our future economy? Richard Lochhead: It is important that ministers always remain open to new, innovative ideas. The member highlights some potential ways forward.”
“Lastly, Forth Valley College is proposing to close its popular and busy Alloa campus, meaning that any Clackmannanshire students would have to travel to Stirling for further education, leaving a substantial black hole in the centre of the town and the centre of the county. That is bad news for staff, bad news for students and bad news for the local economy.”
“According to Audit Scotland, college funding has suffered from a 20 per cent real-terms cut in spending over the past five years. We see the consequences of that on every campus in Scotland. The Audit Scotland report states that the college sector workforce contracted by some 8 per cent in the year 2023-24 alone. In the region that I represent, all the colleges are impacted. Fife College is expressing concern about the availability of future courses. UHI Perth had to save some £4 million by the middle of the year. It has already had to close the campus nursery, while also contemplating staff redundancies and cutting what it calls “unviable courses”. It has even discussed cutting degree courses entirely.”
“However, Scottish Conservatives are on the side of the people, and talking about their priority, which is growing the economy and dealing with household bills. When it comes to taking spending decisions on the extensive resources that are under the control of the Scottish Government, there needs to be a focus on expenditure that will actively contribute towards growing our economy. Against that backdrop, the report on Scotland’s colleges, which Audit Scotland published on Friday, contained some stark and concerning messages. It follows on from equally stark messages in the Scottish Funding Council report issued just a few days beforehand, which warned that some colleges face insolvency in the current financial year—they face actual insolvency, under this SNP Government.”
“Conservatives in Scotland believe that economic growth has to be the first priority of Government. That need has never been more urgent than now. The quarterly economic indicator survey published today by Scottish Chambers and the Fraser of Allander Institute contains some stark messages. In four out of five main business sectors, there has been a sharp decline in confidence, with manufacturing and construction— two of the most important sectors to the Scottish economy—being the hardest hit, and 72 per cent of Scottish businesses are now concerned about their tax burden. Against that backdrop, seeing this Government place a greater focus on economic growth is essential. Is it not interesting that, today, the Scottish National Party wants to talk about independence— the only thing that it cares about?”
“After the Prime Minister announced the proposal, it fell to minus 14 per cent. It seems to be the case that whatever the Prime Minister touches turns to dust.”