James Dornan
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Anyone who has been to see it will understand the changes that they have made to the pitches, the surrounding area and the whole of Castlemilk. There are now more than 1,000 people training or playing on the pitches every week. The team created a brand-new Castlemilk community football club, with walking football for the over-50s.”
“Due to time factors today, I cannot go into everything else that the club does. I am sure that he will not like me saying so, but John and the others who run the Barlia pitches are true community heroes.”
“However, I am even prouder of the fact that I, and my office, have helped hundreds upon hundreds of individuals and families and, with the assistance of some of the finest organisations in the country, have been able to reach out to those who are most disadvantaged. I will briefly mention two charities.”
“I will come on to how one club in my constituency, through hard work and determination, along with the buy-in of the local community, helped to change the lives of hundreds of young kids, both male and female, through the power of sport. The other thing that sport gives you is confidence.”
“In Castlemilk, we have a facility that had been left to rot, having been run down over a number of years by the previous operators. When Covid came along, the place was shut down, with the goalposts chained away and the gates locked, apparently never to be reopened.”
“I thank Brian Whittle for giving me the opportunity to give my final speech in this august place on a subject that is very close to my heart. I was involved in amateur and juvenile football for many years, first as a very mediocre player and then as a more successful coach and manager, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it.”
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“Due to time factors today, I cannot go into everything else that the club does. I am sure that he will not like me saying so, but John and the others who run the Barlia pitches are true community heroes. They are an example that should, and could, be followed in every area of Glasgow—and other cities—that suffers from the same levels of deprivation as many in Castlemilk have had to face over the years and the decades. That example perfectly shows how sport can be a positive force for good for both individuals and communities. I again thank Brian Whittle for lodging his excellent motion and for giving me one final opportunity to talk so positively about my beloved Cathcart and some of the real heroes within it. I hope that I did okay for them. 10:12”
“Anyone who has been to see it will understand the changes that they have made to the pitches, the surrounding area and the whole of Castlemilk. There are now more than 1,000 people training or playing on the pitches every week. The team created a brand-new Castlemilk community football club, with walking football for the over-50s. Around 24 local families per week benefit from the Scottish Government and Scottish Football Association-supported extra time programme, which allows parents to work for longer before collecting their kids. Additional holiday programmes provide breakfast and a free hot lunch, and the club employs local people and has local volunteers who help to maintain the facility, manage the car park and provide space for all ages to congregate to combat isolation.”
“In Castlemilk, we have a facility that had been left to rot, having been run down over a number of years by the previous operators. When Covid came along, the place was shut down, with the goalposts chained away and the gates locked, apparently never to be reopened. Then along came John Harkins and his team, who started a “Save our pitches” campaign that got the support of local clubs and people. Two years later, they got the keys to the pitches, built their own changing rooms in a shipping container and used that for seven months before they persuaded the authorities to give them the keys to an existing run- down pavilion and a licence to operate it. A year later, they completed a 25-year lease on the pavilion.”
“However, I am even prouder of the fact that I, and my office, have helped hundreds upon hundreds of individuals and families and, with the assistance of some of the finest organisations in the country, have been able to reach out to those who are most disadvantaged. I will briefly mention two charities. Home-Start Glasgow South has assisted countless families through the most difficult of times, and it continues to do so. The Daisy Project is a charity that works with women and families who have been victims, or survivors, of domestic abuse, invariably by men, and is an inspiration that is now looked on as a shining example of how best to support such families. I might be leaving the Parliament, but I will always be there for them.”
“The only advice that he gave me, which I give to others even now, was to concentrate on one individual if I felt nervous and to speak as if they were the only person I was addressing. Since that day, people have not been able to shut me up. Before I go on to the substance of my speech, I will take the opportunity to speak for a few moments about my time as a member of the Scottish Parliament. There is no doubt that being an MSP, particularly for my home constituency of Glasgow Cathcart, has been the proudest achievement of my life. To have won that seat three times, with an ever-increasing majority, leaves me with a sense of personal pride.”
“I will come on to how one club in my constituency, through hard work and determination, along with the buy-in of the local community, helped to change the lives of hundreds of young kids, both male and female, through the power of sport. The other thing that sport gives you is confidence. For example, it is through football that I got the confidence to speak in public. Before I got involved, I was—as I am sure members will not be surprised to hear—very opinionated, but I had a dread of speaking to even a small number of people in an official setting. That was because of imposter syndrome, I think. That was until my dearest friend, Sandy Fraser, who is no longer with us, told me that he wanted me to give a team talk at football.”
“I thank Brian Whittle for giving me the opportunity to give my final speech in this august place on a subject that is very close to my heart. I was involved in amateur and juvenile football for many years, first as a very mediocre player and then as a more successful coach and manager, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Two things never leave me about the importance of sport, and particularly team sports. One is the camaraderie that sport fosters, often among people from widely varying backgrounds, who become lifelong friends through the trials and tribulations of sport and, hopefully, that feeling of joy when you win a trophy or feel that you have played particularly well.”
“Amendment 21 disagreed to. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I take the opportunity to remind members that, when participating remotely, one’s camera should, of course, be on. Amendment 22 moved—[Lorna Slater]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 22 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Sorry, but I was unable to connect. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Dornan. Your vote will be recorded. For Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 20, Against 82, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 99 would ensure that the landowner had due warning before SNH did that. Amendment 101 clarifies that the person authorised by SNH to enter the land must enter it only at a reasonable time, as previously agreed by the owner or occupier. Amendment 100 clarifies that the person authorised by SNH to enter the land must be qualified in practical deer management.”
“As the bill stands, SNH is able to use emergency powers at that point, even when it has other powers that are adequate to deal with that situation. Amendment 95 ensures that, where alternative powers exist, SNH uses those non- emergency powers first. That seems to make sense. Amendment 96 ties in with an earlier amendment about managing deer, and not just in relation to harm to humans. That is a perception, and it is perhaps the actions of those humans that cause them harm, rather than the deer doing it of their own volition. Amendment 99 reverses the bill’s shortening of the notice period that must be given to the landowner prior to entering their land to investigate deer. The bill attempts to adjust the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 so that the period is reduced from 14 days to five working days.”
“Where a dispute remains, the parties can then refer the issue to arbitration under the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010. Why did I propose that change? I did so because it was not long ago that NatureScot spent nearly £40,000 flying people out in the hills on helicopters to shoot deer in inaccessible places. They ended up shooting the female deer and leaving the calves to die and suffer on the hill. If the minister does not believe me, I am sure that he can check with SNH to see the figures. It was clear to me that, if you kill only 5 per cent of calves with their parents when the calving percentage is 25 per cent, there is 20 per cent left. Amendment 94 removes the provision that was inserted in the bill whereby SNH may take action where deer damage the natural environment.”
“Amendment 14 removes SNH’s power to decide who the relevant owners and occupiers are in relation to land pertaining to a deer management plan. Amendment 15 rewords the relevant subsection to change “that SNH considers to have” to “that has”, which I think is important, as it ensures that SNH has to get on with it. Amendments 91 and 92 relate to the consideration of objections by experts in relation to deer control schemes. Those amendments would ensure that ministers consult SNH and others with relevant interests before appointing experts. Amendments 16 to 19 oblige ministers to establish an independent panel with experience in practical deer management and public audit to scrutinise the recovery of SNH costs from the owner or occupier of land under a control scheme.”
“Does the member accept that? Edward Mountain: What I will accept is that, if Scottish Natural Heritage or NatureScot— whichever name is the most fashionable at the moment—attended the deer management groups and took part in drawing up deer management plans, it would not be an issue. Therefore, my amendment is entirely correct. Amendment 13 would oblige SNH to consult the holders of any relevant shooting or sporting rights when approving a deer management plan with modifications. The owner of shooting rights is not necessarily just the landowner. It could be the tenant farmer or a completely different person. To ignore those people in the process is totally wrong and will probably result in legal challenge, because it is a land right. Amendments 14 and 15 are alternatives.”
“That is based on evidence provided to me by Scottish Land & Estates and the Association of Deer Management Groups. For those who say that that is ridiculous, the current legislation says 12 months. The Government wants to reduce the deadline to three months, but that is far too tight—it takes six months. Having written a deer management plan for the Strathconon deer management group with Professor Rory Putman, I can tell members that it took me nearly two years to get everyone, including some of the private and public bodies, to work together. Jim Fairlie: We have rehearsed this issue. I stated clearly at stage 2 that it is a requirement only when NatureScot is not getting any response from the people on the land who are deliberately trying to delay the process. They do not need to do it within three months. We have debated that already.”
“It clarifies that the intervention will be permissible only when there is a material reduction in the effectiveness of work or projects as a result of deer impacts or a lack of deer management. It is very easy for someone to go into the countryside and say, “That damage up there is due to deer” when they have no idea whether it is due to deer. Are there sheep on the hill? Are there hares on the hill? What other herbivores are there? There could be cattle tracking backwards and forwards as much as sheep and as much as deer. I do not think that we can say that damage is a consequence of deer just by looking at it. Amendment 88 would increase the deadlines for the submission of deer management plans from three to six months, which reflects the minimum standard that is required to create a deer management plan.”
“It was because the grass along the verges was covered in minerals, such as salt, which attracted the deer, and there was no proper fencing. The effect on public safety was not the result of the deer being there. We knew that the deer were there, but we also knew that people were driving far too fast along those roads and ignoring the signs that the Scottish Government had instructed Transport Scotland to put up across the Highlands to say that there would be deer on the roadside. Amendment 83 would regulate the grounds for NatureScot to intervene in the management and control of deer. The amendment is designed to alleviate some of the uncertainty that is inherent in the new grounds for intervention.”
“That would mean that, rather than a review just being done on an arbitrary basis, the time that the code of practice would be allowed to stand before a review should be carried out would be reduced. Amendment 12 seeks to delete section 12 on the proposed changes to the code of practice. That will make sense if the other amendments are passed. Amendment 81 would allow SNH to intervene to prevent damage caused by deer only after it has considered other measures to protect public safety. I say that for a simple reason. I remember being involved in a survey that was being conducted along some of the roads in the Highlands because SNH was saying that the number of deer along the edge of those roads was far too high. Well, it was too high, but why was it too high?”
“This might upset some people, but I have never found NatureScot or SNH to be the arbiter of good taste in deer management. The arbiters of good taste are those people who are involved, who have blood on their hands and dirt under their fingernails from managing deer, not necessarily people in offices. Amendments 10 and 11 would oblige SNH to consult those who have an interest in deer management when carrying out a review of the code of practice, and to publish details of that consultation. Surely that makes sense. Surely someone who is not doing it but is reading about it in a book will want to speak to those people who are actually doing it. Amendment 80 ties in with amendments 8 and 9 and would reduce the review period for the code of practice from 10 years to five years.”
“Amendment 8 would remove the requirement for SNH to articulate the circumstances in which it would intervene in the management of deer. I have lodged the amendment because, as I said earlier, I think that SNH needs to be involved in deer management groups. If its representatives were part of the groups, those circumstances would already have been articulated. Amendment 9 would remove the provision that SNH may review the code of practice on deer management at any time. Members who have been involved in the code of practice since it was first introduced—I admit to being one of those members—know that the code cannot just be changed overnight to suit requirements. We need to give some time for the code to bed in and to see whether it is working. Only then can it be adjusted.”
“That puts significant pressure on the mother and, if male deer are being chased around the woods while trying to recover from the rut or in difficult conditions, as happens the whole time at the moment, those deer are put under pressure, too. In woodlands across Scotland, I have seen dead male deer lying in the fence lines in the spring because they have been prevented from getting to their feeding grounds. I do not feel comfortable about that, and many people who work in the countryside feel uncomfortable about it. Therefore, I ask members to consider whether that is humane and whether they can put up with the fact that the actions that are being taken do not necessarily control male deer—in many cases, the deer are killed not by the bullet but by starvation.”
“In the forest, if females are killed out of season but the calves are not killed, those calves are left to starve. The Scottish Government has said that, from the moment a male deer is born to the moment it dies, it can be shot. To me, that is inhumane. From the moment its mother delivers it on to the ground, somebody can kill it. I have never thought that that is right. I find it interesting that organisations have suggested that MSPs vote against amendment 78 because it is for individuals to decide whether that is cruel. I can tell members, based on more than 50 years of experiencing and practising deer management, that it is cruel to shoot a calf the moment it is born or within days of being born.”
“I have been involved in deer management groups for many years, so I know that SNH’s attendance at meetings of those groups significantly helps members of the group to work together and prevents SNH from making recommendations out of the blue, without having knowledge of what has been going on. Amendment 78 relates to the reintroduction of close seasons for male deer. I have campaigned on this issue, and I note that Lorna Slater acknowledged that I have done a significant amount of work on it. I call amendment 78 the Bambi amendment. Members who have not heard of Bambi have missed a great novel by Felix Salten in which a young male deer is brought up by other animals in the forest after his mother is killed out of season. That is not a real story.”
“Therefore, it would be the wrong approach to focus only on deer management and ignore those who work in it. 16:30 Amendment 4 would oblige ministers to prevent conflicts between the public and those involved in deer management. That just seems good, sensible practice. Amendment 3 would place a duty on ministers to ensure that deer management was carried out in a “humane” way. It is a simple amendment, and I cannot see why anyone would disagree with it. Amendments 5 to 7 would ensure that Scottish Natural Heritage was represented on all deer management groups and that a representative of SNH must attend meetings of the panel involved in local deer management. That is sensible, given that SNH will have to enforce control if it is not happy with something that is going on in deer management.”
“Therefore, deer management is important. Amendment 1 defines deer that are native to Scotland. To say only “deer native to Scotland” suggests that whoever drafted the bill has no idea what deer in Scotland are. I have therefore laid out clearly that “fallow, red and roe deer”, which have been in Scotland for more than 100 years, are the deer that are native to Scotland. I suggest that it is hard to disagree with amendment 1, unless you just want to keep the term open, which would show that you do not know what deer in Scotland are. Amendment 2, which is an adjustment to my stage 2 amendments, would place a responsibility on ministers “to ensure employment in the field of deer management”. If we do not have deer managers, we will have no deer management.”
“Amendment 77 disagreed to. Section 10—Aims and purposes of deer management The Deputy Presiding Officer: Group 5 is on management and control of deer. Amendment 1, in the name of Edward Mountain, is grouped with amendments 2 to 7, 78, 8, 79, 9 to 11, 80, 12, 81 to 88, 13 to 15, 89, 49, 50, 90, 51, 91, 92, 52, 53, 93, 16 to 19, 94 to 96 and 99 to 105. I draw members’ attention to the procedural notes on amendments in the group. Edward Mountain: I thank the Presiding Officer for indicating that there is some latitude in timings. Having been involved in deer management across Scotland, and looking at deer management today, I am convinced that the only part of Scotland where we are at least partially on top of deer management is the uplands. As far as low ground and woodland management is concerned, deer remain significantly out of control.”
“For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 25, Against 85, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In the previous vote, my phone froze and I never had the chance to vote no. It does not matter, anyway. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you for that clarification, Mr Dornan.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how its £600,000 contribution in humanitarian aid to the occupied Palestinian territory humanitarian fund will support civilians and demonstrate Scotland’s commitment to international solidarity and human rights. (S6O- 05330)”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the December carers allowance supplement payment, including its anticipated impact on carers and how it will ensure that all eligible carers receive their payment promptly. (S6O-05278)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of increasing funded early years education and childcare to 1,140 hours per year for three and four-year-olds and qualifying two-year-olds. (S6O-05255)”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering the Clyde mission, including what its impact has been on the local economy and job creation. (S6O-05065)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in further widening access to university education for people in the most disadvantaged communities. (S6O-05056)”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the voting system. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Dornan. We will ensure that your vote is recorded.”
“They should stop blaming people who are fleeing thousands of miles from a horrible existence to make a better life for themselves and their families. The way the world is going, one day it may well be you or yours. Please vote against this horrible motion. 16:37”
“Of course, none of that works for those in charge, because they do not want solutions; they want scapegoats. If it is not asylum seekers, it is single mums with more than two kids, or it is the guy down the road who makes a few bob on the side doing homers while also helping his neighbours in the community. Meanwhile, the ever-increasing number of billionaires get to decide who the losers are while funnelling money offshore, never to be seen again in these islands. If members are looking for someone to blame, they should blame the tax dodgers, the mass polluters and the utilities companies, which charge us more than is charged anywhere else in the world for power while grabbing huge profits for themselves.”
“While they meekly trail behind Farage, hoping to entice their support back by even more xenophobic actions such as today’s motion, Labour has decided to try to outdo them. Apparently, concentration—sorry, barracks are being considered to house asylum seekers. One of the problems raised in the motion is, however, a real one: the cost to Glasgow of housing asylum seekers. The solution is not to make life more unbearable for those seeking shelter; the solution is simple: to support the cities that take in asylum seekers with appropriate funding and, as Jamie Greene mentioned, to allow asylum seekers—who often bring much-needed skills and qualifications—to work. That would take some of the strain off the taxpayer, and it would help to close the employment gap that we keep hearing about.”
“However, to our shame, we are now seeing any new person as a threat—a threat to our jobs, our houses, our doctors and our safety. That is utter insanity. Clearly, there have been some high-profile cases of violence and sexual offences, which are appalling, and they have to be dealt with by the full force of the law. Does that mean that everyone from that country is a threat? Of course not. There are many instances of Brits or Scots going abroad and committing heinous offences. Should every Scot or Brit be banned from those countries? Of course not. The debate has been brought about for one reason only: the party that secured it is terrified of losing support and MSPs to a racist grifter in charge of another party. The Tories are not alone.”
“I met many other good people there, who were forced to leave because of different situations in their country—and many of them were young men, because they were the ones who were under threat from their existing Governments. Most of them would have been a huge positive to any country. However, of all the people I spoke to, not a single one was making their way to the UK. As one voluntary worker said to me, “Why would they? They know that the UK hates foreigners and is very unwelcoming to them.” Is that something to be proud of? Migrants and refugees are not a curse on a country; generally, they are a blessing. They often bring with them much-needed experience, different cultures and a vibrancy that is often missing in this grey land of ours.”
“In 2015, I had the opportunity to visit Serbia with a local charity, Glasgow the Caring City, to see how efficiently the support that it had sent to help refugees fleeing war-torn countries was being used. During that trip, I met a group of Afghan families who had been travelling for months to get to Serbia on the next stage of their journey to a life that they hoped would be better and safer. The father was holding a small bag, which I took to be holding important items—papers and so on—but it was a newborn child. They had trekked for thousands of miles while the mother was pregnant, with her having to give birth and suckle that child while living in makeshift tents or simply by the side of the road on their journey.”
“One of the most noticeable things during my time in the Scottish Parliament—it will have been 15 years when I retire next year; no cheering, please—has been the positioning of British politics. Historically, it moved gently from centre- right to centre-left, with a few Thatcher-like blips in the middle. However, in that time window there has been continual movement further and further to the right. The reasons for that include the constant squealing by media outlets in an attempt to get clicks for advertising—bad news always sells better than good—and the craven surrender by once-mainstream political parties to the racism and xenophobic scaremongering that are being touted by populist grifters on the make.”
“The Prime Minister has been entirely willing to engage on the question, and I welcome that. I have written to the Prime Minister today, setting out the various propositions and proposals that I have explained to the Parliament. I would welcome further dialogue with the UK Government to advance those issues and to enable me to convey to the Prime Minister the sentiments of the Scottish Parliament—which will, of course, be debated in the debate that is about to commence and which are important in contributing to the thinking of the UK Government on the actions that it needs to take in that respect. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes this item of business. There will be a brief pause before the next item, to allow front benches to change. Palestine”
“Although I recognise that the obstruction is the responsibility of the Israeli Government and the Israel Defense Forces, how is the Scottish Government pressing the UK Government to take even more urgent action, both in increasing aid and in using diplomatic and political pressure to ensure that food and medical supplies can reach civilians without obstruction, particularly while the unforgivable, deliberate starving of children continues in the on-going genocide in Gaza? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair. The First Minister: The issues that Mr Dornan has raised are central to the debate. I assure him that I have used every opportunity in dialogue with the Prime Minister to advance the discussion with the United Kingdom Government.”
“First Minister, given that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other humanitarian organisations have declared that famine is taking place in Gaza and that at least 158 people died of starvation during August, what steps is the Scottish Government taking, further to what you said in your original comments, to address that humanitarian crisis?”
“I stress that supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse is a priority for this Government and, personally, I am very committed to that. I mentioned some of what the Housing (Scotland) Bill provides in that regard. We continue to work towards bringing into force part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021—by December this year, I hope. The measures in the 2021 act mark a critical shift in preventing women’s homelessness in the first place by giving social landlords greater control to transfer tenancies to a victim/survivor. As I say, I place great priority on protecting the housing rights of women, children and those suffering from domestic abuse, so I am always open to new ways in which we can do that.”
“The bill will also introduce a duty on social landlords, before any legal action to recover possession of a property on account of rent arrears can be progressed, to fully consider domestic abuse and to support individuals who are experiencing it if that abuse is causing any financial arrears. James Dornan: Given that domestic abuse is the leading recorded cause of women presenting as homeless in Scotland—it accounted for around 23 per cent of female-headed households’ homelessness applications in 2023-24—will you tell us what further specific steps have been taken to ensure that safe, stable and immediate housing options are available to survivors? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair. Màiri McAllan: James Dornan is correct.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that women who share a lease in a social or private tenancy with their abuser are not left homeless if they are forced to flee due to domestic abuse. (S6O-04825) The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan): As part of the measures to prevent homelessness in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, we will introduce a duty on all social landlords to develop and implement a domestic abuse policy. That should set out how they will support their tenants if they are experiencing such abuse. The duty will include keeping the tenant in their home and removing the perpetrator if that is what the tenant wants. We will update the definition of domestic abuse as it applies in housing so that it takes into account an increased understanding of what constitutes domestic abuse.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding progress on the recommendations in the final report by the social tariff working group. (S6O-04700)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve support for disabled people, including when seeking employment. (S6O-04632)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to mitigate any impact on disability payment recipients in Scotland of reported United Kingdom Government benefit reductions. (S6O- 04462)”