Maurice Golden
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“Large numbers of young people continue to be referred to child and adolescent mental health services, and the waiting times that they face illustrate the scale of demand that is put on the system. In NHS Tayside, there is only one facility: Dudhope young people’s unit, which admits an average of 20 young people per year.”
“Beat’s helplines, peer support groups and campaigns continue to provide essential help for people who are suffering from eating disorders, not least by giving people the opportunity to connect and share their experiences. Those services are only part of the picture.”
“I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recognising eating disorders awareness week 2026, as I have done in previous years, and I thank Elena Whitham for securing the debate.”
“Recent data from the 2024 Scottish health survey reveal that around 26 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder—the proportion was far higher than in older age groups.”
“We must ensure that no young person in Scotland feels alone in their struggle and that their communities in schools, workplaces and families are empowered to support them.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent changes to Scottish Qualifications Authority policy permitting internet-enabled devices, such as Chromebooks, in exams, what action it is taking to ensure that pupils who rely on speech-to-text as their normal way of working are not, in practice, prevented from using this technology durin…”
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“I will give way to Mr Harvie. Patrick Harvie: Will the cabinet secretary make sure that discussions are happening across portfolios on the question of energy? As reliable, predictable consumers of energy, publicly owned pools could help to make publicly owned heat networks more economically viable—and, vice versa, those heat networks could make pools more economically viable as well. Neil Gray: Yes. I know that, in my colleague Ms Minto’s constituency, some of that work is already happening with local distillers, but there are undoubtedly opportunities in that regard, as Mr Sweeney and Mr Harvie have set out. The next decade will be essential in tackling the climate emergency, and we recently published our draft climate change plan, which maps out our route towards net zero.”
“The recent Audit Scotland report on culture and leisure services confirmed that spending has reduced by 3 per cent in real terms since 2018-19, emphasising the importance of local decision making. Energy efficiency is another critical issue, because rising energy costs are placing enormous pressure on budgets, affecting the availability and affordability of community programmes, threatening their continuation or forcing higher costs that make them less accessible, particularly for those who rely on them the most. Patrick Harvie: Will the cabinet secretary accept an intervention? Neil Gray: I will come to Mr Harvie shortly. As Karen Adam said, the UK Government has a role to play in addressing energy prices and we have repeatedly called on it to address the issue rather than providing ad hoc funding, which serves only as a temporary fix.”
“In that regard, I absolutely agree with the sentiment set out by Liz Smith about the impact of pool closures on local communities. Mr MacGregor may have been seeking to make me blush by talking about the work that has been done in collaboration with community groups in Airdrie and Coatbridge in order to get investment from North Lanarkshire Council for the John Smith pool in my constituency. When the report “The Future of Swimming Facilities in Scotland” was published, it identified 396 swimming pools across Scotland but also confirmed that that estate is ageing. More than half of those facilities are more than 36 years old and, although a pool can remain open and operational for around 60 years with proper maintenance and refurbishment, the number of facilities will decline without sustained investment. That point was made by Mr Harvie.”
“I echo the calls made today to ensure that we provide Scottish people with sustainable funding and long-term solutions. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call the cabinet secretary. 17:32 Neil Gray: I again thank the petitions committee for lodging a motion on what is, without question, an important issue. Today’s debate has demonstrated the vital role that swimming pools play in our communities and the wide range of benefits that they bring, not least in their positive impact on children and young people, which Mr Whittle and others alluded to. However, our discussion has also highlighted the significant challenges that exist. As I said earlier, I firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity, which requires access to the facilities that make that possible.”
“As we have heard, many pools were built at a time when energy efficiency was not a design priority, so there is clear scope for savings. From the simplest measures, such as staff energy awareness programmes and modest temperature reductions, where appropriate, through to capital investment in pool covers, building insulation and solar heating, there are practical steps that can, and should, be explored. There are also more innovative approaches and I was particularly interested to learn about the Move Urmston leisure centre in Greater Manchester, where swimming pools are heated using excess heat from data centres. Such projects save tens of thousands of pounds in running costs while cutting carbon emissions. There has been clear recognition throughout this debate of the financial pressures that are faced by local authorities.”
“In Menzieshill, where I grew up, Dundee City Aquatics and Whitehall swimming club have both highlighted the devastating impact that that would have on their clubs. More swimming lessons will be squeezed into the remaining pools, clubs will compete for increasingly scarce pool time and other users will be crowded out. Public and recreational swimming, especially in the evenings, will be heavily impacted. As those slots disappear, people will be pushed towards expensive private gym memberships or excluded from regular swimming altogether. Swimming should not become a privilege only for those who can afford private facilities. At the heart of proposed closures are the high energy costs associated with heated swimming pools. Rather than closing facilities, the starting point must be to reduce those energy costs in the first place.”
“Dundee recently lost the Dundee and Angus College pool at Gardyne Road, and the city council is now proposing the closure of swimming pools at Harris academy, St John’s high school and Baldragon academy as a cost-saving measure. The argument that is being made is that swimming provision in the city can be delivered by the remaining pools. However, those closures will have a detrimental impact, first and foremost, on the immediate local communities that they serve. The idea that people can simply swim elsewhere is a flawed one, particularly for low- income households and for those who rely on public transport. Beyond that, such closures will create significant knock-on pressures across neighbouring facilities.”
“I thank the petitioner, the committee clerks and witnesses, and my colleagues on the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee for assisting in bringing the debate to Parliament this afternoon. During today’s debate, much has rightly been made of the vital role that swimming pools play in our communities, from keeping people active and reducing future pressures on the NHS, to ensuring that children can learn to swim, to supporting those who swim competitively. A further key theme has been the budgetary pressures on councils that threaten that vital infrastructure. I will not repeat the arguments that we have heard today and will instead focus my time on the current situation in Dundee.”
“The organisation noted that its predominantly SME membership has raised concerns about falling behind on this front due to a lack of resources and expertise. It makes the point that cyber essentials certification can cost a small business more than £1,000, which is not an easy ask when many businesses are running on razor- thin margins. I encourage ministers to look at the SCC’s suggestion of publicly funded training at the local or regional level to help mitigate such barriers. I urge the Scottish Government to step up and put in the resources where they are needed: in the police, public awareness and business support. Making that investment now will have a huge positive impact for many years ahead.”
“I have already spoken about the widespread impact of fraud, but what really struck me was that Age Concern reports that around one in five cyberfraud victims do not report it. That was down to uncertainty about where to make a report and whether anything would even be done about it. That is important, because reporting incidents helps the police to gather intelligence on the criminals behind the scams. There is scope for the Government to help educate the public and, in the process, help to build valuable intelligence and public trust in the police’s ability to tackle the scammers. I want to highlight a matter raised by Scottish Chambers of Commerce in a letter to the Criminal Justice Committee: the growing gap between smaller and larger businesses when it comes to cybersecurity.”
“It is not just about skills for Police Scotland and businesses; it concerns individual householders and consumers protecting themselves against cybercrime as far as they can. On Police Scotland, £6 million is a relatively small sum in terms of Government expenditure. It is a small price to pay to help prevent and mitigate serious harm to individuals and businesses. I am sure that ministers do not need reminding that the Scottish Police Federation has been warning for some time about the risks of underfunding the police. Ignoring such warnings simply means that we will end up playing catch-up to the criminals. The police need the training and the tools to combat cybercrime, but the police cannot do everything, so it is important that we ensure that the public are well informed about how to protect themselves from cybercrime where possible.”
“We all understand that there are budget pressures, but I point out to ministers that almost one in 10 Scots experienced fraud last year, almost 40 per cent of which involved cybercrime, and that Scotland’s small businesses are estimated to lose an eye- watering £384 million a year to cyberattacks, according to analysis by Vodafone. Audrey Nicoll: On the point that the member was making about Police Scotland and building capacity to respond to cybercrime, does the member agree that it is also important for our skills strategy to take account of our future needs with regard to cyber resilience, not just across policing but in other sectors including businesses? Maurice Golden: I whole-heartedly agree with the member.”
“To show just how much cybercrime underpins crime as a whole, consider this: more than a quarter of sexual offences feature cybercrime; likewise, almost half of all fraud cases and almost 95 per cent of threats and extortion do, too. We all recognise the scale of the problem and the serious risk that it will only grow, given the advent of artificial intelligence. If we expect the police to tackle it, we must recognise that they require specialist skills, such as in digital forensics—they need cryptocurrency experts and data scientists. The advent of AI is only going to add to the complexity. The Scottish Government needs to be in listening mode—specifically, listening to Police Scotland when it says that it needs almost £6 million to bolster its cyber capabilities.”
“From listening to today’s debate, one thing should be clear to us all: cybercrime is not a niche concern but a widespread problem that affects more and more of our society. The chief constable has spoken about the significant growth in digital crime, and the chair of the National Cyber Resilience Advisory Board has described how cyberattacks are now growing to be the norm. The statistics—some of which we have already heard today—underscore that it is a widespread and growing problem. The Scottish Government’s crime figures show that more than 14,000 cybercrimes were recorded in 2024-25, which is the equivalent of almost 40 a day. Within that, there were more than 4,000 cases of sexual cybercrime—almost 1,500 of which involved children—and more than 7,500 cyberfraud cases.”
“It is a good example, if I may say so, of our legislative procedures and, in particular, the member’s bill process, working effectively, and of parliamentarians, stakeholders and Government shaping a law that will make a positive difference to the lives of dog owners and dogs themselves. It is a law that will help to prevent cruel acts of stealing family pets from taking place, that will punish appropriately when such acts take place, and that will create an aggravation for the particularly egregious theft of helper dogs, be they assistance dogs or other dogs prescribed by the Scottish Government. I move, That the Parliament agrees that the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill be passed. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Siobhian Brown to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Government. 15:22”
“As well as ensuring that the act does not place overly onerous duties on those who will be required to implement its provisions, that will provide for the collection of good data and reporting mechanisms, with consequential scrutiny. I think that the amendments struck the appropriate balance in that regard. As regards reviewing the legislation itself, the Parliament could do that at a future date. As I have said previously, post-legislative scrutiny is vitally important, and this Parliament can carry out such scrutiny regardless of whether a requirement to do so is included in an act. What we have before us is a bill that has been developed following parliamentary scrutiny, stakeholder engagement and constructive working with the Scottish Government.”
“Secondly, after discussing the matter with the minister, and following stage 1 recommendations from the lead committee, I removed what was section 3 of the bill on victim impact statements. During the bill’s passage, the law on victim impact statements more generally was changed to provide for such statements in solemn cases. I was persuaded by the argument that creating a unique situation for victim impact statements in summary cases through my bill would have been disproportionate. Therefore, I lodged an amendment at stage 2 to remove section 3, which was agreed to. Following discussions with the minister, I lodged amendments to remove the requirement for the act to be reviewed and to make changes to the reporting mechanisms, creating a one-off reporting mechanism after three years, rather than making it an annual requirement.”
“However, I would like to update members on some of the changes that have been made to my bill since the Parliament agreed to its general principles at stage 1. Members of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee will be very familiar with these changes, but others might not be. First, the aggravation in the bill for the theft of an assistance dog is now an aggravation for the theft of a helper dog. That still includes assistance dogs, but it gives the Scottish Government the flexibility to extend the provision to include other categories of dog by regulations. That could include working dogs, which was a recommendation of the lead committee at stage 1. It could also include working gun dogs, should the Government choose to add them, the possibility of which my colleague Rachael Hamilton raised at stage 2.”
“I also thank the witnesses who gave evidence at stage 1, who came from organisations that have campaigned for a change in the law in this area, such as Dogs Trust, the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Guide Dogs for the Blind, and those that are involved in implementation and enforcement, such as the Law Society for Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland. The evidence from all those bodies and many others who gave written evidence to the committee or my consultation shaped the bill that we are debating today. There has been much consideration and scrutiny of the bill, in response to my consultation, in committee and in the chamber at stage 1, and back in committee at stage 2.”
“The committee’s scrutiny resulted in an improved bill, which I hope will soon become the Dog Theft (Scotland) Act 2026, so I again thank the committee. I also want to thank the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhian Brown, and her officials. Over the course of the bill’s development, we have formed a very positive and constructive working relationship to deliver a bill that achieves the policy intent and the vision of those stakeholders who campaigned for a dog theft law and that remains practical for the Scottish Government and partner organisations to implement.”
“I am grateful to all those who have assisted with the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill to get it to the point at which the Parliament will vote on it at decision time tonight. However, as a former business manager, I will not be counting my chickens, or indeed my chihuahuas—I had to get that in—until the moment the Presiding Officer announces the result of the vote. First, I thank my team, as well as everyone in the Scottish Parliament legislation team, including Neil Stewart and Ezgi Denli, who are in the chamber. I am also particularly grateful to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, expertly chaired by my colleague Finlay Carson, for its excellent scrutiny. The committee’s stage 1 report contained a number of recommendations that resulted in stage 2 amendments to refine the bill.”
“I will not detain the Parliament for too long. At stage 2, I lodged amendments to establish in the bill the term “helper dog”, which I defined as a dog that satisfied one of two conditions—namely, that it was “an assistance dog, as defined by ... the Equality Act 2010” or “a dog of a category prescribed by regulations”. The bill as amended at stage 2 links those two conditions with the word “and”, thereby risking an interpretation whereby the dog has to be both an assistance dog and a dog of a category that is prescribed by regulations. That was not my intent. I therefore seek to correct that minor drafting error at stage 3 with my amendment 1, which seeks to ensure that there is no ambiguity and that, to be a helper dog, a dog must be either an assistance dog “or” a dog of a category that is prescribed by regulations. I move amendment 1.”
“Supporting farmers to grow native fibres, such as nettles, would in turn support rural manufacturers, retailers and service providers. I am afraid that I do not have the time to fully explain that point, but I want to be clear that, in the bill, we have an opportunity to build new wealth for our communities. I hope that the Government will work constructively with members and outside stakeholders to strengthen the bill to ensure that that happens. 15:48”
“Where does the member think the targets should be set? If they are not top down, would they be statutory? If so, how would that work? What is the role of the Government in setting those targets? Maurice Golden: To use a Scottish Government phrase, it has to be a process of co- design with our local authorities. In all seriousness, I think that a top-down approach might be very difficult for our island communities—I am looking at the Deputy Presiding Officer, who hails from Orkney—to give one example. However, with the bill there is an opportunity to deliver more for the SMEs and to develop sustainable local solutions that keep wealth circulating in communities. We could go further. Targeted support for materials could create ripple effects across multiple sectors. Take textiles, for example.”
“The bill also fails to make the best use of the money that we already spend, particularly the vast sums spent in public procurement. Imagine the impact if more of that spending was directed towards small and medium-sized enterprises and microbusinesses—both of which are the backbone of our local economies. That is why the Federation of Small Businesses has proposed setting local spending targets. Those proposals should be taken seriously. Some people question putting targets in law, but without hard targets, change simply does not happen. Ivan McKee: I want to explore where the member is on targets. Murdo Fraser asked for targets, and when I asked him where they should be set, he said that they should not be set top down. Jamie Greene called for statutory targets, which I presume means that they would be set top down.”
“That gives me hope that ministers will be open to strengthening the bill at stage 2 and beyond, to ensure that it delivers tangible economic benefit. It needs strengthening. The committee made the point that both communities and councils must be empowered if the legislation is to succeed. Around two thirds of local authorities already have or are developing community wealth-building plans. That is encouraging, but councils are also being asked to deliver more with fewer and fewer resources. It is concerning that the financial memorandum reflects only the cost of developing plans, not implementing them. Without proper resourcing, the risk is obvious—the plans will become box-ticking exercises rather than engines of local economic change. However, it is not only about new money.”
“I begin by joining colleagues and the committee in supporting the general principles of the bill. We all want the regeneration of our local economies to create new wealth and, crucially, keep it within the communities that we represent. Over the years, we have seen legislation that aligns with the pillars of community wealth building, such as the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, the more recent national planning framework 4 and the 2022 national strategy for economic transformation, which identified community wealth building as a key equality policy. There are concerns about individual measures, but it is important to recognise that the Scottish Government has shown a commitment to the underlying principle.”
“I would be happy to speak to him about any projects that he thinks would be worth while, because his suggestion sounds eminently sensible and would be another economic opportunity, so I thank him for it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the statement. There will be a short pause before we move to the next item of business. Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1”
“A 40GW pipeline of potential projects is both welcome and massive, and is a fantastic opportunity, particularly once we add the development in the rest of the UK. We know that 35 per cent of embodied carbon can be saved if new turbines are manufactured using recycled content and that 95 per cent of turbines can be recycled. Will the cabinet secretary commit to supporting the creation of a decommissioning hub here in Scotland? Gillian Martin: I thank Maurice Golden for being one of the more sensible Conservative Party voices on energy, although I do not know whether that will embarrass or delight him. Maurice Golden pointed to another economic opportunity. As part of our onshore wind sector deal, we committed to working with the sector on blade remanufacturing.”
“I can signpost Maurice Golden to the more recent circular economy announcements about the publishing of the route map and the results of the engagement work that has been undertaken as a result of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024. Offshore Wind”
“Scotland will fail to meet its target to reduce food waste by one third by this year. In 2019, the Scottish Government said that it would deliver sustained communication to drive change. Unfortunately, that change was to increase food waste. What work is on-going to engage consumers and businesses to deliver behaviour change? Gillian Martin: Maurice Golden will be aware that we have a circular economy route map, which has been worked on with the involvement of local authorities. We are working with them to reduce food waste, in particular, across the 32 local authorities. We are also working closely with my colleagues in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on that.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how the new Scottish aggregates tax, due to be introduced in April 2026, will contribute to creating a circular economy. (S6O-05163)”
“The cabinet secretary referred to energy market reforms, spiralling energy costs and fuel poverty in her statement. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me—and not her predecessor—that the floor for the transmission demand residual should be removed in order to lower bills for Scots? Màiri McAllan: Given the technical nature of Maurice Golden’s question, I think that I would be much more able to put the detail to him in writing, as opposed to in the Parliament today.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the change of use of agricultural land classified as grade 3 or above, including for infrastructure projects. (S6O-05096)”
“For England’s inshore waters, there is a different approach, whereby local communities, fishermen and councils collaborate to strengthen marine ecosystems and the fishing industries that depend on them. That is the direction in which Scotland should be going. However, earlier this year, when my colleague Tim Eagle raised that at committee, a marine directorate official responded that that was “not currently realistic”. What is not realistic is believing that we should continue down the path that we are on. If the Scottish Government and the Parliament work together at stages 2 and 3, we can strengthen the bill and begin the shift away from marine decline towards marine recovery. I urge all members to take that opportunity. 16:12”
“Indeed, a full suite of offshore management measures will still not be in place by the end of this parliamentary session. Although 30 per cent of Scotland’s inshore waters might be marked on a map as being protected, less than 1 per cent are currently protected from all commercial fishing activity. Let us be honest—a protected area in name is not protected at all. We were supposed to see an inshore fisheries act in 2016 but, after multiple consultations, it still has not materialised. Meanwhile, the national marine plan is now a decade out of date, which is obviously doing neither the environment nor the fishing industry any favours. There does not have to be a choice between protecting nature and supporting fishing communities. Too often, those priorities have been pitted against each other, but they should be mutually reinforcing.”
“As drafted, the bill does not give us the tools that are required to turn ambition into reality. Groups such as RSPB Scotland and the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust have raised similar concerns, and they are right to do so. For one thing, there are no specific biodiversity targets for our marine environment in the bill. That is obviously concerning, but anyone who is involved in the marine sector will know that there has been a long-running pattern of inaction. We passed the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 to designate marine protected areas. The act was pioneering, as one of the first comprehensive marine management frameworks in the world, setting a precedent for integrated marine planning and conservation. However, it took until this year—some 15 years later—to get offshore management measures finalised.”
“There was no blueprint there, which meant that there were increasing difficulties for the communities in that part of Scotland. On deer management, Tim Eagle pointed out the requirement for clarity and proportionality with respect to NatureScot’s expanded powers, and Beatrice Wishart said that we must avoid unintended consequences and ensure that any training is proportionate. I turn to Scotland’s seas. The current state of our marine environment demands meaningful action, and the bill is an opportunity to deliver it. I welcome the Scottish Government’s recognition in its policy memorandum of the 30 by 30 target, which is to ensure that 30 per cent of our land and seas are in areas of protection or conservation by 2030. However, aspiration alone is not enough.”
“There is no reason why at this point in the session—and after almost two decades of the SNP being in government—we would not have the full information at stage 1. On national parks, I firmly believe that the Scottish ministers should announce a formal, independent and objective review of our existing national parks before any new national parks are designated, so that we properly assess what has been achieved. It is also key to define what a national park is or, at the very least, to define its particular geographical area for local communities to avoid the farce that we saw in Dumfries and Galloway, where there were so many factors to consider that no one knew what the national park meant and whether they could support it. Those factors include biodiversity, tourism, economic development, hospitality, retail and farming.”
“Lots of concerns were raised around part 2, which I believe were partially addressed by the cabinet secretary. Sarah Boyack pointed to the “sweeping” regulatory powers and concerns that standards could, in fact, be undermined and to the requirement to build public trust. Douglas Ross: I listened to what the cabinet secretary said, just before Sarah Boyack intervened on her, in outlining the amendments that she will look to lodge. Does Maurice Golden agree that, if the Government had done its work in advance of lodging the bill, it would have seen the potential problems? We would then not be looking to amend the bill at stage 2, as the Government would have got it right at stage 1. Maurice Golden: I agree.”
“The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill is an opportunity not just to halt that environmental decline but to actively restore our natural heritage and reverse biodiversity loss, as Mark Ruskell highlighted. I will focus my comments on Scotland’s seas. However, as we have heard throughout the debate, the bill touches on every corner of Scotland’s natural environment. In relation to part 1, on biodiversity targets, it is clear that statutory biodiversity targets should be ambitious, practical and achievable. Tim Eagle pointed out the serial failures of successive Scottish Governments to meet the targets that they outlined in their strategies, dating back to 2004. Jamie Halcro Johnston pointed out that we must have an “effective and sustainable approach” to biodiversity.”
“In recent months, we have seen an alarming retreat from climate action. That is deeply concerning, because the threats that are posed by climate change and biodiversity loss have not diminished. Those twin crises will not pass Scotland by, as Sarah Boyack highlighted. The cabinet secretary said that Parliament has “a long and proud tradition of supporting our natural environment” and that that “defines our place in the world”. That is true, but the reality is that we are already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with a 15 per cent decline in average species abundance since the mid-1990s, according to the “State of Nature” report. Without action, we face further damage, whether it be the degradation of our iconic landscape, the rising flood risks for our communities or new pressures on businesses.”
“With the right amendments providing stronger powers, the bill can help us to move from ambition to action, and I look forward to working constructively to ensure that it does that. 15:01”
“I welcome the fact that the cabinet secretary is reflecting on the risks that have been raised by stakeholders and the committee, but we must ensure that the powers in part 2 of the bill will build public trust and not undermine accountability and decision making. Through the bill, Scotland has the opportunity to show leadership, not only in setting nature recovery targets but in delivering them and demonstrating how democratic, inclusive policy making can result in good outcomes for people and our planet. In the past decade alone, 43 per cent of Scotland’s species have declined. This is a now issue, and the bill must deliver on its promise to set us firmly on a path to restore Scotland’s natural environment, protect our iconic landscapes and species, and empower communities to be at the heart of nature recovery.”
“The EIA regime covers numerous sectors, including agriculture, forestry, marine licensing, planning and flood management. It is concerning that, if we do not maintain the same standards, we could see them undermined. Stakeholders across the environmental and planning sectors have expressed deep unease about the breadth of those powers. Without robust safeguards, there is a real risk of regression in environmental standards, which we cannot allow. I have been looking at the issue of having a non-regression clause to guarantee that existing protections will not be weakened, because the urgency of our nature crisis leaves no room for going backwards.”
“Scottish Labour is keen to propose amendments at stage 2. I am keen to amend the provisions on marine and coastal habitats, because those ecosystems are critical for our biodiversity and climate mitigation, but their ability to sequester carbon and build resilience depends on reducing the pressures that are caused by our activities. Our legislative approach must reflect the need for adaptation as well as mitigation, recognising that nature and climate policies are deeply intertwined. I thought that it was interesting that, in her opening comments, the cabinet secretary reflected on part 2 of the bill, because it grants ministers sweeping enabling powers to amend the two cornerstone pillars of environmental protection— the habitats regulations and the environmental impact assessment legislation.”
“We should ensure that enforcement is not the first response to minor byelaw infringements. We should emphasise education, community engagement and practical support, because our national parks are hugely important to the public. With the right vision and accountability, they can become leading examples of nature restoration, climate resilience, sustainable tourism and food production in action. I stress that our approach to the nature targets must not overlook species. Achieving the goal of protecting 30 per cent of our land for nature by 2030 will need meaningful dialogue with our rural and island communities, because there are residents in the Highlands and Islands specifically who feel both that their land should be protected and that it should be their land. We have been debating that issue this week.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Sarah Boyack: Yes, if it is brief. Maurice Golden: Does Sarah Boyack agree that we need to define what a national park looks like so that we can have a meaningful consultation with communities? Sarah Boyack: Defining boundaries is important, but it is also about giving national parks support so that they can fulfil their full potential to lead on nature recovery, sustainable development and community empowerment. Work needs to be done. I believe that ministers should publish a national parks policy framework, setting out a clear vision for how Scotland’s national parks can contribute to nature recovery targets and climate commitments. That should also include guidance for public bodies and officials on how to fulfil the new duty in the bill to seek to further national park aims.”
“I look forward to the debate and to addressing members’ comments when I sum up. I move, That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill. 15:40”
“I am pleased by its unanimous support for the general principles of the bill at stage 1, which shows that this is not a partisan issue. I also welcome the committee’s conclusion that “a stand-alone, statutory offence would recognise that dogs are sentient beings and reflect the impact on animal welfare associated with their theft.” That affirms the case that stakeholders have been making for some years. I also whole-heartedly welcome the committee’s recommendations on the general principles of the bill. Moreover, I am giving consideration to further recommendations from the committee. I extend an open invitation not only to members of the committee but to the Scottish Government and the minister—we have had a series of productive meetings thus far—and stakeholders to help us refine the bill at stage 2, should it pass at stage 1 tonight.”