Graham Simpson
Reform UK · Scotland
“We have a deluge of speculative applications for AI data centres across the country. We have heard already that the area that I represent, North Lanarkshire, is designated an AI growth zone.”
“[Made a request to intervene.] Murdo Fraser: Perhaps Mr Simpson has an explanation for that. Graham Simpson: I have personally congratulated Douglas Lumsden for winning that by-election. However, the only reason for the by-election was that I managed to get double jobbing banned.”
“If anything additional is needed—such as regulatory changes—as a result of this emerging technology, we need to be alive to that as well. I have been in post for three weeks in this area, but I want to ensure that this is taken forward. There is a great deal of interest in the issue across rural portfolios.”
“I move, That the Parliament recognises the importance of affordable bus services connecting people to employment, education and essential services; welcomes the success of the free bus schemes available to 2.4 million people, including all those aged under 22, over 60 and disabled people; believes that more can be done to make it easier a…”
“I want fare capping to succeed, as it has down south and as have similar schemes when tried elsewhere in Europe and indeed in these isles. The evidence is there already. In London, bus and tram travel is capped at £5.25 a day and £24.70 a week.”
“At the end, if franchising gets that far, there is the added hoop of having to get the whole scheme approved by an independent, unelected panel that is convened by the traffic commissioner for Scotland, who is a United Kingdom Government appointee. After years of effort, the whole thing could fall at that point, which is wrong.”
The complete record
Every one of 357 lines we hold for Graham Simpson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 8.
“Does Craig Hoy agree that it is troubling that we have a system whereby one person can overturn a democratic decision such as the one that was taken here or ones that are taken in councils, especially against such a weight of public opinion? Craig Hoy: Absolutely. That speaks to the work that I and colleagues have been doing in relation to the planning system, particularly in relation to large-scale energy development, where the voices of local people are often crowded out. Until yesterday, it looked as if the Scottish Government’s reporter was going to go against the will of local people and the concerns of experts and approve the plans.”
“That depends on the specifics of the building, and it is the responsibility of the public body to address the issue. As I said in my statement, the safety of public sector workers and the users of the buildings is of paramount concern.”
“Work continues across the sectors that Graham Simpson identified—including health, education, justice and the wider public sector—to identify affected buildings and to do technical risk assessments to understand the scope and the condition of the RAAC. As I said, just because a building has RAAC in it does not mean that action necessarily needs to be taken. Once that process, which is proceeding at pace, is completed, it is for the specific public body to take a perspective on what needs to be done to address the issue. In some cases, that has involved demolition of buildings and their replacement. In others, it has involved temporary closure. In others, the result of the risk assessment is such that no action needs to be taken.”
“In September last year, the Scottish Government published a report on RAAC in the public sector, which said that, in the NHS estate, it was likely that the number of buildings containing RAAC had fluctuated from 395 initially to 560. Today, we were told that 50 buildings definitely have it. Is that number likely to go up? Can the minister explain why he did not mention the Police Scotland estate, the courts estate, the Scottish Water estate, colleges or prisons in his statement? Ivan McKee: I identified in my statement that a number of public sector buildings are involved. I did not list them all, but, if Graham Simpson is interested in the details, I am happy to share that information.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what actions it is taking to end the housing emergency. (S6O-04734)”
“It might not be in the power of the Scottish Government to unlock the site, but we can facilitate discussions with other parts of the public sector or with the private sector. As I have said in previous statements, we are also looking to see what infrastructure funding can be put in to unlock a private development. In today’s statement, I gave the example of the £16 million for Granton, but smaller sites are also considered as part of that process.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: SME developers are exceptionally important—when I mention private developers, they are an important part of that work. The work on stalled sites is also exceptionally important, whether the sites involve a small developer or one of our larger developers. In that work, Scottish Government officials, planning officials and others work with developers to go through specific stalled sites to see exactly why they are stalled and what can be done to unlock each site. I will check in again on the issues around electricity connections, but I reassure Mr Simpson that the entire point of sitting down and looking at each site specifically is so that each issue that is stalling a site can be discussed.”
“The cabinet secretary’s statement made no reference at all to home builders that are small and medium-sized enterprises, which I found rather odd. The number of active SMEs is down two-thirds since the global financial crash, and more than 500 in Scotland were dissolved in 2023, yet they are vital if we are to build more homes. This week, the cross-party group on housing heard that up-front costs are too high and the planning system is too slow. One of the biggest barriers that builders face is the cost of electricity connections, with sites across the country stalled because they cannot get on to the grid. When the cabinet secretary looks at the issue of stalled sites, which she referenced in her statement, will she look at that issue? Will she agree to then report back and even to meet members of the cross-party group?”
“To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Hunter Foundation report, “Lessons from Singapore for Scotland’s Economy”. (S6F-04113)”
“As Mr Simpson mentioned, this is not just about the Scottish Government; the UK Government has an important role to play in all aspects of Grangemouth’s future. He will have seen the work that I have done with Ed Miliband and Michael Shanks at the UK Government level, particularly on project willow. We will have to take the industrial cluster’s future into consideration. The Scottish Government will engage with the UK Government, but we will do so at the point at which the council comes back with its plans and sets out how it wishes to proceed.”
“Given that this would be the largest flood protection scheme in Scotland and one of the biggest in the UK, irrespective of what the cabinet secretary has already said, does she not accept that, should Falkirk Council want the scheme to go ahead, it cannot go ahead without Government help—either from the Scottish Government or the UK Government, or from both? Gillian Martin: It is important to mention that there are two Governments here, which is critical to the Grangemouth community. The council and the wider community take the criticality of the flood protection scheme very seriously. The multidimensional nature of the Grangemouth flood protection scheme project means that many groups and stakeholders are involved at the civic and industrial levels, and the scale of the costs led to the decision to undertake a task force approach.”
“For peatland, we need to look at the high-emitting sites—we need to take a targeted approach and look at sites that are not just large in hectares but where the highest emissions are.”
“Having had a chance to have a quick read of the report, I can see that one of the indicators that is off track is woodland creation. We need ambitious action on tree planting. Can the cabinet secretary tell us what she is planning to do to get that on track? Gillian Martin: Two of my colleagues who are with me on the front bench today are integral to the drive towards emissions reduction in the agriculture, rural affairs and transport spaces. There was a significant rise in woodland creation in 2023-24, to 15,040 hectares. That was below the target and we need to do more, but that increase included 7,700 hectares of native woodland. Graham Simpson is absolutely right that we need to ramp up action on woodland creation, and we also need more peatland restoration.”
“I am very much looking forward to meeting the cabinet secretary at the opening of the new Hairmyres station on Monday. I will be travelling there sustainably by bike. How will she be getting there? Fiona Hyslop: I am currently making the arrangements, because going from West Lothian to Lanarkshire is a challenging trip, as the member might know. The sustainable travel aspects of the new arrangement are really important, particularly for those who work at University hospital Hairmyres. The idea is to provide choice and ensure provision, particularly for cyclists such as Mr Simpson. Stroke Thrombectomy Services 4.”
“Kate Forbes is having the mickey taken out of her. Can she tell us which budget she is going to raid to fund the latest increase? Kate Forbes: Obviously, that additional increase will be met from the Government’s budget. Earlier today, I had a conversation with the Finance and Public Administration Committee about how we will meet that increase. Clearly, the Government balances its budget every year, so we will meet those costs. Business Motions 18:02”
“I am happy to support the motion in Gillian Martin’s name, and I hope that she will support my amendment. I move amendment S6M-17399.1, to insert at end: “, and further calls on the Scottish Government to work with the UK Government on developing plans for hydrogen to be part of Scotland’s energy mix, and to set out how it can play a role in transport and heating.” 15:22”
“Mr Golden, who is sitting to my left, might be happier to have an electric car than he is, and refuseniks such as me might consider getting one. On hydrogen, the regulation says that publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations must be deployed, with a maximum distance of 124 miles between them. That is why, across the EU, you can see hydrogen filling stations popping up. I note from your look, Presiding Officer, that you might want me to conclude, despite having a little bit of extra time. I will finish by mentioning Grangemouth, which is in my region. We have known about the potential to make lots of hydrogen there since well before project willow. It is for the UK and Scottish Governments to turn warm words into action and make it happen. In general, however, there ought to be consensus on the issue.”
“She told us that HITRANS is looking at a number of projects, including a nine to 19-seater inter-island aircraft powered by hydrogen, which HITRANS hopes will be ready for 2027. The aviation sector in general is looking at hydrogen as a future fuel. Those MSPs who follow my contributions will no doubt have picked up on my keen interest in European Union regulation 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. I see no nods of recognition, so I will refresh members’ collective memory. This will be of interest to all those members who are desperately keen to keep pace with EU regulations. The regulation says that, by the end of the year, there should be one recharging pool at least every 37 miles on the main road network in the EU. Imagine if we had that here—it would be transformative.”
“In response to a written question, Alasdair Allan said: “these forms of heating will be considered for inclusion in future surveys when they become more prevalent in the Scottish dwelling stock.”—[Written Answers, 9 January 2025; S6W-32993.] I say gently to Dr Allan that we need to know the state of play now, and not sometime in the future, so he might want to reconsider that. I turn to transport, which is the biggest carbon- emitting sector but the one with the most potential for using hydrogen. There is a lot going on in transport. In November last year, the cross party group on aviation heard from Jane Golding of Sustainable Aviation Test Environment, who spoke about delivering sustainable regional aviation and improved connectivity for the Highlands and Islands.”
“Daniel Johnson: As I said before, I think that it is important to pilot this, but hydrogen has about one quarter of the energy density of natural gas. Is it not better to focus on direct powering of domestic heating through electricity rather than trying to substitute it with hydrogen, because it is so much less energy dense? Graham Simpson: I agree with the cabinet secretary that our energy system should be a mix. That is why I am keen to pilot hydrogen—just to see whether it works. I see Mr Johnson nodding at that point, so I am glad about that. Let us see how it goes. If it does not work, we should not proceed with it, but if it does, it has potential. It is a little bit concerning that the Scottish Government does not include low-emission heating systems such as hydrogen-ready boilers in its Scottish house condition survey data.”
“In what way does it assist energy security to power home heating with something so massively inefficient as hydrogen, compared with the extremely high level of efficiency that comes from direct electrification? That will undermine the country’s energy security rather than help it. Graham Simpson: I am mystified by the Greens’ approach to hydrogen. It is a fuel that gives off nothing but water; I thought that the Greens would be on board with that. Surely the idea of a pilot project is to test the technology to see whether it works. Mr Harvie is shaking his head as though he does not want a pilot project. His position is, indeed, bizarre. It should be possible to use hydrogen in existing infrastructure and boilers. If there are signals to the market to that effect, it could be a game changer.”
“I am grateful to Green Cat Hydrogen for letting us know about the Creca hydrogen facility next to Chapelcross, the Binn Ecopark project, the Strathallan hydrogen facility, which could be operational by 2027, and the Hammers Hill development in Orkney. I mentioned how hydrogen could be used in heating. That would help us to decarbonise and increase our energy security, if we make the hydrogen in Scotland. The H100 project in Fife, which has already been mentioned, should tell us a great deal about how feasible that roll-out would be. Patrick Harvie: Will the member take an intervention? Graham Simpson: Is there time in hand, Deputy Presiding Officer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: There is. Graham Simpson: Jolly good. I will take Mr Harvie’s intervention. Patrick Harvie: The member talked about energy security.”
“That is all well and good, but the story so far is one of the country having great potential but not quite getting over the line yet. Gillian Martin: I am grateful to Graham Simpson for listing all those projects. Cumulatively, there are quite a lot of projects, and because I took so many interventions, I did not quite land the point that we are also working with Scottish Enterprise to deliver even more funding to 11 projects, which are being awarded a share of £3.4 million, so he can add that to his list. Graham Simpson: I am not here to do the cabinet secretary’s job for her, but I am happy to assist on this occasion. There are promising projects.”
“Four applications for that were submitted in December. There was another £7 million for the hydrogen innovation scheme, which supported 31 projects. In January, Ms Martin could not say what that had achieved, so I was hoping that today would be the day for that information, and it almost was—she gave us a little bit of detail in her speech. There was £6 million from the just transition fund to HydroGlen, which is the green hydrogen farming pilot. Another £15 million went to the green hydrogen hub in Aberdeen, with some going to the Storegga green hydrogen project in Speyside, which is working to decarbonise whisky distilling and is working with the local authority to potentially provide green hydrogen for fleets of vehicles.”
“For all the cabinet secretary’s warm words, it remains true that, although a £100 million hydrogen action plan was announced in 2022, when she was at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 14 January, she could not say how much of it had been spent. Having said that, I do not want this debate to be a point-scoring exercise, which that committee session was in parts, because I think that we all want pretty much the same thing. That is why we support the Government’s motion, why the amendment in my name is so relentlessly positive—as you would expect from me, Deputy Presiding Officer—and why everyone should support both it and the motion. The Government has done some good stuff— we must recognise that. There was the £7 million in-year funding for grants to support strategically important green hydrogen projects.”
“I welcome this debate because, amid all the hoo- hah about net zero, just transition, affordable transition or whatever we want to call it, if we asked people whether they would like to be able to use a fuel that gives off nothing but water to power their homes and vehicles, most would say yes. That is, in essence, what hydrogen can deliver, and here in Scotland we can be at the forefront of developing the technology to do just that. It is a great opportunity, as the cabinet secretary said. As ever, however, we need to get on with it, because, as ever, we are not doing well enough. I will give a small example of that.”
“Cars and other vehicles are essential—let us treat them as such. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on ending the war against Scotland’s motorists. There will be a brief pause to allow front-bench teams to change positions. Fishing Industry”
“We now know, thanks to evidence supplied by COSLA and Transport Scotland to the Public Audit Committee last week, that Scotland’s largest councils— Glasgow City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council—want to continue to wage war on their citizens, with plans to introduce road pricing. The Glasgow transport strategy commits Glasgow City Council to lobbying the Scottish Government to introduce national road user charging, which would allow for regional schemes. Edinburgh wants to go down the same route, if necessary— and you can bet your bottom dollar that it will consider it necessary. However, that can happen only if we give those councils the power to do so, and we should not. Scotland is a diverse and very rural country. People need to drive. We should not treat motorists as the enemy, as some in the chamber want to.”
“Measures have already been put in place to make life difficult for people. Low-emission zones, which penalise those who cannot afford newer vehicles, are an example. Glasgow went first, started its enforcement in June 2023 and botched it. It was followed by Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Liam Kerr has told us in no uncertain terms about the impact of the LEZ in Aberdeen. Kevin Stewart: Will the member give way? Graham Simpson: I am about to mention Mr Stewart, as he gave an unusually amusing speech and revealed my colleague Douglas Lumsden to be a cheerleader for LEZs. Mr Lumsden is back from his tour of LEZs—that is good. Members would think that the nonsense would stop there, but they would be wrong.”
“Graham Simpson: Like you, minister, I do not have time. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Members should always speak through the chair. Graham Simpson: Although it is true that transport is the biggest-emitting sector, it is also true that the economy cannot function without it. People and goods need to get about and we should be making it easier, not harder, to do that. That is why it is essential that roads such as the A9 and A96 are fully dualled, and that the M8 is improved, as frustrated driver Meghan Gallacher called for. It is why the SNP’s move to cut the national speed limit on single carriageway roads to 50mph is wrong—the right approach is a local approach. There are some such roads on which driving at 60mph is crazy. The SNP should change those speed limits, but not everything else.”
“Paul Sweeney: The member makes an excellent point about East Kilbride and the fact that the recent investment in the so-called upgrading of the East Kilbride line to Glasgow will not dual track the route, so the frequency of travel cannot be extended to a useful turn-up-and-go timetable, which would allow users to turn up and get the train within a reasonable time. Graham Simpson: That is entirely correct, but I am looking forward to the line reopening on 18 May. We tend to think of motorists as people who jump into their cars for a journey but, surely, the term refers to anyone who drives, which they might do for a living, as Sue Webber said. Bus drivers, lorry drivers, van drivers and tradesmen are all motorists and are all vital to the economy. Jim Fairlie: Will the member take an intervention?”
“Our motion calls on the Government to incentivise people to use their cars less, which is entirely right. I do not want to drive everywhere, but most of my journeys are by car, as I have no viable alternative. If I need to get about in Edinburgh, I often use the excellent public transport system, or I walk or cycle. In East Kilbride, where I live, and in the rest of Central Scotland, the public transport system is not so great, as Meghan Gallacher and other members from the region know very well.”
“In fact, it was never possible, because to do so would mean taking even more punitive measures against motorists than we already have, and it would require an improvement in public transport provision, which is the carrot that we need to encourage people to use their cars less. According to Transport Scotland, public transport use would have needed to increase by 222 per cent. Given that the Government has reintroduced peak fares on trains and is not off the starting line with integrated ticketing, that is not going to happen. As the Auditor General said of the now-axed car reduction target, there never was a delivery plan. He did not say that the reason for that is that the actions that would be needed to achieve the target would be unpalatable.”
“The debate has been interesting; I use that word to be generous, because the debate has not really told us anything that we did not know already. We already knew that there are parties in the Parliament that are anti-motorist, and that includes the governing party. Sue Webber’s motion covers all bases, as did Miss Webber, but there is a lot to say. We have billed the debate as “ending the ‘war’ against Scotland’s motorists”—it can feel that way sometimes. Before I get to the various points that have been raised, I start by praising the cabinet secretary. At last week’s Public Audit Committee meeting, she was honest enough to admit to me that the target to cut car miles by a fifth by 2030 is dead in the water.”
“I have long been an advocate for Grangemouth’s potential to produce sustainable aviation fuel, which has been mentioned already. The Deputy First Minister spoke about legislation being introduced potentially before the summer. Is that just her wish, or has she been told that there will be such legislation? Kate Forbes: I am afraid that I am not able to confirm what legislation the UK Government will definitely introduce, but that is what we believe the timetable needs to be in order to achieve our wider ambitions.”
“The purpose of my statement today is to accelerate the pace and the breadth of that.”
“I have met residents from across Scotland, and one of the key questions that they have asked me is, “Can we just get on with it as soon as possible?” The single open call allows us to do that. We have also had that feedback about buildings from residents associations and factors. On the member’s point about when work will happen, one of the key points is that we are trying to accelerate that. We will be working as quickly as possible around the single open call. If people come back to us, we will respond to them as quickly as we possibly can. The whole point of working with registered social landlords and social housing providers is to increase the breadth of that. Every single building assessment and remediation will be different, as the member well knows.”
“It sounds as though the owners hotline that the minister announced previously is now up and running. People will be able to contact it if they have concerns about their building. They might get an assessment done and then they might get help with work, but we just do not know. The minister speaks about working at pace, but he cannot tell us what that pace will be. Last year, £41.3 million was set aside for cladding remediation, and £52.2 million has been set aside for that in the current financial year. How much of that money has been spent? Paul McLennan: I will come back to Graham Simpson on that point. On his other point about the cladding remediation, the purpose of the single open call is to quicken that pace.”
“I should say that this is not just about cost; we will also look at how the free travel is used. That qualitative information will be important, too. Aberdeen City Region Deal 3.”
“The cabinet secretary knows that I have been campaigning for this for years, so I am delighted that there will be a pilot. Does she agree that we do not want the pilot to end suddenly and for a gap to arise as a result? Will there be constant evaluation of the pilot to ensure that, if it is a success, it will just continue? Fiona Hyslop: I want to put on record the efforts of Graham Simpson MSP in pursuing this issue for some time now. I am sure that he will share in the success of the pilot and help promote it locally. Transport Scotland will monitor and evaluate the pilot over the next 12 months and report conclusions to ministers. Sight Scotland has engaged with blind and visually impaired people through survey and focus groups to support evaluation.”
“The minister mentioned Awaab’s law. I have seen an amendment that might deal with the issue, although I am not really sure. He mentioned that the measure would aim to fix problems “in a timely manner”. I do not know what “a timely manner” means; perhaps the minister can explain what that is. We have known about all those problems for years, but very little has changed. The reality of life for some people in Scotland is a badge of shame, which should make any housing minister consider their position. 16:38”
“As of 30 September 2024, there were 16,634 households in temporary accommodation in Scotland. It is not just about the overall figures; it is also the length of time that families are spending in temporary accommodation. For cases that closed between April and September last year in which there was at least one temporary accommodation placement, households spent an average of 234 days in temporary accommodation. That is shocking. That compares with 222 days for the same six-month period in 2023 and 233 days for the period from October 2023 to March 2024. The situation has got worse—and it is worse in Edinburgh. According to the Government’s own homelessness update of last September, between April and September, there were 7,500 instances of households not being offered temporary accommodation, which is breaking the law.”
“Children spoke of living “miles away from friends” and of sleeping in “beds covered with black mould, placed in accommodation with urine-soaked carpets, dead rats and broken windows, with no access to decent cooking and washing facilities.” They also spoke of lack of sleep, poor nutrition and hygiene and repeated hospital visits. All that places a great emotional toll on the children and their families. It is hard to imagine the uncertainty that such a lifestyle—if we can call it that—brings. In February, we learned that more children are trapped in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh than in the whole of Wales. That is more than 3,600 as of November 2024, compared with 2,823 children stuck in temporary accommodation across Wales in the same month. Glasgow is in the same position.”
“None of us here is in the position of living somewhere that we know is only temporary. The Shelter report, “In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation”, spells out from the children affected a situation that should make the Government sit up. It is little wonder that Alison Watson of Shelter Scotland said: “Their words have put into stark relief the fact that children are bearing the brunt of Scotland’s housing emergency. Our children are being denied their rights and condemned to growing up in often poor quality, entirely unsuitable, temporary accommodation.” She is right.”
“It is now nearly a year since the Scottish Government accepted what the rest of us already knew, and declared a housing emergency. It has been a year of missed opportunities and increasing misery for those who do not have a permanent place to call home. What a pity that the cabinet secretary is not here today to help out her beleaguered housing minister. Paul McLennan: Will the member take an intervention? Graham Simpson: No. The minister can come back in later, potentially. Government statistics show us that 15,500 children in Scotland became homeless last year. According to Shelter Scotland, 10,360 children are currently in temporary accommodation, which is an increase of 5 per cent compared with the previous year and a 150 per cent increase over the past 10 years. Those are damning figures.”
“We are taking all possible actions to help to deliver more high-quality permanent homes, provide the right homes in the right places and ensure a settled home for everyone. I move amendment S6M-16844.3, to insert at end: “; notes the actions taken to address the issues highlighted in the report, including the publication of the temporary accommodation standards framework and bringing forward the amendment to implement Awaab’s Law in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, and welcomes that the number of children in temporary accommodation has reduced in 20 local authority areas.” The Deputy Presiding Officer: I remind members that we are always tight for time in these Opposition debates, as we are today. I call Meghan Gallacher to speak to and move amendment S6M-16844.2. You have up to four minutes, Ms Gallacher 16:12”
“Will the member take an intervention? Paul McLennan: Do I have time, Presiding Officer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: No. Paul McLennan: I have raised that issue with Mr Simpson on a number of occasions, and I will try and bring up the issue in my closing speech. We already have a strong set of rights and standards that have been improving the conditions of homes in Scotland. However, the measures that I describe will go even further and give tenants confidence that their health will be protected. Hearing of the conditions that some children are experiencing in temporary accommodation has only reinforced the Government’s commitment to improve the life chances of children in Scotland.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data from the most recent Scottish landlord register, which shows that the number of landlords has decreased by 2,650 in three years. (S6O-04436)”
“I therefore agree with the Government that we need to reform the energy market—as long as the aim is to bring prices down.”
“Council tax is a big and growing part of people’s cost of living, but, instead of forcing a freeze on councils, the SNP needs to properly fund them. Part of the reason for this year’s steep rises is a fear of a pre-election freeze next year to buy off voters. The gushing bit of the motion that backs the recent budget is therefore laughable. The budget has made things worse, not better. In addition, energy bills, which have been mentioned, form a big chunk of the household budget. Bills are far too high; they are among the highest in Europe. Fergus Ewing told us why that matters. Part of the reason for that is our reliance on gas, for which the price is set on the international markets. Willie Rennie spoke of the need to decouple markets. Somehow, we need to break that model and set our own prices.”