Willie Rennie
Scottish Liberal Democrats · Scotland
“Daniel Johnson’s remarks were powerful, and he identified an issue that is sometimes uncomfortable and that we need to address. The country faces difficult issues, and we do ourselves no favours by ignoring those issues. Some of the points that Daniel Johnson made about immigration were right, and we need to discuss them.”
“Again, Daniel Johnson highlighted that when he talked about comments on “fighting- age men”, “strangers” and “two-tier policing”. We know what those terms mean and what they are appealing to. Thomas Kerr: Will the member take an intervention? Willie Rennie: Yes, I will take an intervention from Mr Charmer himself.”
“I understand that a German company will now use the Dalzell plant as a jobbing mill, importing 4,000 tonnes of slab from a foreign supplier outside the UK instead of purchasing that slab from Scunthorpe. All that raises serious questions about an important part of the steel industry in Scotland.”
“It is important for the UK Government that there is learning from the process and that the circumstances of our Parliament—for example, when we re-form following an election—are not an afterthought in relation to the UK Government’s formulation of its approach to legislation and when it decides to introduce it.”
“So far, the Scottish Government has not been formally asked to provide support, but I advise the member and the chamber that the issue was part of my discussions with the UK Government minister yesterday. The legislation extends to Scotland, and the steel undertaking would capture the site.”
“Will that be repaid, and at what point? When will we have a proper functioning mill—the only wide-plate mill in the United Kingdom—at Dalzell? When will it have a constructive relationship with the Scunthorpe plant? All those issues should be at the front of the Government’s mind, but, as usual, it is not paying attention.”
The complete record
Every one of 861 lines we hold for Willie Rennie, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 18.
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with GFG Alliance, Liberty Steel and Alvance British Aluminium regarding the companies’ operations in Scotland. (S6O-04872)”
“Through the budget process, which the Liberal Democrats voted for, we negotiated the inclusion of an additional £3 million for an increase in the number of training places, and that is starting to come through. As Fergus Ewing MSP has said previously, we also need to consider how we can keep dentists who are trained by the state in the UK not only in the country but in the NHS. Dentists used to serve a certain period in the NHS before they could take on private work. That has changed, and we need to consider whether we can reverse that trend and keep dentists in the NHS for much longer. 18:02”
“We should not really be looking at registration rates, because once someone is registered with a dentist, they are often registered with that dentist for life. It used to be that they would have to renew their registration regularly. The registration process does not really indicate the quality of the service that patients are receiving. What are the solutions? We need to look at the particular problem in rural areas, and at the General Dental Council process for foreign dentists who are in this country—apparently, 6,000 of them in the United Kingdom are not going through the system. That issue is primarily the responsibility of Westminster and the GDC, but we need to get it resolved.”
“There are many examples of patients who are struggling because of the lack of treatment. They cannot afford to go private and they certainly cannot afford to go to Turkey to get their teeth sorted, as some people can afford to do. Therefore, we still have a problem. There seems to be a particular issue in rural and more deprived areas, which requires particular attention from the Government. It is not just a case of going private or abroad. Even if someone is registered, that does not guarantee that they will get the treatment that they need, as we have seen with the case of the Cupar dentist. Some people can wait for a very long time. Their practices are so overwhelmed with the shortage of dentists that they find it difficult to treat all their patients, even if they are registered.”
“The Cupar dentist, which is run by the Real Good Dental Company, is now emergency only, and it has been like that for months. People are desperate to get treatment. They cannot even get the check-ups, and they are desperate to get routine treatment. Unless they are in an emergency situation, they are just not seen, because we are short of dentists. I have some examples that I sought from constituents. One constituent says that there has been no registration for two years. A couple from St Andrews have had to go to Glasgow to get check-ups, and another constituent said that their surgery had closed a year ago, since when they have been unable to register with another dentist. That constituent cannot afford to go private and their teeth have never been in such a state.”
“I thank Alex Rowley for bringing the debate to the chamber. He presented it in a grounded and honest way, because he reflected on the strengths as well as on the weaknesses, which he quite rightly highlighted. It is good to have the debate, because we are getting on to being two years on from the review of the funding system. An indication was given at that point that that would start to improve the situation, but in many circumstances—certainly in my constituency—the situation has not improved. In fact, it has deteriorated since. Before the 2023 review of the funding, we had the closure of the Newburgh, Glenrothes and Leven practices, which have not reopened. We have also continued to see practices not opening up for the registration of NHS patients.”
“Màiri McAllan: The regulations through which the exemptions will be set out—or, at least, through which it is my intention that they should be set out, because they are subject to the process in Parliament—will consider all the detail that Willie Rennie is asking me about today. For absolute clarity and for accuracy, I will await that process being undertaken before we confirm that. I will be glad to discuss all of that with Willie Rennie and with partners from across the chamber.”
“I think that the cabinet secretary knows that the most significant changes in the Scottish Government’s housing policy have been to dispense with some of the more damaging proposals in the Housing (Scotland) Bill and the reversal of the cuts to the affordable housing budget. However, we are still in a housing emergency and the scale of the plan that is set out today does not meet the scale of the problem that we face. My question is about investment, particularly in relation to the exemptions from rent controls. The cabinet secretary talked about mid-market rent and build to rent. Will the provisions cover the private sector as well as housing associations?”
“Children with Disabilities and Additional Support Needs (Holiday Hub Provision) 6.”
“The use of 15-minute timetables—that is, 15 minutes per day—to avoid formal exclusion is simply tokenistic. Third sector bodies have been clear that there are instances where that occurs in many parts of the country without the young person having appropriate wraparound support for the rest of the day. Can the minister provide us with a guarantee that that will be thoroughly investigated, to ensure that care-experienced young people get the educational support that they deserve? Graeme Dey: The chief inspector of education is currently looking at that issue. The cabinet secretary is well aware of the problems that Mr Rennie has highlighted, and we will undertake to write to him with a further update on what is happening. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 4 has not been lodged.”
“I am pleased that the cabinet secretary has laid out a process for ensuring that the concerns that the General Teaching Council for Scotland and others have expressed about the supervision and oversight of the system—not individual inspections—in relation to those two aspects are properly considered. The bill is a good step in the right direction. Now, we need to let those bodies get on and develop a strong place in Scottish education so that we start to improve in our performance. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Rennie. We move to the open debate, with back- bench speeches of up to four minutes. 20:25”
“One of the criticisms that staff have levied at the Education, Children and Young People Committee, and at the Government, is that we agree the form before we agree the function. That is why the review is the right thing to do to decide what we will do with quality assurance and the scope of accreditation. Only then can we decide where to put it. I am afraid that the alternative amendments in stages 2 and 3 were trying to discuss the form before the function. We need to get it right this time and to do it in a professional fashion to ensure that it is indeed right. My final point is on safeguarding and child protection.”
“They need to appoint senior people, whom we currently do not have in place. That needs to change, and it needs to change quickly. Finally, with regard to the SQA, the alternative certification model that was used during the pandemic stimulated the desire to abolish that body after many years of trying to get it to change. If we are frank, however, the SQA has changed. We can see the culture change that is being led by Shirley Rogers, who is already making a dramatic impact on the body. However, it still requires a plethora of committees, engagement processes, learners’ panels and advisory groups to ensure that the voices of young people, parents and teachers, from across the education system, are built into the SQA. We now have the charters to ensure that we get the culture right, and we have the important review on accreditation.”
“During all that time, those staff have been waiting in limbo. Since that point in 2017, my biggest criticism has been that the inspectorate missed the big issue in Scottish education: the decline in the international performance of our education system. It was once one of the best, and then it slipped down the rankings, but the inspectorate missed that completely. That is why, in a sense, we need a much- strengthened inspectorate that carries heft in the Scottish education system and can challenge without being intimidated by any part of the public sector. I am afraid that, so far, that has not been the case. Likewise, that applies to Education Scotland, which has now been split from the inspectorate. Those bodies need to be given greater support, because we need them to be strong and to challenge public authorities and schools.”
“Earlier today, I was reading a speech by Tavish Scott from 2017, in which he made a passionate case for change, but that case was primarily about the inspectorate, not the SQA. The SQA issue came at a much later stage, during the pandemic, with the examination results scandal. At that point, excitement and passion was generated because there had been frustration, almost from the point at which the inspectorate and the new Education Scotland had been created, as there was a feeling that no public body should be marking its own homework. That is why there was, at that point, a real cry that the functions should be separated, and later on, the Parliament agreed to that by majority vote. However, it took years for the Government to implement that decision, and we have reached the final conclusion of that process today.”
“Willie Rennie understands the point that some others do not, which is that aid is provided to Ukraine through different routes: direct military aid, humanitarian aid and other routes. Rules are in place, which depend on which organisation transports the aid and under which spending heading it is sent—in this case, it has been sent under overseas development aid. I can give Willie Rennie and others the assurance that we want to ensure that everybody in Ukraine gets the aid— civilian or military—that they require. We will consider such things very closely as a Scottish Government, because we support Ukraine in its fight against the illegal invasion by Russia. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 4 is from Stephanie Callaghan, who joins us remotely. Gaza (Humanitarian Aid) 4.”
“I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s clarification. In future, will he consider working with the UK Government on the transport of such medical supplies so that they are sent with no conditions, such as those that the minister set out in his response? It is important that we give the Ukrainian authorities as much flexibility as possible to use the medical supplies in the areas where they are needed. Angus Robertson: That was an entirely sensible contribution from Willie Rennie. He will be aware that funding to the tune of £65 million has already been provided by the Scottish Government as part of the UK’s military aid for Ukraine programme, which helps provide state-of- the-art equipment, including sophisticated air defence systems and thousands of pieces of vital kit for Ukrainian service personnel.”
“The accreditation function largely covers post-school vocational qualifications.”
“It is a good example of how committees can work well together. We have come to an issue that is not central to the reforms that were proposed at the beginning, which, I remind the member, were about separating the inspection function from Education Scotland and creating a new qualifications body. Accreditation was not the big issue that it has become now. Ken Muir’s report referred to it, but only as a narrow aspect of that report, and the accreditation issue mostly affects post-school vocational qualifications. My amendments today, with agreement from the Government, will lead to a more substantial review that will have a much more expansive approach. There was no consensus on the scope or location of the accreditation function that is currently provided by the SQA.”
“I fully respect Pam Duncan-Glancy, but I must disagree with her this afternoon. The fact that she has presented a number of options shows that there is still no consensus, even within the Labour Party, about what the process should be in order to make improvements. Pam Duncan-Glancy: I hugely respect the member and it pains me to have to disagree with his direction of travel here. The reason why there are options is not that we have not come to a settled view. We came to a settled view—we all did, including the member—that change was necessary. The bill in front of us does not provide that—it just delivers a review. It is not my fault that the Government has not done the work in advance. We should be reforming today, not reviewing. Willie Rennie: The process has been constructive.”
“The Scottish Funding Council has been working to support the university in that regard. The plan will require a look at extra sources of funding that are not public money, because public money alone is not a sustainable way in which to fund our autonomous, independent universities. We will continue to work with the university sector. We have provided that £40 million of support thus far in addition to the £22 million of support. We will continue to work with the university on the liquidity ask to that end and on leveraging in wider investment, which will be critical to Mr Rennie’s points about growth.”
“He says that he welcomes the £40 million of funding that was announced today. I do not want to be back here in two years’ time talking about additionality for the sector and, in particular, for Dundee university. Our purpose in providing the funding that was announced today is unique and unprecedented. That is why ministers have been advised to use the section 25 power, which is very different from the approach that we took earlier in the year, if Mr Rennie recalls, when we announced wider funding for the sector, of which Dundee university received £22 million in support. This goes back to the essence of Mr Briggs’s question, which was about a plan and a sustainable look to the future. The leadership of Dundee university has to come forward with that plan at pace.”
“I will have the opportunity later this week to question the former leadership of Dundee university. I am concerned today about its future, because that is far from certain. The money that has been made available is good—I am really pleased about the £40 million— but it is only for two years. To avoid future job losses, on top of the 300 jobs that are already going, there will need to be a significant increase in income growth. If that does not happen, more job losses could come, but people do not believe that it is realistic to expect a significant increase in growth in such a short period of time. If the university comes back to this position, will the Government step in again to prevent future job losses? Jenny Gilruth: I thank Mr Rennie for his question and his participation in the round tables that we have held with local members.”
“The Subsidy Control Act 2022 is reserved to Westminster—it is not brand new, but it is fairly recent, having been enacted in the post-Brexit years—and discussions around that have been useful. I hope that that answers the question about what is new.”
“Flexibility around procurement rules and subsidy control is an age-old problem; we have debated that problem endlessly. What is new about what the Deputy First Minister is setting out today in respect of such flexibility? Is she offering real hope? Is there new flexibility? Can she spell out exactly what she is looking to find? Kate Forbes: What I am looking to find is a means by which we can work with procuring authorities—people who actually own and run buses, in other words—to secure further orders for ADL. The Scottish Government does not own buses directly, which is why we need to collaborate. Some of the early conversations with the UK Government have been very helpful in that regard, and have helped us to understand what mechanisms are available.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. 16:28”
“I know Rosyth dockyard particularly well—I used to represent that area. It has just launched a new type of frigate, which the workers are very proud of. A host of jobs in Port Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh and Dundee, and communities across the country, depend on defence spending. If we are to take advantage of the increased investment to defend our country, which I believe is right to come here, we will have to get it sorted with the Scottish Government. We must be clear on exactly what its position is, because there is a danger that we will throw away the opportunity for growth. The last thing that we need is any further suppression of economic growth in Scotland. For the sake of our economy, for the sake of workers and for the sake of our defence, I plead with the Deputy First Minister to get that sorted.”
“Even so, the SNP position is for Scotland to remain a member of NATO if it ever becomes an independent country. That is utterly confusing. If we are to have any hope of getting any of the coming investment into Scotland, we need to clarify that. We need certainty not only for businesses and those who are seeking to invest but for those who are seeking to branch out into a new career or train for the first time. If they want to know whether to go into the defence sector, they need certainty on there being jobs and opportunities in it. We need to have clarity, because whatever the strengths and weaknesses of the Labour UK Government, one thing is for sure: it will be spending a significantly increased sum of money on defence. There are many opportunities for workers, people, communities and businesses in Scotland to take advantage of that.”
“We must have strong defences in this country. I favour that approach. That leads me to the SNP’s position, which is confusing. I have listened to Angus Robertson for years. I listened to him when he was at Westminster, when he would talk endlessly about the defence underspend in Scotland. He put a number on that—in 2011, he said that £5.6 billion less was being spent in Scotland than he believed the population share should have been, implying that the UK should have been spending more in Scotland. We then had, for a number of years, an SNP position that was in favour of diversification away from defence products and against munitions. We get a slightly different position today, which is a bit more sympathetic in tone, but, fundamentally, is exactly the same position, which favours diversification and is against munitions.”
“I get slightly offended when people imply that we cannot be in favour of strong defences and in favour of a moral and ethical foreign policy. I think that we can do both, and the Liberal Democrats have said that we can do both. Ed Davey has made it clear that we should suspend arms exports to Israel. Not everybody will agree with that position, but we have made it clear from the beginning that Israel has gone too far. However, as Ed Davey has also made clear, we are in favour of having a strong defence back home, because we are on the north-west frontier of Europe. We are and will continue to be a key member of NATO, and that will be important for dealing with the threat of Russia, which provokes our defences almost every day of the week. We cannot pretend that, somehow, we are in a lazy backwater.”
“At the heart of that is getting the NHS into a position in which it can get back to work people who would work if they were able to do so. That is now about ailments of the mind, whereas in the past it was about ailments of the body. We need to reorientate the NHS so that it is focused on economic productivity. That will make a tremendous difference to the taxes that we raise and to our ability to afford public services. If we can sort that, we will have achieved something in this Parliament. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. I advise members that the small amount of additional time that was available has been entirely used up by the preceding front- bench exchanges, so members will need to stick to a four-minute limit. Any interventions that are taken must be absorbed within members’ agreed speaking time. 15:20”
“Daniel Johnson rose— Willie Rennie: I will see whether I can give way shortly. I am afraid that I speak to a number of experts in that sector who believe that the Government is just not at the races when it comes to aligning the public services in a way in which digital processes can be used to bring uniformity and deliver efficiencies. Many experts out there are saying exactly that. Daniel Johnson rose— Willie Rennie: I am sorry, but I have only four minutes. The main point that I want to make is that, to get our public finances back on track, we need to get our economy moving. The biggest problem that we have is the economic inactivity rate, which is at 24 per cent. In England, it is at 21 per cent, which is not much better, but the figure is just dreadful in Scotland.”
“The more exciting that public service reform is, the more superficial it is—in such cases, it is more of a vote- catching effort than it is a real attempt at public service reform. I am afraid to say that Craig Hoy’s list today was just all eye catching, rather than a real attempt at changing the way in which public services operate. The size of the state has increased—there is no doubt about that. What we need to work out is how we get it back down to pre-Covid levels. We need a detailed understanding of that. I hope that, tomorrow, the minister will set out a very clear programme of boring, detailed change that results in a difference, because it is the difference that really matters in the long run. We also need digital and AI—this is perhaps where I agree with Lorna Slater—to be at the heart of the work that we are doing.”
“It said: “Boris Johnson’s partygate scandal a ‘difference of opinion’, Craig Hoy says.” He was dismissing the partygate scandal, somehow. I think that it is reasonable to ask questions of Neil Gray—as long as we understand that we need to reflect on our own past comments and observations on our own party when doing so. For Craig Hoy to make that speech about economic and financial competence, given his party’s responsibility for Liz Truss, Brexit and even Boris Johnson, took a great degree of courage. I give him full credit for making that attempt this afternoon. Public service reform should be boring. It should be boring, detailed and hard work to find out where efficiencies can be made.”
“I think that I like—[Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Rennie, could you sit down, please? Could those on the Conservative benches show some courtesy and respect to other speakers in this debate, please? I again call Willie Rennie to open on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Willie Rennie: I like this new Lorna Slater, who is outsourcing intelligence to artificial intelligence. We might see some new radical policies—perhaps even more radical than before. I like a robust and colourful contribution in the chamber. I admire Craig Hoy for his approach to politics, because it is sometimes very entertaining and educational. However, I have to say that he took a kamikaze approach today. I was looking back at a headline in a newspaper in, I think, 2022.”
“It is an important part of our community and society and we should be supporting it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. 17:50”
“We therefore need to make sure that we give the right support in our traditional communities. I am pleased that the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig amendment was passed, and I hope that the college will be given enhanced and elevated status so that it becomes a national centre. I am pleased that we are moving towards a simplified process for designating Gaelic-medium education schools. I am particularly interested in the potential of the Gàidhealtachd—the areas of linguistic significance. On the surface, the concept is pretty vacuous and might not mean an awful lot, unless local authorities and communities really get behind it. My hope is that it will be a central gathering point for the energy for change, so that the retreat is reversed and progress is enhanced. Finally, I am also pleased about the enhancement, for the first time, for Scots.”
“Although we are getting the language expanded and spread across Scotland in schools, when it comes to the pub, the cafe or the home, people do not use the language daily in the way that we would like it to be used. It should not be peripheral but central to their lives. We need a critical mass to make that happen, and extra support in communities will be required to give it critical mass and enhanced credibility so that it does not retreat further. A bizarre knock-on effect of spreading Gaelic- medium education into our cities is that there is now a shortage of Gaelic-medium education teachers in many schools in traditional Gaelic- speaking areas. It is bizarre—extraordinary, in some ways—that the very communities that we are trying to help are being damaged by that expansion across the country.”
“On some occasions, it was just as well that the witnesses sat with somebody in between them, because they felt so strongly about the language and its importance. Like Ross Greer, I am incredibly grateful for the support of the bill team. Not only are its members outstanding; they care deeply about the language. That gives me confidence that we will be able to move forward and make progress. The language used to be suppressed by the state. Now, it is supported by the state and elevated by the state. However, just when the state is behind the language, people are neglecting it in their communities and moving away from it. That should alarm us.”
“We were pretty underwhelmed by the bill when we started. It is pretty minimalist. Ross Greer is right to say that it has improved, but the reality is that if we are relying on just the bill to revitalise the language, we will fail. I was grateful that the Deputy First Minister recognised that. If she had started the process, this would not be her bill; she would be doing something much more substantial, together with the wider plan that she has instigated in other areas. We know that we are in a crisis. There is a real determination from many, but that might not be enough. We saw from the witnesses who gave evidence to the committee that there were pretty strong views and tensions.”
“On occasions such as this, I feel inadequate in that I do not speak the Gaelic language. However, in the past, Liberal Democrat members have been fluent—well, John Farquhar Munro was a keen advocate of the language. On one occasion when he was delivering his contribution to a debate, the interpretation went silent, so George Lyon, another former colleague of mine, made a point of order to ask whether something was technically incorrect. However, it was not; it was just that the interpreter could not understand a word that John Farquhar Munro was saying. Such is, perhaps, the diversity of the language. I am grateful to the Deputy First Minister for piloting the bill, because—to answer the points that Michael Marra made—it has given a new focus and energy to the revitalisation of the Gaelic language.”
“Amendments 58 and 60 require Scottish ministers to have regard to the principle of equal respect in preparing the strategy and guidance, but I can tell Ross Greer that I unequivocally commit to an ambitious strategy that is built from the ground up—in other words, one that is based on consulting with partner groups and MSPs across the chamber to deliver the end goal that he has outlined.”
“I hope that, one day, we can embed the principle of equal respect in law but, for the sake of unanimity at this point, a commitment on the guidance from the cabinet secretary, if forthcoming, would be enough. I move amendment 58. Kate Forbes: I totally understand the sentiment behind Ross Greer’s amendments. We have all heard damaging and derogatory comments about the Gaelic and Scots languages. I always find it quite ironic, because I probably know Gaelic speakers and Scots speakers who vote for every party in this Parliament. That reflects the value and importance of all citizens in Scotland, irrespective of what language they speak.”
“I believe that the principle should apply to Scots as well, but I am aware of members’ concerns that the measure might go further than they are comfortable with, or that it could have unintended consequences. The significance of the bill for Scots comes primarily from the fact that it will be recognised in law for the first time. It is important—certainly to me—that Parliament is unanimous in that recognition. Therefore, to preserve unanimity, I will not press or move the amendments, although I ask the cabinet secretary to give a commitment that the Scots language strategy will be ambitious and will seek to undo the centuries of denigration that have led to millions of children and adults across this country being embarrassed about how they speak because society has convinced them that it is not proper.”
“Section 25B—Status of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Amendment 10 moved—[Willie Rennie]—and agreed to. Section 25C—Power to enforce duties of public authorities Amendments 50 to 57 moved—[Kate Forbes]— and agreed to. Section 27—Scots language strategy The Deputy Presiding Officer: Group 10 is on equal respect for the Scots language. Amendment 58, in the name of Ross Greer, is grouped with amendment 60. Ross Greer: I lodged amendments at stage 2 to make it clear that, when ministers are preparing the national Gaelic language strategy and guidance, they must have regard to the principle of equal respect for Gaelic—that is, equal respect to English. Amendments 58 and 60 mirror those changes for Scots.”
“She is rightly determined to make sure that this happens. The Deputy First Minister has set out a positive vision that involves bringing together different parts of the strategy, with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig being an important part of that process. I am pleased to hear her say those things. I hope that the people who are conducting the review hear not just my words but those of Ross Greer at stage 2 and of Pam Duncan-Glancy this afternoon, and understand that the review must be conducted at pace. I hope that the conclusion is positive, in the way that I would like to see. It is important that we enhance the role of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to make it an important part of the vision that the Deputy First Minister has set out. Amendment 4 agreed to. Amendments 5 to 9 moved—[Willie Rennie]— and agreed to.”
“Although this is not necessarily specifically referenced in the amendments, I encourage members to consider how the provisions on areas of linguistic significance could also be used to support the provision of housing in communities. We should consider the combination of a strong, resilient and Gaelic-oriented Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the provisions on areas of linguistic significance to support the community, and the putting in train of the recommendations of the short-life working group on economic and social opportunities for Gaelic. Taking those three areas together, we have a healthy package of support for communities, including the provision of new housing. Willie Rennie: I, too, am delighted that Gillian Munro is in the public gallery today. She is a very modest but determined woman.”
“[Laughter.] I wanted to make the point that Willie Rennie’s amendments are important for the college. However, we know that there is an impetus to get more housing around the college to support the people who work and learn there, because access to the college and to the surrounding area is one reason why the college has not always had the impact that it should have had on Gaelic speakers. Can the Deputy First Minister say for the record whether the Government will consider that issue as part of Willie Rennie’s amendments and the review that they propose? 17:00 Kate Forbes: As I said, I have long been very supportive of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s vision for developing the Sleat peninsula and supporting its repopulation. Repopulation depends on housing, and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has taken a lead on the provision of housing.”
“I welcome the duty on ministers in amendment 4, as well as the identification of the matters that the review must consider. I want to be clear that there is an expectation that the review will move at speed and will have some pace behind it, and that other public bodies will be able to provide support as necessary to get to the point of clarity on the next actions. I am happy to support Willie Rennie’s amendments. I am grateful for the work that Ross Greer did at stage 2, as well— Pam Duncan-Glancy: [Made a request to intervene.] Kate Forbes: I will happily take an amendment—sorry, an intervention. Pam Duncan-Glancy: I thank the Deputy First Minister for indicating that, but I think that both the legislation team and members across the chamber would be slightly concerned if I were about lodge or draft any further amendments.”
“He has explained their benefits and the reasons behind them well. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig makes a contribution on many levels. I am conscious that its principal, Gillian Munro, is in the public gallery, although I do not mean to totally mortify her. Her presence reflects the value that Sabhal Mòr Ostaig places on this debate and on the cross-party support of MSPs. I am delighted that there has been cross- party support for it and recognition of its importance. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has a significant history in terms of its economic contribution to the development and repopulation of the Sleat peninsula. It is vital for Gaelic adult learning, Gaelic teacher education and professional learning. Those are all things that we want to encourage and promote.”