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.”
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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 5 of 18.
“I am much more optimistic than Patrick Harvie is about council tax reform and local government finance reform. I have sat through endless meetings in this building where we have had excited conversations about reform, and this is another one that I cannot wait to happen. The tumbleweed rolls by, while we wait for explanations from ministers as to exactly what they want to do, and nothing ever comes—nothing. I have sat with minister after minister, and they say, “Yes, we are very serious about council tax reform, and we are here to listen to all of your views.” We say, “Right, we’ve given your our views. What is going to happen now, then?” They say, “We will come back at the next meeting and we will tell you all about how we are going to take it further forward.” Shona Robison: Will Willie Rennie— Willie Rennie: Just a minute.”
“I move amendment S6M-20653.1, to leave out from “, and further” to end and insert: “; believes that business rates should support growth and employment and that sudden steep rate hikes threaten the survival of successful businesses; notes that the Northern Ireland Executive has paused its business rates revaluation to avoid large rates increases for many in the hospitality sector, and urges the Scottish Government to pause the implementation of Scotland’s revaluations, open the appeals process immediately, and provide additional relief to businesses using the extra funding expected following the UK Government’s announcement of relief for pubs and music venues.” 15:10”
“Many people, including the likes of John McGlynn, have argued for a much more radical reform of the process, and we should consider that. A pause would give us the opportunity to do so. In addition to the Barnett consequentials that will, I hope, come through as a result of the UK Government measures, which should go some way to dealing with the problem, we need to look at proposals such as the one that the Conservatives have produced today, which is for 100 per cent relief on properties with a rateable value of under £100,000. Measures such as that need to be considered seriously, because we cannot keep going through this repeated knocking of the sector that happens periodically. We seem to return to this topic as a groundhog day—on a repeated basis. I will conclude on that point, and I will sum up at the end of the debate.”
“They are independent, but they need to be given clear guidance about what to do next. Daniel Johnson: If we cannot do that, do we not have a much more fundamental problem with transparency and accountability in the way that the system works? Willie Rennie: Absolutely. Many people are calling for much more radical reform in relation to the transparency issue with the assessors. I have had lots of interaction with the assessors in my part of the world, and at the end of the discussion I am none the wiser than I was at the beginning as to what they are trying to do and how they have come up with the calculations. I have challenged them over the years. I am not qualified to be an assessor, but I would like to understand what they are about, and I simply cannot.”
“Much more needs to be done if the action is to be meaningful, and it has to be meaningful. This is not just about a political offer; it has to make a difference to the bottom line of businesses, because, otherwise, they will not be here to serve as an advert to the world. That is why the central part of my amendment says that I want us to follow the steps of the Northern Ireland Executive and have a pause, to allow us to consider and have the structural review that I think is essential. The minister is right that the assessors are independent, but they are not lone wolves. They do not decide everything by themselves—they have a framework in which they need to operate, which sets out things such as the method and the timetable. All of that is a political decision under which they operate. They are not lone wolves.”
“The minister is right that there is a cumulative impact of a number of issues, including the increases in tax and energy costs and the scarcity of staff, which has meant that many hospitality businesses have had to cut their hours. The sector is already under incredible strain, and tax increases are coming. That is money going out the door before businesses even open the door. It is therefore essential to build confidence in the sector by addressing the issue quickly. I welcome the fact that the Government listened and put extra compensatory measures into the budget, to try to deal with some of the issues with, and excesses of, the revaluation. We raised the issue in the budget discussions, as I am sure others did, and I was pleased that that happened, but it does not touch the sides.”
“The issue is central to what the Government is about. When John Swinney became First Minister, he was determined to reset the relationship with business. Step by step, the Government is undermining the commitment that the First Minister gave to the country, and this is just another example. Tourism and hospitality are an essential part of our advert to the world. I represent a part of the country that welcomes people from across the globe for its tourism offer, which goes from the east neuk to golf and the wonderful countryside. However, that advert is under threat because of the Government’s reckless approach to taxation.”
“I would be more than happy to set out a bit more detail on that to Mr Rennie later, as I am conscious of time today, but I assure him that there is oversight in relation to qualifications reform across the education portfolio; that oversight is not limited to schools and”
“It is required to work with other bodies, as Mr Rennie has rightly pointed to, such as Education Scotland and the centre for teaching excellence. I encourage Mr Rennie, if he has time between now and the end of March, to go to Glasgow, as I did last week, to meet the teachers who have been seconded to that centre and who speak with passion about the continuing professional development opportunities that it is giving them. More broadly, in terms of how these organisations work together, Mr Rennie will be aware of the work that we are leading on education reform, which also links to Mr Macpherson’s responsibilities in this area, so we have a board that overlooks these bodies in their totality.”
“It has taken too long, but I am pleased that the SQA was scrapped and replaced by Qualifications Scotland. However, I am indeed concerned about pace, because we are 10 years on from the big promise to reform Scottish education and we have seen hardly any improvement in that time. The real issue is partnership. How can we make sure that the new qualifications body works with the rest of the education system? The previous body was seen as intransigent and slow. What has the cabinet secretary done to improve that? Jenny Gilruth: I thank Mr Rennie for his question and, of course, for supporting the successful passage of the bill. On the points that we have talked about today, we should be mindful that Qualifications Scotland does not sit on its own in a silo.”
“We shared memories, we traded gossip, and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed. 14:37”
“Finally, there was Jim’s calm, respectful resilience. Jim endured many political crises through his 13 years as party leader, six years as Deputy First Minister, five years as a UK Government minister and 43 years as a parliamentarian in three different Parliaments. Most politicians would have copious amounts of baggage as a result of those experiences, but such was the mark of his success that he went on to occupy the position of moderator, which is probably the closest to God that you can get in the Church of Scotland. Last year, following the memorial service reception for George Reid in this Parliament, with a fierce storm raging outside, I took the unusual step of skipping canvassing in Fife that day. Instead, I joined Nicol Stephen, Jeremy Purvis and Jim for a very long lunch. I am so glad that I did.”
“I wanted to win votes, not to make rules, but Jim knew that the shape of this Parliament would leave an impression far more enduring than any short-lived campaign. Although Jim had an affinity for the law and procedure, he understood the essential element of politics, which is good relationships. During the coalition agreements, we had a grand procedure called the dispute resolution procedure. People thought that it was a grand committee that would meet periodically, but it was just Jim and Donald Dewar, because they trusted each other implicitly. There were wars almost every week between the Liberal Democrat and Labour groups, but every single problem was solved by that group. That endured into a sound relationship with Jack McConnell, who spoke so movingly about Jim on the radio last week. They all trusted one another implicitly.”
“Even though it seemed that Jim Wallace had lived many lives in one, he was taken from us far too soon. I worked for Jim as the party’s chief executive during the first Scottish Parliament elections, and then with Jim when I became a parliamentary colleague and then leader. There was so much that I learned from Jim. The first thing was his appetite for detail. When I was first appointed to the job, I visited him and the rest of the Scottish MPs at Westminster. I discovered them in a meeting room, immersed in the papers of the Scotland Bill as they drafted endless, copious amendments to it. Fast forward a year to the consultative steering group. While other leaders delegated the task to other people in their parties, Jim stepped forward to craft the procedures and standing orders of this place. I could not get it.”
“I am interested in that point because we have legislated in a number of areas during this session of Parliament, not least in our passing of Liz Smith’s Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill, and we now have Daniel Johnson’s member’s bill on restraint before us. To my mind, taking that approach would change quite a lot of the way in which educational governance is provided for in this country, so I am interested in how guidance could be strengthened. There are issues at the moment about the way in which national guidance percolates into our schools when it is not on a statutory footing.”
“Putting it on a statutory footing will help to bring clarity and decisiveness at critical moments. We have to be clear to the teaching profession and to staff, because this is not just about restraint. There are wider debates about behaviour, about violence in schools and particularly about additional support needs. The percentage of young people with such needs is now over 40 per cent. There is a debate about inclusion and how we manage young people and give them specialist additional support in schools. Jenny Gilruth: I am thinking about Mr Rennie’s points in relation to behaviour by pupils with additional support needs. Is it his view that the Government should, in future, consider putting other pieces of guidance on a statutory footing?”
“First, at a critical moment when a decision is required about the safety of a child, what we want is not caution but clarity about what is required to happen. If a member of staff is too cautious because the matter is covered in statute, a child could be harmed as a result. We must be mindful of that when we are considering the matter. Secondly, it is easy to work out what great practice is and what dreadful practice is. It is the bits in the middle that are really hard to determine. We need absolute clarity—that feeds into the first point—about what the right thing to do is, and that is why putting the guidance on a statutory footing is essential. We have had guidance for years, but it has not been given the emphasis, priority or seriousness that it deserves.”
“As Daniel Johnson said, it seeks to move the guidance that already exists from its current status on to a statutory footing. It also covers training and recording. However, we should always be careful when guidance is put on a statutory footing. Although that gives it extra priority and means that it is considered with extra seriousness, it also has the potential to introduce greater caution, which can be unhelpful at moments when clear and decisive decision making is required. I will return to that. Like others, I am grateful to the EIS for raising the issues that it is concerned about, because that is part of the accountability process. Issues of culture, resources, timing, workload and training were raised in the evidence sessions, and two of those are particularly important.”
“I congratulate Daniel Johnson on getting this far with the bill. He has done a very professional job in convincing all sides of the bill’s merits, and it has lots of merits. However, if anybody has any doubt about the bill, I would advise them to go and meet Beth Morrison. Anybody who wants to go up against her should think again. She is an effective and forceful campaigner, and that is in part why Daniel Johnson has been so successful. I am an original supporter of the bill, which I signed up to, but that did not prevent me from asking difficult questions in committee, because it is our role in committee to ask those difficult questions. I welcome the Government’s support for the bill. It was cautious in the early days, so it is even more significant that it is now prepared to support the bill. In one respect, the bill is simple.”
“I encourage Mr Rennie to work with his Liberal Democrat councillor colleagues, who I am sure will be considering whether they are able to vote for the upcoming Labour budget in Fife Council. Last year, they supported it, which resulted in teacher numbers falling. Centre for Teaching Excellence 5.”
“Fife Council is run by a minority Labour administration that is supported by the Conservatives, Reform and, of course, Mr Rennie’s Liberal Democrat colleagues. I accept the points that Mr Rennie raises, but it is politically incoherent to come to the chamber to ask for additional investment for hard-to-fill subjects while his council colleagues are taking funding from the Government and voting to cut teacher numbers. I agree that we need to work on the issues in relation to where there are gaps. Those will be identified in the work that we are doing via the marketing campaign. There is also the work that I spoke to in relation to the role of the GTCS, which is very clear that there are opportunities for people to have further qualifications in subjects and to teach in secondary where we know that there are subject gaps.”
“This is another example of poor workforce planning. To be frank, we are having real difficulty, with a surplus at primary level and, by and large, a shortage at secondary level. In remote areas in particular, that is a challenge. The incentive scheme is not enough. What other measures is the cabinet secretary prepared to consider to ensure that every part of the country has the specialist teachers that it needs? Jenny Gilruth: I agree with the sentiment behind Mr Rennie’s question, but I return to the points that I made to Mr Burnett. Consider the kingdom of Fife, in which Mr Rennie and I represent our respective constituencies: in the previous financial year, Fife Council was in receipt of significant additional investment from the Government of close to £13 million. It took that funding and cut teacher numbers.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that newly qualified teachers are able to secure stable, long-term employment, in light of recent reports that only one in four newly qualified teachers secured permanent posts in 2024-25. (S6O-05446)”
“Rachael Hamilton: Such an offence could, under the terms of the minister’s stage 2 amendments, see a licence suspended or revoked. That is unfair and unworkable. I will leave it there, because I know that I have taken enough time and I am getting looks. Finally, though, amendment 185 is a technical amendment that seeks to clarify that only offences that directly support or benefit grouse shooting can elicit a licensing sanction. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Jamie Halcro Johnston to speak to amendment 177 and other amendments in the group.”
“It is conceivable that such a wide definition would bring in anyone with a tenuous link to managing that land, including contractors over whom the licence holder might not have control. It would mean that the actions of an unconnected third party over whom the licence holder had no direct control on the grouse moor with regard to fulfilling a contract could result in the loss of a grouse licence. Briefly— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Very briefly. Rachael Hamilton: —even the committing of a relevant offence by a seasonal employee, such as a beater or an agricultural tenant, who might be in dispute with the landlord— Jim Fairlie: Will the member take an intervention? The Deputy Presiding Officer: The member is just about to conclude.”
“In the worst-case scenario, the actions of an employee acting entirely of their own volition on land many miles away from the grouse moor and in contravention of explicitly expressed contractual obligations could give rise to the suspension or revocation of a licence. It is important to remember that suspension or revocation of a licence would almost certainly result in job losses, both direct and indirect, and impact on spending in the rural economy. It would also result in a cessation of moorland management, which we know delivers for biodiversity. The minister’s stage 2 amendments effectively impose a form of strict liability on landowners for the actions of employees involved in the managing of land.”
“Amendment 180 simply seeks to clarify that a proposal relating to a different licence area must be given to the applicant, while amendment 182 seeks to ensure that NatureScot provides supporting reasons with any proposals concerning a different licence area. That will ensure that an applicant fully understands the reasons for an alternative licence area being proposed. I hope that the minister and members will agree that those are logical amendments that are designed to ensure that there is clarity around NatureScot’s powers relating and relative to the licence area. My final amendments in this group— amendments 183 to 185—relate to the sector’s most significant concerns. The minister’s stage 2 amendments to this bill have eroded safeguards that were previously provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.”
“My amendments do not seek to remove that power but to reflect, through more precise language, the fact that an applicant will better understand what land is used for and can thus specify with certainty and accuracy the land that should constitute the licence area. That should be the logical starting point for future discussion, and I hope that the minister and members see why such a change is important. Amendments 179, 180 and 182 are technical amendments designed to ensure that NatureScot’s functions are transparent and clear. Amendment 179 seeks to ensure that NatureScot will propose a different licence area only if it “considers it reasonable and appropriate to do so”, thereby underscoring the importance of NatureScot having good reason to make an alternative proposal.”
“The wording that I am suggesting in amendments 178 and 181, which is to “specify” the area to which the licence is to relate, would establish the practical assumption that the applicant’s defined area would be a better starting point. The current wording in the bill, which is to “describe the area of land to which the applicant proposes the licence should relate”, casts doubt on that principle and makes the scope of the licence dependent largely on NatureScot’s approval. The effects of replacing “describe” with “specify” become more apparent when combined with proposed section 16AA(5A) of the 1981 act, as inserted by another stage 2 amendment from Mr Fairlie. That grants NatureScot the power to propose a different area and refuse an application if an agreement is not reached about the area of land that is to be licensed.”
“The amendments will, I hope, ensure the future sustainability of a sector that I know at first hand does a great deal to tackle biodiversity loss, mitigate the impacts of climate change and sustain rural communities. First, on amendments 178 and 181, my concerns centre on section 16AA(4)(c) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the change in language from “specify” to “describe” in that paragraph as a result of a stage 2 amendment from Mr Fairlie. By simply describing the land to which the licence should relate, the applicant’s ability to properly define the licence area is weakened. It is important to remember that those applying for the licence to kill or take grouse will likely have the most intimate understanding of the land that is used and managed for the purposes of killing or taking grouse.”
“I welcome that engagement and thank the minister for his willingness to engage. However, I understand that ministers have decided not to lodge amendments to address those concerns, which is why I am seeking to do so with my amendments. I remain slightly confused after a meeting and some engagement that I had with the minister on Thursday. There were time constraints and the minister had not had time to consider the amendments in good faith, because of other commitments, but I very much hope that members will consider the amendments in good faith and recognise that they are intended to improve the workability and effectiveness of the licensing scheme.”
“Members are likely to be aware from my involvement in the scrutiny of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 that grouse shooting is an extremely important land use in my constituency, delivering multiple socioeconomic and environmental benefits in the most rural of areas. I am fortunate to have regular opportunities to engage with landowners, land agents, gamekeepers and shepherds who play an active role in the management of these iconic moorland habitats all year round. It is from that engagement that I know of the concerns and unease surrounding amendments that were made to the licensing scheme for grouse moors at stage 2 of this bill. I know from discussions with the Scottish Government that the sector has engaged with representatives on the issue, namely and notably BASC and SLE.”
“I have been told that the saving Scotland’s red squirrels project, which received support from the nature restoration fund, formally withdrew its support from the Borders in 2023-24 and made the only full-time grey squirrel control officer in the Borders redundant. The burden of protecting red squirrels in the Borders is therefore falling completely on the tireless work of volunteers. That is why my amendments seek to assess the impact and effectiveness of the Government’s current efforts to protect red squirrels. I turn to amendments 178 to 185. Before addressing my next set of amendments on grouse licensing, I want to take the opportunity to set out to the minister and members why I am seeking to amend the licensing scheme for grouse moors.”
“Its members do that on a voluntary basis. At stage 2, I lodged amendments that would require a review of the squirrel pox virus, establish a red squirrel awareness campaign, and separate the invasive grey squirrel from plants in non-native species specification. The minister spoke against those amendments and described them as bureaucratic. The minister went on to say that Scotland already invests heavily in red squirrel conservation and pointed to more than £1 million of funding from the nature restoration fund. While I welcome the work that is already on-going, those of my constituents who are part of the Central Borders Red Squirrel Network do not feel supported by the organisations and projects that are in receipt of Government funding.”
“Rachael Hamilton: My first amendment in the group relates to the protection of red squirrels and calls for a review every two years to assess the impact and effectiveness of current efforts to protect red squirrels. The review would also include organisations that are in receipt of public funding. As I highlighted at stage 2, the population of grey squirrels, which is listed as one of the 100 worst invasive non-native species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is approaching 3 million, and the red squirrel population has fallen to around 287,000, with 75 per cent of that reduction being found in Scotland. Throughout the passage of the bill, I have been working with the Central Borders Red Squirrel Network, which aims to stop the decline of the red squirrel population across the Borders.”
“Mark Ruskell has mentioned Hannah Bourne- Taylor already, and she is still up in the public gallery. I have never seen a champion work so hard—I think that she has come all the way from London today just to see this moment. I hope that we can all get behind the amendment today. It is not an easy task, and I half expected to see Gordon MacDonald dancing down the aisles, as he is the species champion, but I do not think that he is in the room. I hope that he is away doing that just now. I commend amendment 141 and Mark Ruskell for his work, and I hope that we can it get passed today. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I now call Rachael Hamilton to speak to amendment 171 and other amendments in the group. Rachael Hamilton: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will move swiftly on. Members: Oh!”
“As I understand it, the Scottish Government has still not committed funding for this year, which has made it difficult for farmers to plan ahead of the lambing season. Farmers are effectively being asked to plan blind. I ask the Parliament to support amendment 168 as an opportunity to help and support our land managers. 20:45 I turn to amendment 141, in the name of Mark Ruskell. Mark Ruskell has done some incredible work pulling everybody together behind this idea. I have a lot of nest boxes at home, and I have made insect hotels with the kids. Those are all easy things we can do. I would not suggest that we put all of those things into legislation, but there is a clear requirement for us to look at swift bricks, which is a cheap alternative.”
“That would be a compensation fund for farmers and landowners who have been “negatively impacted” by the reintroduction of beavers and the expansion of sea eagles. As I argued at stage 2, the return of beavers has brought acknowledged ecological benefits, but in many areas it has also created some problems. At the same time, the expanding population of white-tailed sea eagles has had a severe impact on livestock, with lambs being taken each year and crofters facing emotional and financial hardship. I acknowledge that the Scottish Government already has a compensation scheme in place for sea eagles. However, from what I have heard from crofters, particularly in the Western Isles and the west coast of Scotland, the Government is not doing enough.”
“The species should be removed from schedule 2 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 until such a time that hunting can be shown not to have a detrimental impact on the population. Given the severity of the population decline, the sensitivity of the ptarmigan to environmental change and the principle that wildlife management should be grounded in conservation necessity rather than historical sporting tradition, removing the species from the quarry list is an essential and proportionate action. Doing that during the recognised biodiversity crisis would help to safeguard Scotland’s fragile montane system and ensure that management practices reflect modern ecological realities. Tim Eagle: My amendment 168 seeks to establish a wildlife co-existence fund.”
“That population reduction correlates with the loss of range that was identified in the “Bird Atlas 2007-11”, which has largely been driven by climate change, an erosion of the cold montane habitat that the species requires, and overgrazing. Despite its red listing and the acknowledged pressures that it is under, the species remains on the quarry list and is permitted to be hunted in the open season from 12 August to 10 December. The impact of hunting on the species is currently unknown because bag returns are not required to be submitted to the relevant authority. However, for a species that is under such existing pressures, the precautionary principle should surely be applied.”
“Since 2021, as a result of legislative change by this Parliament, NatureScot has issued 116 licences for the killing of almost 5,000 mountain hares. My amendments would increase that number by a tiny fraction but would give golden eagles and others the freedom that nature intended. John Mason: I lodged amendment 166 concerning ptarmigan on the suggestion of the RSPB. The ptarmigan, or Lagopus muta, is an iconic upland species that has undergone a severe long- term decline in its breeding population of more than 80 per cent since the 1960s, according to game bag data. That resulted in it getting red status on the birds of conservation concern list in 2021.”
“My amendments respond to that criticism by limiting the provision to this single species. At Barry’s suggestion, I have also included a specified season in the amendments. In his years of experience, he has seen a change in the breeding season and wants to limit the licence period to make sure that it is in line with those changes. Under the current arrangements, Barry has been granted a limited licence to take up to 50 mountain hares per season by the method of falconry for the purposes of science, research, education and photography. The limited change that is proposed in my amendment would provide clarity and certainty by adding falconry itself as a purpose. Let us put that proposal in context.”
“Barry has campaigned extensively for almost five years to rectify the oversight of the legislation process, including through petition PE1859, which gained almost 10,000 signatures. Barry has two golden eagles, both of which are captive bred. They are aged 21 and 27. They have appeared in hundreds of hours of television and film, from “Winterwatch” to “Hostile Planet”. They have hunted hares with Chris Packham—can a conservation activity be better represented than by an eagle flying to the fist after a hunt for Chris Packham? The 2020 act effectively grounded both eagles; my amendments seek to change that. I am grateful to Murdo Fraser for lodging an amendment on this issue at stage 2, which the Government rejected on the basis that it was too broad and covered species beyond mountain hares.”
“However, in response to concerns that that might introduce uncertainty into the bill, given that other provisions do not have that wording, I have lodged amendment 165 as an alternative option that does not include that subsection. Barry Blyther has been a tenacious campaigner on this issue. Members will recall that, at stage 3 of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill in 2020, the Parliament passed an amendment to give greater protection to mountain hares. The intention was sound: to curtail large-scale culls of the species. However, it had a major impact on Barry and many other falconers. We are talking about a small number of people who care for their birds of prey by allowing them to exercise their natural behaviour. Under the current law, falconers fear being on the wrong side of the law.”
“Amendments 164 and 165 are alternative amendments that include the same core provision. They would amend section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to include specific reference to “the purpose of falconry to kill or take mountain hares” during a specified season “beginning with 1 October and ending with the last day of February”. The purpose of the changes is to offer legal certainty to those who have been granted licences to take mountain hares for the purpose of falconry that they are not committing an offence and that their activities, when in accordance with the terms of their licence, are not prohibited. Amendment 164 includes a “For the avoidance of doubt” subsection, which could give even greater confidence to falconers.”
“As I draft the regulations that will put those exemptions in place, I am mindful of the need to retain that encouragement to invest, including in relation to how we define build-to-rent and mid-market rent in those regulations and the conditions that will be set around that. We are discussing that matter with industry, among others, and I will update the Parliament with the final details on that when I am able to. The Deputy Presiding Officer : Question 4 is in the name of Tim Eagle. Tim Eagle is not online, which is more than disappointing. We would expect an apology and an explanation for that. Household Food Insecurity 5.”
“I am keen for new build-to-rent and mid-market rent properties to be built in Fife in order to help with the housing emergency there. However, I am hearing reports that the Government is considering putting in place time limits on the exemptions that were proposed as part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. That would potentially deter investment, which I am sure the cabinet secretary does not want to happen. What reassurances can she give the housing sector to make sure that damaging time limits are not introduced on build-to-rent and mid-market rent exemptions? Màiri McAllan: The purpose of carving out the exemptions from rent controls for mid-market rent and build-to-rent properties was exactly to provide the right circumstances for investment.”
“Please let us hear one another. The First Minister: The Government has taken steps to improve teachers’ pay and conditions. As a consequence—I recounted the figures to Mr Sarwar last week—teachers in Scotland are much better paid and have much better take-home pay than teachers in the rest of the United Kingdom. Scotland has more teachers per head of population than other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as a lower pupil teacher ratio. That is a result of the Government investing to deliver on our commitments on education, and we intend to continue to do so. Scottish Information Commissioner Ruling 6.”
“When John Swinney was education secretary, he instructed the recruitment of thousands of extra teachers, but he failed to ensure that there were enough permanent jobs for them. The result is that thousands are on precarious zero-hours contracts. Is it not the case that, despite all the fine rhetoric from this Government about workers’ rights, it has the worst workers’ rights record in this Parliament? When are those people going to finally get a job? The First Minister: Teachers in Scotland are the best paid in the United Kingdom, as a consequence of the pay deals put in place— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: The thing that I find really frustrating is that I know how many members wish to put a question in this session, and every time I have to stop business, another member is deprived of that opportunity.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action is being taken to improve whole-system patient flow, including seven-day discharge services, social care capacity and shared responsibility across hospital departments, rather than focusing on redirecting patients away from accident and emergency departments. (S6O-05395)”