Neil Bibby
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“Thanks to Scottish National Party cuts, health and social care partnerships across Scotland face a £0.5 billion gap in their budgets this year.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 17:20. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: I remind members that, if the amendment in the name of Craig Hoy is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Willie Rennie will fall.”
“Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament con…”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S7M-00249.5, in the name of Willie Rennie, which seeks to amend motion S7M- 00249, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on wealth taxation for public services, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S7M-00249, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on wealth taxation for public services, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
The complete record
Every one of 333 lines we hold for Neil Bibby, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 7.
“Ahead of the budget, as many members have said, the chief constable requested an additional £33.7 million to bolster front-line policing through the recruitment of an extra 850 officers. The Scottish Government failed to provide that investment, which means that we are likely to see further cuts in officer numbers at a time when crime is on the rise and confidence in local policing is failing. The recent best value report on policing in Scotland highlighted that workforce planning remains underdeveloped and that there is no evidence that the current officer numbers are sufficient to deliver an effective service. As other members have highlighted, Scottish Labour will restore local policing to improve community safety.”
“On that count, the SNP Government is failing, because the reason why our constituents and communities feel less safe is due to the Government’s failures on policing. The truth is that, despite the Scottish Government having come to power on a promise to increase police officer numbers, it has failed to protect those. There are now more than 1,000 fewer police officers than when Police Scotland was formed in 2013. I mentioned K division, its important work and the difficult circumstances that it has to face; it has 76 fewer police officers than it had then. Continued cuts to police officer numbers have involved the loss of another 25 officers in recent months, adding to the loss of almost 100 in the past year. In addition, those cuts disproportionately affect local officer numbers.”
“They also have greater confidence in Police Scotland to tackle crime when it is properly resourced. I recognise the important work of our police officers across the country, yet our constituents and communities feel less safe. I say to the cabinet secretary that the number of people across Scotland who say that they feel safe after dark is at the lowest point on record. Less than half expressed confidence in the police in their local area—down from 60 per cent more than a decade ago. Overall, recorded crime rose last year, with violent crime up by 3 per cent, together with a worrying 7 per cent spike in sexual crime. Claire Baker talked on behalf of USDAW about the impact of retail crime. The police are doing everything that they can in difficult circumstances. However, it is the first duty of a Government to protect its citizens.”
“I am pleased to close the debate on behalf of Scottish Labour. We brought it forward to talk about the reality of policing in Scotland in 2026, the issues in communities across Scotland and ideas for the future of policing in Scotland. Pauline McNeill and other members have emphasised the importance of local policing. I join many members in thanking our dedicated and brave police officers for the work that they do. In particular, I praise Chief Inspector Iain Farmer and his team at K division in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde for their important work in tackling speeding and dangerous driving in the local area. As I know from engagement with my constituents—as many members likewise will— they feel safer when police officers are visible and actively involved in their communities in responding to such concerns.”
“To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Renfrewshire health and social care partnership and what issues were discussed. (S6O-05495)”
“Earlier this week, operators at Glasgow airport announced that they are increasing their passenger drop-off charges from £6 to £7 for just 15 minutes. Those exorbitant charges will not just hit working people, their friends and their family who are trying to go on holiday; they will affect residents in the nearby streets north of Paisley, who say that their streets are being congested by airport traffic. When the First Minister stands up to respond, he will be standing in the same spot that he stood in in 2009, when he cancelled the Glasgow airport rail link. Does he finally regret his decision to cancel that project, given the detrimental impact that it has had on our economy, residents and passengers?”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities following the publication of its draft budget 2026-27. (S6O-05463)”
“It is important that that happens in the future, because I suspect that we will deal with such situations again. Security briefings have now been provided to the permanent secretary and to me. I will continue to pursue briefings, because an essential part of my ability to lead a Government that takes forward issues in devolved areas that are impacted by international issues is being fully aware of the implications and consequences of UK Government actions.”
“The First Minister: Mr Bibby is correct in saying that the Scottish Government supports actions taken to apply sanctions to the shadow fleet. I reaffirm that position and acknowledge his support for it. It is important that that action is taken, but the fundamental point of my statement is that there must be a recognition that the issues arising out of actions in that regard are likely—inevitably, potentially—to have an effect on the powers and responsibilities of the Scottish Government when they take place in our territorial waters. There must be, at the earliest possible opportunity, the strongest level of communication and advance notification to enable us to prepare for such events. That did not happen in this case, despite my prompting of the UK Government. I want a lesson to be learned from that.”
“I thank the First Minister for advance sight of his statement. The whole Parliament has been clear in its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so my party welcomes action taken to tackle the shadow fleet that fuels Vladimir Putin’s war machine. I also acknowledge the First Minister’s support for the action, which he made clear in his statement. Following the interdiction of the vessel in international waters by American forces, the tanker’s arrival in Scottish waters necessarily meant engagement and communication between the UK Government and the Scottish Government on their legal obligations. Will the First Minister tell Parliament whether he or the Scottish Government’s permanent secretary has received security briefings on the tanker from the United Kingdom Government in recent weeks?”
“I look forward to delivering the £100 million increase in Scotland’s culture budget, and the national performing companies are at the forefront of my mind in that. I would have thought that Neil Bibby would understand that the increase in this year’s budget is contributing to the delivery of multiyear funding, which the Government is proud to deliver. I look forward to continuing to support the national performing companies and I have them at the forefront of my thoughts for the remainder of the uplift for the culture and arts budget. I invite Neil Bibby to vote for that, rather than abstaining.”
“The national performing companies are one of our most important cultural exports, performing in the other United Kingdom nations and internationally in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls. The real-terms cuts to four of the five organisations in the draft budget will limit their ability to do that. Surely it is the cabinet secretary’s role to help to promote Scotland’s culture abroad. Is it that he does not realise the immense value of the companies to Scotland’s international reputation, or is he happy to blame Shona Robison for jeopardising our status as a major player on the world stage? Angus Robertson: We are 70 per cent of the way towards delivering our record uplift in post- Covid funding for the arts, which was opposed and voted against by the Conservatives and on which Neil Bibby abstained.”
“Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill be passed. The Presiding Officer: The second question is, that motion S6M-20496, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on committee meeting times, be agreed to. Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that, under Rule 12.3.3B of Standing Orders, the Economy and Fair Work Committee can meet, if necessary, at the same time as a meeting of the Parliament during Members’ Business on Wednesday 21 January 2026. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 21:08. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Bibby. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jackie Dunbar] Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-20484, in the name of Ben Macpherson, on the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, is: For 75, Against 46, Abstentions 0.”
“Scottish Labour will support the bill at stage 3, as it has done at previous stages, because it is not just about meeting our obligations to UEFA; it is about the wider goal that we should have of being ready to host major sporting events right here in Scotland. 16:17”
“As 2028 might feel like a long time from now, many football fans will be looking with envy at those who have managed to secure a ticket for the world cup this summer. Since Scotland qualified for the world cup last year, the cost of tickets has been part of a wider debate about the affordability of the event. We must prevent ordinary fans from being priced out of the game. Part of the reason for our hosting these events is to ensure that Scottish fans can access them without the additional cost of flights and accommodation elsewhere. That is why I believe that we should be looking to host more sporting events here.”
“Those events will help our economy, raise our international profile and give people living in Scotland the opportunity to witness world-class sporting events on their doorstep. It is for those reasons that we encouraged the Scottish and UK Governments to work together to bring the Commonwealth games to Glasgow in 2026, an event that is now just a matter of months away, and it is why we also fully support the UK Labour Government working with football associations and the devolved Administrations to bring the women’s FIFA world cup to the UK in 2035. Such events contribute immense value to our society, wellbeing and economy. They also demonstrate the benefits of the Scottish Government working with the UK Government to bring those major events to Scotland.”
“I am pleased that Scotland will enjoy a slice of that pie. It is important that we use our budgets to invest in sport and people. That is why I am pleased that the UK Labour Government recognised the importance of sport by pledging £900 million in funding as part of its plan for change. Although I welcome the increase in the sports budget that the Scottish Government announced earlier this week, it does not go far enough and does not deliver on the Scottish National Party’s promise to double that budget in this session of Parliament. That is regrettable. Scottish Labour has always supported the Euros being held in the UK and Ireland in 2028, because we want more major international sporting events to come to Scotland.”
“We must also remember that, when Hampden park previously hosted the European championships in 2021, Covid restrictions were in place, so many fans were not able to be in the stadium to watch the matches. As has been mentioned, the event will give football fans across Europe the opportunity to visit Scotland, perhaps for the first time. It will give fans an opportunity to explore our culture, our heritage and our rich history, and will provide a fantastic platform to promote brand Scotland. At stage 1, I mentioned, as the minister did today, the economic benefits that the event will bring. They will be significant and will provide a much-needed boost to the Scottish economy. The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport estimates that the tournament will contribute £2.4 billion in socioeconomic value to the host nations.”
“Scottish Labour has consistently supported the UK and Ireland hosting of Euro 2028. That is why we have worked constructively with the minister and his team throughout the passage of the bill, and it is why Scottish Labour will support the bill at stage 3. I note that Mr Kerr lodged a number of amendments to the bill and acknowledge that, although they were not agreed to, I believe that they secured important commitments and assurances. As I said during the stage 1 debate, I know that many of us are looking forward to welcoming this major event to Scotland in 2028. For the younger generation, this will be the first opportunity to experience the Euros here in Scotland.”
“I am glad that Mr Kerr mentioned the importance of women’s football at the end of his speech. In addition to all the illustrious names that he and Mr Doris mentioned, I am sure that we would all welcome the contribution to football by Rose Reilly, Julie Fleeting, Erin Cuthbert, Caroline Weir, Rachel Corsie and the many others who have contributed to the women’s game. I am pleased to open the stage 3 debate on the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill on behalf of Scottish Labour and to speak in support of the bill. I also take the opportunity to thank the minister and his team for their engagement on the bill over the past few months, and to acknowledge the work on the bill of members and clerks on the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.”
“It is in the Government’s and parliamentarians’ interests that Creative Scotland is able to deliver, including on the recommendations that were made to it. We will be working jointly and severally to ensure that that is delivered. Grant Lodge (Regeneration) 6.”
“The cabinet secretary has talked about the need for partnership working and has stated that he is open to suggestions. What consideration has he given to establishing an advisory board or task force to consider the recommendations and their implementation, in order to ensure maximum confidence across the sector? Angus Robertson: I would be grateful if the member could send me any suggestions that he has. He knows that Creative Scotland already has a board and he is aware that the Scottish Government has a sponsorship team that works with Creative Scotland. However, I appreciate and take on board the member’s point about wanting to have maximum assurance. If he has any specific suggestion on how such a mechanism might work, I will look at that with an open mind.”
“I hope that we can agree that we need to work together across the chamber, before and after the election, to secure the future of our swimming pools and give every child the chance to swim. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Before I call the next speaker, I advise members that we already have a later decision time. We are quite far behind the allocated time for this debate, so members will have to stick to their speaking time allocations and any interventions will need to be brief and accommodated within those time allocations. I call Patrick Harvie to speak for up to four minutes. 16:54”
“We will ensure that every child in primary 5 has a chance to swim and learns the basics of water safety. We will work to fully implement Scottish Swimming’s national primary school swimming framework, which I was pleased to see at first hand at Gracemount leisure centre in December. We will also conduct a national audit of school swimming provision to identify the pupils who are most at risk. Most importantly, we will provide that £6 million investment to make national implementation of school swimming a reality. After two decades of decline, there is no doubt that public assets such as our swimming pools have never been more under threat, and time is running out to do something about it.”
“Some pools will, inevitably, need to close, but we should be saying that community pools generally need greater protection from closure. Therefore, we must come together and establish, as has been suggested, a cross-party working group and task force, along with Scottish Swimming and our local councils and leisure trusts, to develop a plan for a sustainable future for swimming in Scotland. This petition is about more than just bricks and mortar. Swimming pools are a means to an end— boosting physical strength, supporting mental wellbeing and saving lives. Yet, on this Government’s watch, 40 per cent of our children are leaving primary school unable to swim. We are robbing them of their safety in a country where the drowning rate is double the UK average. My party, Scottish Labour, is fully committed to changing that.”
“Soaring energy bills over the past few years have resulted in opening hours being cut and temperatures dropping in our pools. Stabilising and reducing energy bills and investing more in clean energy through GB Energy, as the UK Labour Government is doing, therefore needs to be a priority and could help our swimming pools and other sporting facilities. We should remember that these facilities have survived crises in the past, including energy crises, and they can do so again. Yet, in recent years, they have faced a double whammy from cuts to council budgets and rising energy costs. As a result, in Scotland, the ticking time bomb is louder than ever. As Liz Smith said, we have 295 public pools, and Scottish Swimming estimates that 122 of them are more than 38 years old and coming to the end of their lifespan.”
“Of course there are pressures, but that gives local government the choice to invest in those facilities. Neil Bibby: I do not know whether the cabinet secretary was listening before I took his intervention. I just said that, last year, you had £5 billion extra from the Labour Government, so you could hardly have cut the local councils budget. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please speak through the chair. Neil Bibby: It is harder for people to access swimming pools and lessons just now because, for years, the Scottish Government has made it harder for councils to fund them. It is important to recognise that swimming pools are expensive to run, and it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that energy costs are a significant part of the reason for that.”
“As I told the petitions committee last year, when the Scottish Government, in this parliamentary session, received £6 million of Barnett consequentials from the previous UK Conservative Government’s swimming pool support fund, it resisted passing that money directly to local councils, despite colleagues across the chamber urging it to do so. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Neil Bibby: I will give way if it is brief. I am limited for time. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Briefly, cabinet secretary. Neil Gray: We just heard from Mr Carlaw about evidence from COSLA on the need to ensure that we do not have restrictive ring fencing of funding. I have just set out the increased funding that has been given to local government through a 5.5 per cent real-terms funding increase.”
“It also calls for urgent financial investment, and we know why that is needed. Years of Scottish National Party Government underfunding of Scotland’s local councils has resulted in local authority budgets being decimated, so that councils have less money to spend on leisure services and have to make difficult decisions. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Neil Bibby: The cabinet secretary can point to the last financial year, but his Government had £5 billion extra from the Labour UK Government, so he could hardly have cut the budget for local councils yet again. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Neil Bibby: I am limited for time, cabinet secretary. It is not just about that £5 billion extra.”
“However, we should listen when Duncan Scott, Scotland’s most decorated Olympian, warns the Parliament that the number of drownings will only increase as a result of pool closures. It is harder for our kids to learn to swim if the doors to the pools are locked; when swimming pools in Scotland close or community pools cut their opening hours; and when the cost of a swimming session rises. The cost of a swimming lesson has doubled since 2018, and, as we know, it is the poorest kids who are priced out. It is also harder because the pandemic resulted in growing waiting lists for kids’ swimming lessons. Everything right now seems to be making it harder, and it is our job to make it easier. The petition before us urges the Scottish Government to keep our leisure facilities open.”
“A happy new year to you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and to everyone across the chamber. Scottish Labour very much welcomes the debate, and I thank Jackson Carlaw and the Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee for securing it, given how precious parliamentary time is. This issue matters, and I commend the excellent work of Scottish Swimming’s staff and athletes in strongly advocating and campaigning for swimming to be accessible to all. That is needed because, as we have heard, swimming is a life-saving skill. Swimming can boost the health and wellbeing of people of all ages, and it can ensure that our children and young people have the skills that they need to stay safe in the water.”
“Neurodevelopmental Conditions (Provision) 5.”
“Neil Gray: As Mr Bibby will know, those decisions are made locally, which they need to be. I am very familiar with the work of Accord Hospice, as I am with the hospice network. I am in the fortunate position of having a remarkable hospice in my constituency, as well, so I recognise and understand the invaluable contribution that they make and I encourage all our health boards and IJB partners to support the hospice network. That is why we have invested additional money and resources into hospice funding—to give support for pay parity, for example—and why we will continue to work with the sector. Although I do not comment directly on the individual case that Mr Bibby raises—for obvious reasons in relation to local decision making—I hope that that gives him some assurance of the Government’s support for the sector.”
“Last week, I met staff and volunteers at Accord Hospice, which runs the Renfrewshire bereavement network. The network provides vital support to people who are experiencing loss or dealing with grief. The service is free at the point of use and works with minimal wait for people. Despite the high demand for its service, Accord is concerned about there being no secure commitment to funding from the health and social care partnership, which could potentially put the service at risk. That is exacerbated by a 7 per cent reduction in overall hospice funding from Renfrewshire HSCP this year. Does the minister agree that organisations such as Accord Hospice are best placed to deliver such specialist services and that we should do everything that we can to protect them and their funding?”
“Neil Bibby is correct that Scottish Government officials met those from the Home Office just yesterday to discuss the issue. He will also be aware that we will need to work with the United Kingdom Government to bring forward legislative change as soon as possible. I hope and anticipate that there may be a piece of UK legislation on transport that will help to take matters forward.”
“The cabinet secretary will be aware that I have raised on many occasions with the First Minister the need for speed awareness courses. Progress has been extremely slow. However, I thank the cabinet secretary for her recent letter to me that outlined the steps that she has taken. I understand that there was a meeting yesterday between officials from the Scottish Government and from the Home Office to discuss the matter. I assume that the Home Office has raised no objections to rolling out speed awareness courses in Scotland, given that they have been operating in England for nearly 20 years. When does the cabinet secretary expect speed awareness courses to be rolled out in Scotland? Fiona Hyslop: A number of players are involved in that—not only Police Scotland but the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.”
“All that is left to say is to wish Steve Clarke and the whole team the very best ahead of next summer. 18:23”
“It would be helpful to hear from the minister whether the Scottish Government intends to keep its commitment to double the sports budget to £100 million in this parliamentary session, because that would enable this event to leave a lasting legacy for future generations of Scots. To make this a truly shared national celebration, we must also facilitate participation for fans who will not be able to travel to North America. Although the kick-off times are late here—or early in the morning—I urge local authorities and licensing boards to consider what they can do to bring people together to watch the games here. This is a moment for our nation to come together, to unite, to celebrate and to enjoy. Let us ensure that the world cup next year is open to everyone, whether at home or abroad.”
“I add my voice to the growing concerns about ticket prices. Dynamic pricing should have absolutely no place in our game, and tickets should be affordable, because football without fans is nothing. This tournament is more than just a sporting event; as we have heard, it is a profound cultural moment. For every Scot under the age of 30, this will be the first world cup that they remember our men’s team competing in. As Brian Whittle rightly said, it is an opportunity to inspire a generation. We must use it as a catalyst to invest in our young people in order to match their ambition with a lasting legacy.”
“They never gave up and have given the team and the manager fantastic support. To see the celebrations of the fans being shared across the world was something special. That is why I was disappointed by UEFA’s initial decision to remove social media videos of fans celebrating. Quite often, there is an ugly side to social media, so to take down such content was wrong. I called out UEFA for that decision and asked it to think again. Thankfully, it has seen sense and has apologised to Scotland fans. Last Friday, most of us were glued to our televisions watching the world cup draw. Maybe the less said about the event side of the draw the better, but I have to say that, with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, we are in a good group. We should look forward to that, and I know that the current squad has nothing to fear.”
“I have no doubt that Scott McTominay’s overhead kick, Kieran Tierney’s screamer—I agree with Keith Brown that that was the best goal of them all—and Kenny McLean’s ridiculous goal from the halfway line against Denmark are moments that we will be talking about for many years to come. It is absolutely right that we celebrate our home- grown talent and our achievements. Like George Adam, I think that we need to give a special nod to former St Mirren players John McGinn and Kenny McLean, who both played an invaluable part in that success. There is no doubt that all the men on the park and those behind the scenes played their part, too, but, as others have said, we also need to pay credit to members of the tartan army and all the fans who continue to back the team following years of ups and downs.”
“I, too, thank Keith Brown for lodging the motion for debate, which I was delighted to support. As was mentioned earlier, a number of motions were lodged the day after Scotland qualified—I think that there were more motions lodged than we scored goals against Denmark. Scotland’s qualification has united the Parliament and the country, and rightly so. It has been a long 27-year wait, but we finally have a world cup to look forward to, in 2026, when we can cheer on our men’s national team. This is a massive achievement, and huge congratulations must go to Steve Clarke, the whole squad and the coaching staff for their incredible effort. The team were fantastic, topping group C and scoring 13 goals.”
“It must invest in the yard and deliver the promised £14.2 million without delay to help it to win a long-term commercial pipeline and make it again a competitive bidder for domestic and international work. It must also show confidence in the yard—”
“The people of Scotland deserve better than yet another report, this time from the Public Audit Committee, highlighting the consequences of more inaction by the Scottish Government. It is ultimately responsible for the ferries fiasco that has unfolded at the Scottish Government-owned yard, and it is for the Scottish Government to fix the mess of its making. Willie Rennie is absolutely right: the Scottish Government is scared to do the right thing now. To do that, it needs to listen to the skilled and dedicated workers at Ferguson Marine and their union, the GMB. It is time for the SNP Government to move beyond the warm words and the letters of comfort that it continually sends to the committee along with vague commitments.”
“However, we now need the Scottish Government to show a sign of confidence in the yard, too, not only with the capital investment, but with future Scottish Government work being awarded to the yard. The GMB has called for the yard to be awarded work from the small vessels replacement programme, specifically the replacement Lord of the Isles ferry, the original ferry having been successfully built at Ferguson’s. Ferguson Marine deserves an opportunity to begin to restore its reputation, which has been damaged by the ferries fiasco, with robust oversight and checks being in place. The Scottish Government should not be sending ferry contracts to Poland and Turkey for smaller, simpler vessels when Ferguson Marine has a proud track record of building such vessels on time and on budget.”
“It must be delivered as promised by the Scottish Government, to modernise the yard and provide it with a secure future. Although the contract work with BAE Systems to build three sections of a Royal Navy warship is welcome, it does not secure the shipbuilding future that the yard and its workers urgently need. There is no doubt that those contracts and the significant investment in shipbuilding and defence from the UK Labour Government—I note that Joe FitzPatrick wants to concentrate on what the UK Labour Government is doing—demonstrate that we can help to secure the future of shipbuilding in the west of Scotland where there is the will to do so. The work from BAE has been a sign of confidence in the yard.”
“Paul Sweeney set out in detail the reasons why that is required. The Public Audit Committee was clearly in agreement, stating in its report that “urgent investment in the yard is essential if it is to become competitive and stand a realistic chance of securing new work. The yard’s inability to compete effectively is, in part, the result of decades of under investment. Without addressing this, its long-term viability remains at risk.” However, in the months following those calls by the union and the committee, the pace of delivery of that investment has been glacial. Daniel Johnson pointed to the fact that only 5 per cent of the promised funding has materialised. Scottish Labour has repeatedly called for action and for that capital investment.”
“The Glen Rosa, which was originally due in 2019, has been delayed again; its delivery date has been pushed into late 2026. Clearly, there is a lot of blame to go round for the ferries fiasco. That applies to agencies, management and a merry-go-round of ministers. However, I want to be clear that the one group of people who have been blameless throughout are the workers, who are highly skilled and remain deeply committed. As Paul Sweeney said, the question is where we go from here. The workers and their union, the GMB, have shown the leadership that has been lacking from others, and have been working to turn around the yard. That is why, alongside Inverclyde Council and a cross-party group of MSPs, the GMB has called for urgent investment in the yard to improve efficiencies and help to win future work.”