Kevin Stewart
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“They don’t want you. The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Anas Sarwar: Five years ago, the SNP promised recovery and failed. Is it not the case that the next five years must be about Scotland recovering from John Swinney and the failing SNP?”
“In 80 per cent of disciplines in the national health service, there are no waiting times whatever beyond 52 weeks. That is the Government taking action to improve the circumstances in the national health service. Anas Sarwar talked about a potential change of Government. People in Scotland need to be really wary about all of this.”
“Now, Anas Sarwar turns round and says that everybody was foolish to vote for that man Keir Starmer, whom he had argued that we should all vote for. That tells us that Mr Sarwar is a man of poor judgment that the people of Scotland should not listen to and will not listen to on 7 May. Free Bus Travel 3.”
“[Interruption.] Gillian Martin: There might be groans from those to the left of me, who do not want to grow our economy by investing in new technologies for our energy, but Kevin Stewart is absolutely right: that is a key example of how the constraints of devolution mean that we are, effectively, trying to deliver societal and economic tr…”
“When it comes to the current situation in the middle east, decisions by the Scottish Government to increase the amount of electricity that is generated in Scotland from low-cost renewable sources has put us in a position whereby electricity bills should be a lot lower for people in Scotland, and are a clear example of why those powers sho…”
“The cabinet secretary pointed out in her statement that the SNP Government has increased the amount of electricity that is generated in Scotland from low- cost renewable sources and has put Scotland in a more energy-secure position.”
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“That is what the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee concluded in a report back in 2020, which I and Mr Mountain penned, but nothing seems to have changed since then. That is an issue that the next Parliament will surely have to grapple with. I have talked many times in the Scottish Parliament about the frequency and volume of cancellations, but it is not about the sailings that are cancelled; it is about the people who should be on them. They are who I fear for the most. My inbox and that of any MSP who represents an island community will have harrowing stories of the human impact of cancellations. People are missing urgent hospital appointments and funerals; farmers are missing opportunities to get their cattle to market; young students are missing exams and valuable education; and people are missing mental health appointments.”
“They tell us, as MSPs informing our constituents, which vessels are broken during any given day or week, which route is having to lose a secondary vessel to another route, which return of a vessel has been delayed due to further repairs by engineers, and which island will be left suffering as a result of the constant juggling act that CalMac is forced to do. I also suspect that there is a fair amount of frustration within CMAL, because although Transport Scotland seems to be making the decisions and pulling the strings, it is ministers who control the purse strings. The Scottish Parliament has debated that tripartite mess over the years, and the problem should have been resolved and overhauled years ago.”
“The Government will have the support of the Liberal Democrats in doing that. I would argue that all that could have been done years ago. Mr Humza Yousaf once promised to purchase Ardrossan harbour. To Ms Hyslop’s credit, she is once again finishing a job that Mr Yousaf clearly did not start in the first place. Another issue that has emerged as we have talked about ferries is the juggling act that so many of us have unfortunately become used to. It is the emails that we get in our inboxes week after week from CMAL’s head of communications, someone who is quite well known to some people on the Government front benches. Those updates are as confusing as they are frequent.”
“I appreciate that money does not grow on trees. However, we should note that a huge amount of money has been spent on repairs over the past 10 years on an ageing fleet. No doubt, some of that money would have been better spent supporting the small businesses that are affected by cancellations. Yesterday, we heard the welcome news that Ardrossan harbour will come under the control of CMAL and de facto public ownership. The cabinet secretary will know well that if her amendment is supported, it will effectively delete the premise of my motion. However, I want to put on the record that I support the Government’s moves on Ardrossan and the announcements it has made of contracts being awarded to Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow, and I hope that the Government can get through some of the issues to allow it to make that offer as soon as possible.”
“Those issues probably come as a source of regret to all of us who have had our inboxes filled over the years for many of the reasons that I mentioned, such as the MV Glen Sannox operating out of Troon instead of Ardrossan; the hiring of the MV Alfred, no doubt at great cost to the Government—which, I am sure, would have rather spent that money elsewhere— and the issues around small businesses being out of pocket and the compensation scheme that has been required for them. I reiterate that I would like to see that compensation scheme extended where possible. I also want coastal communities such as Ardrossan, whose small businesses are affected by the lack of footfall, to be taken into account. If the ferry is not operating and the passengers are not there, people are not there spending their money.”
“It has been warmly received by members across the chamber, who clearly have a huge amount of respect for and value the time that she has spent in public service. The Liberal Democrats thank the cabinet secretary for that. I want to move away from some of the statistics that we talked about in the opening part of the debate to the human cost of what the issues have meant to people.”
“Similarly, my two years on the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee as a back bencher— keeping Edward Mountain in check as his deputy convener—including during its ferries inquiry, informed my work as the Cabinet Secretary for Transport. Members can see that in what I have delivered and in what I announced yesterday. I say to all MSPs: defend the strength of this Parliament, be a responsible Opposition and support Governments when they invest in our communities and drive and deliver improvements. In supporting the Government’s amendment, they will be supporting all the investments that I set out yesterday, including investment in our island communities. Again, I thank members for their remarks earlier in the debate. 16:59 Jamie Greene: I pay tribute to that great and incredible final speech from Ms Hyslop.”
“We continue to work with public bodies to widen the reach of board appointment campaigns across island communities. I suspect that this will be my last speech in the Parliament after 27 years of elected public service. I thank MSPs for their kind remarks. I want to state how much I believe in a strong Parliament as well as good government—both need one another for accountability and for constructive public policy development. My experience on the Education Committee, including its early years inquiry, as an Opposition member 20 years ago shaped my drive for expanded early education and childcare provision and universal free school meals pilots when I was the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.”
“The new arrangements allow—and, indeed, require— the Scottish ministers to more closely supervise and directly intervene to improve Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. I say to Jamie Greene that a direct award to Ferguson’s might require further steps in that regard. We will consider further reforms, including any that are necessary to support direct awards and maximise the opportunities for public service reform. I have always been clear that, alongside any consideration of reform, we must ensure that the focus remains on delivering new tonnage, improving our ports and bedding in the new contractual arrangements for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract. The Scottish ministers remain committed to ensuring that island communities shape the future of Scotland’s ferry services.”
“On fares, the SNP Government’s introduction of the road equivalent tariff on the Clyde and Hebrides network has saved passengers about £25 million per year. For example, on the Stornoway-Ullapool route, before RET was introduced in 2008, single fares were £15.30 for a foot passenger and £75 for a car. Without RET, the fares would now be £25 and £128 respectively, but RET means that they are only £12.30 and £66. I have always been clear that, following the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services 3 direct award, we would turn our attention to further potential reform of the governance of Scotland’s ferry bodies. As part of the new Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract, we have already amended elements of the governance arrangements between the Scottish ministers and CalMac.”
“If members do not vote for the Scottish Government’s amendment, they will not be showing support for the specific measures that are set out in it: Ardrossan port being brought into public ownership and redeveloped for the people of Arran; Port Ellen being developed for the people of Islay; the proposal to directly award Ferguson Marine the contract for two vessels under the small vessel replacement programme; the competitive tender for the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles; and the removal of peak fares for islanders in the northern isles travelling on services run by NorthLink Ferries, with a family of four travelling from Shetland with a car and a cabin saving up to £193 per return journey.”
“Ferry- dependent communities, like everyone in the chamber, know that the blame does not lie with council headquarters, the workers at Ferguson Marine or the ferry operators and their hard- working crews. It lies squarely at the Government’s door. 16:54 Fiona Hyslop: This morning, I met CalMac and CMAL in Inverclyde and visited the MV Isle of Islay as it prepares to enter service. That followed my series of announcements and delivery updates on ports and harbours yesterday. This is an opportunity to note more publicly my thanks to the teams across CMAL, CalMac and NorthLink Ferries for their on-going work to deliver services and their complex work behind the scenes to deliver improvements and projects, working for and alongside island communities.”
“They suffer the economic and social costs of unreliable services, ancient vessels and reduced timetables now, and costs are falling on the communities that are least able to shoulder them. As my colleague Sue Webber highlighted, the fiasco was not inevitable; it was the result of this SNP Government’s mismanagement. Edward Mountain laid out that failure in detail. He said that no one has lost their job and that ministers should hang their heads in shame. I have no doubt that islanders and others in ferry-dependent communities have lost out and suffered real harm because of the SNP Government’s failures. Although jobs and businesses have been lost, it is telling that not a single SNP minister has lost their job.”
“As Scotland’s fleet gets older, those issues will become the reality on more and more routes. More vessel failures means greater costs for repairs and servicing. We have heard from my colleagues Sue Webber and Edward Mountain about the delays to the MV Glen Rosa at Ferguson Marine, which is a saga that continues to roll on but not roll off. Yesterday, when SNP ministers were back-slapping themselves about the Ferguson Marine news, the island communities that the boats will serve seemed of secondary importance to them. Those communities would be justified in their concerns that their new vessels are to be built by a company in which the Scottish Government clearly has more confidence than the Scottish public or islanders themselves do. Confidence in Ferguson Marine or this SNP Government is a luxury that my constituents do not have.”
“Will fixed links be seriously considered on a sensible basis that reflects the additional benefits of a tunnel or bridge on routes where that is realistic and wanted? In the Highlands, the locally run Corran ferry was again suspended a fortnight ago after the MV Maid of Glencoul, the half-century-old ferry that serves as its back-up vessel, required maintenance. Highland Council will have to seek an extension to its maintenance schedule in order to keep it running, while the MV Corran, the main vessel, sits awaiting parts. As has been highlighted, the problem is that we have ageing vessels and absolutely no resilience or flexibility in the system for when they fail. A new electric vessel for the Corran Narrows crossing is due for delivery in 2028-29, but a replacement is desperately needed now.”
“We have ferries that are run by private enterprises—although certain members of other Opposition parties are not great fans of that—by local authorities, by the Scottish Government through CalMac, and, in the case of NorthLink, through competitive tendering. The argument about fair funding between the CalMac interisland fleet in the Western Isles and the interisland routes in the northern isles, which are run by Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council, was ostensibly accepted by the SNP. However, does the Government equally accept the argument that capital expenditure and vessel requirements for council‑run services must, as a matter of principle, be treated equitably?”
“He deserves one! The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Stewart, please let Mr Halcro Johnston continue. Jamie Halcro Johnston: It would not be a debate without Kevin Stewart shouting something from a sedentary position, would it? We welcome the good news, but it does not make up for 19 years of complete failure on our ferries. We have heard about the many procurement issues. The truth is that the future of our ferry routes is shrouded in mystery. There is no forward planning for the capital expenditure that is needed to keep the fleet afloat or for the billions of pounds that is required across Scotland, and there is not even clarity about what the Scottish Government intends to pay for.”
“I am glad that the leadership and commitment of the SNP Scottish Government have ensured that students in Scotland are not carrying that burden. The Presiding Officer: We move to constituency and general supplementary questions. Sexual”
“The First Minister: As I indicated in my answers to Mercedes Villalba, I encourage dialogue to resolve this dispute. The budget demonstrates that the Scottish Government remains firmly committed to the principle that access to higher education should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay. The Government’s commitment to free tuition ensures that Scottish students studying in Scotland do not accrue the additional tuition fee debt of potentially more than £28,000 over three years that is owed by their peers in other parts of the United Kingdom. Any of us observing the debate in the rest of the United Kingdom can see the punishing burden of tuition fee debt that has been carried by individuals in our society.”
“I share the First Minister’s keenness for all parties to get round the table to resolve the dispute, so that the impact on students in Aberdeen is minimised. Universities received a record sum of funding from the Scottish Government in the budget yesterday—a budget that, of course, Labour did not vote for—and students in Scotland receive a much more comprehensive package of support, including paying no tuition fees, than students in England do. Can the First Minister confirm that the University of Aberdeen should be supporting students? Can he further set out how students in Scotland are benefiting under the Scottish National Party? The Presiding Officer: Please answer on the points that relate to the original question, First Minister.”
“The issue needs full exposure, not cover-up. I move amendment S6M-20898.1, to insert after “That the Parliament agrees”: “(za) the following revision to the programme of business for Thursday 26 February 2026— delete followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.30 pm Decision Time and insert followed by Ministerial Statement: Lord Advocate Communications with the First Minister Regarding Court Cases, including on Peter Murrell followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 6.00 pm Decision Time”. 18:37”
“Is having someone who is head of the independent Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and also the senior legal adviser to the Scottish Government and sitting in the cabinet legitimate? Kevin Stewart: Will the member take an intervention? Murdo Fraser: No, thank you, Mr Stewart. I speak as a Scottish lawyer. The integrity of the Scottish legal system is absolutely essential. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Fraser. Murdo Fraser: Anything that undermines that or gives the perception of undermining that is a legitimate matter of inquiry for the Parliament. There are serious questions that still require to be asked. This cannot be the end of the matter. We have not heard convincing answers from the Lord Advocate to questions put by my colleague Stephen Kerr, my colleagues on the Labour benches or me.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Murdo Fraser: No, not just now, Mr Stewart. What is clear is that there are further questions for the Lord Advocate that have not been answered today. In particular, a direct question was put to her five times by members in the chamber. The Lord Advocate was asked five times why the justification that she gave last week for giving a minute to the First Minister—that it was after service of the indictment and therefore there was no limitation on its terms being made public— would not have applied when she gave a memo to the First Minister in March last year. On five occasions, she did not answer that question. Other members also raised questions. There is a legitimate debate about the dual role of the Lord Advocate.”
“I am particularly pleased to see the £5.53 million investment in the investing in communities fund, which has been a real benefit to places right across Scotland, and in particular to my Aberdeen constituents, through support for Community Food Initiatives North East, Aberdeen Foyer and the Station House Media Unit. I thank the cabinet secretary for that resource. 17:03”
“To grow the economy, the SNP Government is providing £326 million for the enterprise agencies, £200 million for the Scottish National Investment Bank, £45 million to drive innovation and enterprise, £2.5 million for young entrepreneurs and a £90 million boost for skills development. In addition, the Government is providing £47 million to strengthen local economies and £215 million for regional improvement. It is investing a total of £7.6 billion in capital projects across Scotland. It is because of such support that the Scottish economy grew faster last year than that of the rest of the UK.”
“Prescriptions remain free under the SNP; they are £10 each in England. Eye tests remain free under the SNP; they are £35 in England. University tuition remains free under the SNP; it is £10,000 a year of debt in England. However, not all young people will go to university. That is why the budget will increase funding for Scotland’s colleges by 10 per cent, in addition to supporting 25,000 modern apprenticeships and 5,000 foundation apprenticeships. All of that requires a growing economy, and the budget delivers for business and the economy. The budget will save £870 million by reducing rates, taking 100,000 small businesses out of rates altogether with the small business bonus scheme. There is also the provision of 15 per cent relief for retail, hospitality and leisure premises.”
“The budget includes the baby box, which ensures that every Scottish baby, regardless of background, has the very best start in life. The 1,140 hours of free, high-quality early learning and childcare is worth around £6,000 to families. There is £14.4 million for healthy snacks for every child in day care, and an additional £15 million for breakfast clubs. On top of that, the budget provides for 250,000 free school meals each and every day, including for all pupils from primary 1 to primary 5, with a further 9 million meals for eligible families during school holidays, because some families require that extra support. That is why we are increasing the Scottish child payment to £28.20 per week, as well as providing a further £50 million for whole-family support. It does not stop there.”
“There is over £17.6 billion for NHS boards, and that is only the funding for hospitals. The budget also delivers another £2.4 billion for primary care, including £531 million to recruit more GPs. On top of that, there is a further £36 million for new walk- in GP services, including one in Aberdeen, which will open in May and is being applauded by my constituents. It does not stop there. The budget delivers the support that families struggling with the cost of living need. The SNP will not follow the UK example and force people on the minimum wage to pay more tax. Rather, the budget delivers an increase in both the basic rate and intermediate rate income tax bands. That means better public services and lower taxes under the SNP. It goes on.”
“The budget is about delivering for the people of Scotland. That is what we have all been sent here to do. The budget will address their priorities of bringing down NHS waiting lists, supporting families, reducing child poverty and growing the economy. Quite remarkably, the budget will do all that while delivering lower taxes for ordinary folk, with 55 per cent of Scots paying less tax in the next financial year in Scotland than they would pay if they lived elsewhere in the rest of the UK under Labour. Since last year, the NHS has turned a corner, with the longest waits down for a number of months in a row and hip and knee operations at a record level. However, now is the time to work harder. The budget does not just increase NHS funding in line with inflation—it delivers an inflation-busting real-terms uplift of 1.8 per cent.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I seek your guidance on some of the issues that were raised just seconds ago. Mr Findlay said that the answers that the Lord Advocate gave last week were too comprehensive, and he said that the dump, as he described it, of 70 pages today was too comprehensive, too. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Stewart. Kevin Stewart: I seek your guidance, Presiding Officer. What do you think would be answers that are too comprehensive? The Presiding Officer: I would suggest that that is not a point of order, Mr Stewart. When I feel that my intervention is required, I will make one.”
“However, I assure him that nothing in the bill, as written and as amended today, prevents us from waiting for the Agnew review. That is not an argument for opposing the bill.”
“I recognise the hard work that Graham Simpson has put in and the fact that he has been co-operative with other members. However, the lack of the Agnew review is a problem; there is a bit of cart before horse, which is troubling. As I have said previously, I have no skin in the game, as I am not coming back, but we need to get this absolutely right for the members of the future. I would not like anyone to be excluded without due process— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Stewart. Mr Simpson, I will give you the time back, as that was quite a long intervention. Graham Simpson: I am extremely grateful. Kevin Stewart has made a good point. We need to get legislation right, and he knows that I take that very seriously.”
“I move amendment 1. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Alex”
“My amendment 34 would modify the Scotland Act 1998 to make provision for the automatic removal of any member who is convicted of an offence. Other amendments in the group would remove references to the criminal offence ground to reflect that change. Collectively, the amendments would strengthen the principle that MSPs should be held to the highest possible standards of conduct. Members who break the law should not be afforded the opportunity to keep their job through costly petitions, polls or by-elections. They should be treated like the vast majority of the public, who would likely lose their job if they committed a crime. The amendments would provide the Parliament with clear and coherent mechanisms to give effect to that principle, because that is what the public expect from their MSPs who they elect to this chamber.”
“Will the member give way? Sue Webber: I think that I have taken enough interventions. As we saw with the case of Margaret Ferrier, the recall process can be very lengthy, allowing law- breaking politicians to draw their salary for months, even after being found guilty. At stage 2, there were concerns that my amendments on remand would fall foul of the European convention on human rights, so I removed that reference for that reason. The amendments that I have lodged for debate today are still being challenged under the spotlight of the ECHR, but I lodged them because the Conservatives are tough on crime. [Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Members. Sue Webber: My amendments would still abolish the criminal conviction ground for recall. Instead, members given a custodial or community sentence would be removed automatically.”
“The First Minister: I am certainly making the case to the Prime Minister that the energy profits levy should be ended—and ended now—because it is damaging the transition that we are taking forward. I have made that point to the Prime Minister a number of times and I repeated it in a call with him earlier this week. In relation to other steps, as I set out in my original answer to Maggie Chapman, we are taking forward a number of steps to invest in facilities and opportunities to develop new energy sources in the north-east of Scotland. The Government is absolutely committed to that work.”
“We all want to see a just transition, but Labour’s decision to continue the Tories’ energy profits levy is being described by the oil and gas industry as taxing the sector “to death”. We know that the levy is causing hundreds of job losses, and experts are warning that it will cost thousands more, block billions of pounds-worth of potential investment and undermine the energy security that a just transition relies on. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Kevin Stewart: Does the First Minister agree that the United Kingdom Government’s reckless approach is sabotaging the chances of a fair and just transition? Can he expand on what his Government is doing to support Scotland’s energy workers?”
“The Presiding Officer: I call the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans to respond on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau. 17:45”
“Many queries that were put to the Lord Advocate were not answered and MSPs have been promised that many pieces of information will come later today. Therefore, we should be able to challenge the Lord Advocate on those points tomorrow. Ultimately, if there is nothing to see or hide, why not come back tomorrow, deliver a statement and be questioned? I move amendment S6M-20826.1, to insert after “That the Parliament agrees—”: “(za) the following revision to the programme of business for Thursday 19 February 2026— delete 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills and insert 2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills followed by Ministerial Statement: Lord Advocate Private Briefing to the First Minister on the Charges Against Peter Murrell”.”
“Did the Lord Advocate, in sharing that information with the First Minister of Scotland, believe that it would be shared with political special advisers? Those are all points that the Parliament deserves to hear about. That is why urgent questions were lodged today, but, even at the end of that process, we have so many unanswered questions for the Lord Advocate. In conclusion, I repeat that a full statement from the Lord Advocate is needed tomorrow, to provide answers. If the Lord Advocate and SNP members are happy that nothing has gone wrong and that everything is perfectly acceptable and above board, they should come to the Parliament to tell us that. The Lord Advocate should come to the Parliament, give a statement and allow questions to be put, because, even after today’s urgent question, many queries remain.”
“Will the member give way? Douglas Ross: I will give way in a moment. She felt so concerned about the issue that she had to draft a memo to the First Minister. She was concerned that John Swinney would not understand the—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Kevin Stewart: Will the member give way? Douglas Ross: I have said that I will give way in a minute. The Lord Advocate was so concerned that Scotland’s First Minister would speak inappropriately about the case that he had to be briefed about it. We also do not know whether the Lord Advocate has any concerns about the fact that the First Minister, on receiving that email—I note that his chief of staff came into the chamber just a few moments ago—forwarded it on to SNP special advisers 31 minutes later.”
“It must then be used to identify national health service boards that are falling below best practice and to focus support on getting them up to standard for the good of all the people of this country. By listening to people with lived experience and ensuring that services are accessible to all, we can break the cycle of isolation. I support the motion and the vital work that is being done to ensure that no one in Scotland has to face an eating disorder alone. 20:37”
“We must learn from best practice and the voices of people with lived experience in order to get all of this right and ensure that no one is excluded. Good work is going on out there, but sometimes we still do not collect the right data to ensure that we are providing the right services. With that in mind, we need a clearer picture of service provision across the country. Currently, specific data on CAMHS self-referrals and the implementation of PEACE—the pathway for eating disorders and autism developed from clinical experience—is not routinely collected. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is taking steps to change that, but collecting the data must be just the first step.”
“As we have heard today, 100,000 people in Scotland are currently living with an eating disorder. For every one of those individuals, finding a community, whether through peer support or accessible clinical pathways, is often a vital step towards recovery. Building a supportive community means removing the barriers that keep people isolated, and a critical part of that is ensuring that those who need help can reach out for it directly. The national specification for the care and treatment of eating disorders in Scotland sets out a clear expectation that pathways and processes must be developed in partnership with people with lived experience to ensure that care is accessible. However, as we have also heard, different services are available in different parts of the country, and some people can access them quite easily while others cannot.”
“I make no apology—and I know that the minister would not want one—for submitting as many questions as I have in recent weeks about eating disorders, and I thank him for his answers. I will concentrate some of my speech tonight on some of the questions that I asked, some of the answers that I got and where we need to go from there. Let me say, first of all, that I, like everyone else, believe that eating disorders are isolating illnesses: they thrive in secrecy and often separate individuals from their support networks. Over the years, a huge amount of emphasis has been on eating disorders among women, but I think that the isolation for men, particularly young men, is often greater. We cannot lose sight of the fact that eating disorders can affect anyone in our society.”
“I pay tribute to my friend Elena Whitham for securing tonight’s debate. It has become an annual event in this Parliament to have a debate during eating disorders week, and in that respect we must recognise Dennis Robertson, who started this off and educated many of us on eating disorders after the death of his greatly loved daughter Caroline. It seems that many of the same voices are taking part in this evening’s proceedings. As the minister moved to the front of the chamber, I said to him, “I look forward to hearing your contribution,” and he said, “I’m surprised that you have any more questions to ask.” As Alex Jones from Beat will know, one of the things that I am doing as I depart this place is trying to deal with what I feel is unfinished business that needs to be continued.”
“If the SNP gets back in in May, it plans to cut nearly £0.5 billion from councils. On non-domestic rates, yet again the SNP Government has failed to go far enough, leaving many businesses in dire straits. Today’s announcement is an improvement on some of the measures that were announced on 13 January, but it does not properly address the looming revaluation. The Government should call time on that revaluation today. Scottish Labour supports an immediate pause to the new rates revaluation. The Government should act now.”
“Will Mr Marra give way? Michael Marra: No, thank you, sir. We have a housing emergency, a justice system that is past breaking point and an education system that is going backwards. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Michael Marra: No, thank you. The health secretary should listen to this. There is a culture of secrecy in which public sector managers offer bribes and holidays to grieving families rather than honest answers and accepting responsibility. Neil Gray: Will Mr Marra give way? Michael Marra: No, thank you. This budget changes none of that. Instead, the SNP tinkers round the edges and tells us all, in the face of all the evidence to the contrary, that the NHS is turning a corner. It is ludicrous. The SNP has decimated local services and taken local authorities to the brink.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to boost the economy of Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland. (S6O-05504)”
“As I have said at each and every step when I have come to the Parliament, this is not the end of the journey. There is no one solution or step— there are many—and we must be prepared to undertake that journey.”