Ben Macpherson
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“It would be helpful to understand from the member’s supplementary question what he means by degrees that “offer limited value”, so that we can understand the point that he is trying to make. Thomas Kerr: I will get a list over to the minister. I am always happy to educate the education front bench about pointless degrees.”
“I am sure that, collectively, we all want to congratulate the 2024-25 school leavers, 93.5 per cent of whom were in a positive destination nine months after leaving school. We will also, I am sure, want to recognise together the dedication of the practitioners who supported them to achieve that.”
“Can he guarantee that every pound that has been allocated to apprenticeships is being spent on apprenticeship training, rather than elsewhere in the education budget?”
“This year, building on previous work and initiatives, the Scottish Government has introduced a new Government-led skills planning model—which has been developed in close partnership with stakeholders, including those in industry—to ensure that our post-school education and skills system becomes even more responsive to Scotland’s strategic…”
“We want to support all our young people to choose a pathway that suits their strengths and enables them to fulfil their potential to the greatest extent, developing their skills and critical thinking. Our all-age careers support, delivered by Skills Development Scotland and other partners, promotes every pathway to our young people.”
“Ben Macpherson: Daniel Johnson knows that I like to be constructive in my dialogue in the chamber, but I must gently point out that one of the key problems that those in industry have emphasised to me is the impact of the national insurance increase, as well as other pressures and costs that have affected the number of apprenticeship star…”
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“The Government has invested £16 million to enable development of that site, which will lead, if my memory serves me right, to the creation of more than 800 affordable homes in the city of Edinburgh. That is the type of targeted action that the Scottish Government is taking to address the housing emergency, and it will be the underpinning of our housing programme in the years to come. The Presiding Officer: We move to constituency and general supplementary questions. Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Crisis (Funding)”
“The First Minister: I will address Mr Macpherson’s point directly, because he makes substantial points about the record of the Labour Party. Since we declared the housing emergency last May, we have prioritised working most urgently with five local authorities, including the City of Edinburgh Council, and we are accelerating and accentuating the interventions in Edinburgh to address the very significant issues that Mr Macpherson has put to me. We have also, as I said in my response to Mr Griffin, reshaped investment to ensure that we can support local authorities in tackling void accommodation, and we have increased support for adaptations in properties to enable people to be supported in their housing. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss those issues with Mr Macpherson when we visited the former Granton gasworks site some weeks ago.”
“It is deeply concerning that the City of Edinburgh Council has decided to suspend council housing allocations, especially when so many people in my constituency and others are already waiting to be housed. Labour has been in power in Edinburgh for around 35 of the 40 years of my life, and it is clearly a statement of fact that, over decades, its Labour-run administrations have not invested enough in the city’s social housing stock. Will the First Minister, in contrast, outline what additional steps the Scottish Government is taking, has taken and will take to play its part in tackling Edinburgh’s acute housing emergency, and what additional actions are being considered with partners to help address that very serious situation?”
“Scottish manufacturing and heavy industry currently play a key part in our economy and have shaped the nation as we know it today. The manufacturing sector is vital to our nation’s prosperity; it accounts for more than half of Scotland’s exports, it employs around 178,000 people and it contributes more than £18 billion in gross value added to the economy. We want to see that contribution grow. We will do that partly through investment of £75 million in the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. We are also working to enable manufacturing companies, large and small, in every region of our country to be the best that they can be as they compete on the global stage. NMIS has a mission that aligns with our own: to make Scotland a global leader in advanced sustainable manufacturing.”
“Has Petroineos indicated its willingness to allow the redevelopment of the site, which is fundamental, or to invest in any of the nine potential projects? Kate Forbes: Those are very good questions. Subject to the decision of the Parliamentary Bureau, I would be more than happy to come back to the Parliament with a statement and give an update on the inquiries, if that would be the best place to go through some of those questions in detail. I think that I answered a question from the member a couple of weeks ago—or last week—to say that we had received far more inquiries than was anticipated, and Scottish Enterprise is very closely involved with that. There may be scope for cross-party updates on the progress of that work.”
“Kate Forbes: I am more than happy to meet with Ben Macpherson and Nova Innovation, which is exactly the kind of business that we want to support in Scotland, particularly as it is working in the renewables space. I thank Ben Macpherson for bringing it to my attention and I am sure that we can schedule a meeting as a matter of urgency. Stephen Kerr: Will the Deputy First Minister give way? Kate Forbes: I love a proper debate, so I will be delighted to take another intervention. Stephen Kerr: I thank the Deputy First Minister for being generous in taking interventions. There are issues that should probably be addressed in a ministerial statement or, better still, in a debate. However, will she tell us how many serious inquiries there have been about the willow prospectus?”
“I know that the Government is aware of a growing manufacturing company, Nova Innovation, which is a leading tidal developer with a manufacturing site in Leith, in my constituency. It is considering starting another site in Grangemouth and is producing tidal power in Shetland. It has secured £100 million of investment, including from the European Union and private investors, for a tidal array in Orkney. Unfortunately, that investment is at imminent risk due to challenges regarding sea bed site access. Will the Deputy First Minister agree to meet urgently with Nova Innovation to help to sort that situation and realise that investment?”
“An area that we could look at that might allow us to make improvements in the shorter term is in our use of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018. Could we undertake more group proceedings that might help in this scenario? 17:01”
“The reason why I list those is that the way that we have managed them in recent times is by collaboration and negotiation; by me or the council using our convening powers; and, to an extent, by the benevolence of local business stakeholders who, thankfully, want to be part of the upkeep. Unfortunately, there have been times when the upkeep and other issues have not been satisfactory, which is why my constituents have reached out to me and the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland to try to improve the situation and to realise a clean environment. I cite that example because it is demonstrative of how, if we had a significant and environmentally concerning scenario in the Water of Leith, the available legal avenues would not be as accessible as they should be to my constituents. The situation will be the same in other constituencies.”
“It included four basins at The Shore, which colleagues will be familiar with, as it is the iconic vision of Leith. Those four basins were then sold by the Port Authority to another private company, which then split the ownership between itself and another private company. The basins connect to the rest of the Water of Leith, which is publicly owned. That means that there is a very complex arrangement of different stakeholders for dealing with any environmental issues that occur in the Water of Leith basins, from silting to sewage water overflows, detritus collection and the operation of businesses.”
“That will be a particularly important piece of legislation to get right, because it needs to be not just about how we protect human rights— although that issue requires UK-wide action, which could potentially be dovetailed with European-wide action to make it as effective as possible, and I would envisage the discussion about ecocide coming into that debate—but about how we discuss those rights, how our society protects them and how realisable they are. For me, that gets to the heart of what today’s discussion is about: it is about how communities and individual people are able to exercise their right to a clean environment. Multiple examples have been given, but the one that always comes to mind for me is from Leith, in my constituency. The port of Leith was privatised in the 1990s by the then Conservative Government.”
“I fully appreciate the demands that it and others have made for thinking collectively not only about how we comply with the international convention— particularly after Brexit, as has been referenced— but about the rights of communities that should be enhanced or refined and how those rights are realised. I welcome the Government’s statements about legal aid and how we make sure that people are able to access justice. There has been discussion today about whether we need new legislation, and there is a consensus that there should be a new human rights bill in the years ahead.”
“Like colleagues, I welcome the debate on the Aarhus convention and the right to a clean environment. I think back to the discussions that I was able to listen to and partake in when I was a part of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, particularly the evidence that we heard on 16 January 2024. I commend both committees on the work that they have done and the document that we are discussing today. During that period, and in my capacity as a constituency MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, I have had great engagement with the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the item of business. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business, to allow members on the front benches to change. Aarhus Convention and Access to Environmental Justice”
“The member represents Edinburgh Northern and Leith, a constituency that is virtually entirely comprised of Victorian or pre-Victorian tenements. Challenges are faced in an urban landscape like that one that may not be faced in other parts of the country, not the least of which is the challenge of trying to get all eight—or however many— households in a close to act at the same time. I mention that not to deflect attention to the UK Government but because examples like that point to the need to open up the debate about the price of electricity. Many a heating engineer has told me, when I have been visiting their training in colleges around the country, that they would love to install large numbers of electric boilers in places such as Leith—if the price of electricity were such that it would be an attractive prospect to do so.”
“I welcome the fact that ground- source heating has been spoken about. However, for densely populated urban constituencies such as mine, in which there is no ground-source heating or for which individual heat pump installation is challenging, there will need to be reform of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. I have emphasised that to the minister and the Government before. Can the Government give an update on how it is working with the Scottish Law Commission to update the 2004 act and on how changes to that act will be required so that those targets can be met in the coming decades? Alasdair Allan: I understand that the Government is working with the Scottish Law Commission on some of those issues.”
“I will allow a moment or two for those on the front benches to get organised. Heat in Buildings Bill”
“Rightly, there has been much focus today on the importance of the local economy and Grangemouth’s significance to the national economy. If the recommendations are progressed, what will the positive benefits be for the regional economy of the Firth of Forth, which includes the port of Leith? Kate Forbes: There could be significant opportunities. On a day such as today, we are all very conscious of the geopolitical international risks that we face. Therefore, backing our industries and creating jobs in Scotland become even more important. Businesses that are based at Grangemouth contribute significantly to Scotland’s economy and to the wider region, so I see huge opportunities for the whole of Scotland, including the port of Leith. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the ministerial statement on project willow.”
“We responded to Ofcom’s consultation on illegal harms online last year, which influenced its codes and guidance in relation to duties for online providers to protect users from harm, including threats, abuse and hate offences. We continue to engage with Ofcom and the UK Government to understand the impact and effectiveness of those actions, and I am happy to keep Ben Macpherson updated. Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme 2.”
“An uptick has been reported in the utilisation of such disguises in some crime and antisocial behaviour in the capital. Those trends are developing partly through social media. What recent discussions has the Scottish Government had with its counterparts in the United Kingdom Government about the responsibility of social media platforms to prevent the spread of harmful content that promotes copycat crimes and antisocial behaviour, often involving face coverings? Siobhian Brown: The member is right to refer to the influence of social media and the impact that it can have. Although regulation of the internet is reserved to the UK Government, we have been engaging extensively with UK ministers on its Online Safety Act 2023 to strengthen protections for young people.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was not able to connect. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Macpherson. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“Perhaps some work can be done collectively ahead of and through stage 2, and into stage 3, to get a more definitive position on carrying out in the right way the practical implementation of the bill, the aspirations of which we all want to achieve and which will make a meaningful difference. I thank the Government in advance for that engagement. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Sharon Dowey, who joins us remotely. 16:12”
“However, I wonder whether, ahead of stage 2, we can collaborate to take on board what others have raised about, for example, the consistency of the digital link, the need to avoid digital exclusion, the need to have an inclusive, safe and supportive environment for people who give evidence, and our expectations for how evidence will be given by different types of witness. The proposal to increase virtual attendance in the right circumstances is absolutely the right thing to do. Virtual attendance can ensure that witnesses and others who are involved in giving evidence do not feel intimidated, feel supported and are able to give their best evidence, or that the time of police officers and expert witnesses is not unnecessarily wasted—which can sometimes be, and has been, the case.”
“By providing that this is to be considered on an individual basis, rather than having a prescribed list of suitable locations from which evidence may be given, the Bill allows the court to fully consider the facts and circumstances in each individual case and the individual locations proposed, recognising that there will be a range of suitable locations.” I absolutely empathise with the Government’s position not to have a prescribed list, because that could be a substantial listing of different circumstances and locations in which people could give evidence.”
“However, we consider that the Bill must include clearer rules setting out how the courts should use their powers.” It was interesting to hear views on that from the variety of people who gave evidence to the committee at stage 1. The concerns that were expressed to us were mostly about practicalities and implementation. It is important to recognise that the commencement power in section 28 will mean that, although there will be an expectation of greater use of the powers once the bill has been enacted, it will be at the court’s discretion to determine whether attendance may be virtual or must be in person. I note the Scottish Government’s response that “the Bill as drafted ... adequately allows individual courts to address the issue of location of remote attendance.”
“As has been stated, provisions in that regard have been in force since they were introduced, in 2020, in the emergency coronavirus legislation, and they have been firmly embedded in Scotland’s justice system, making many justice processes more efficient and reducing costs. The intention behind the bill is to enable all partners across the criminal justice system to maximise their resources and deliver services in an effective, efficient and sustainable way. The legislative underpinning that is provided in the bill will, importantly, allow pilots to be undertaken and a sustainable model to be explored further. In paragraph 112 of our report, the committee notes: “At present, the framework in the Bill is enabling rather than prescriptive, and sets the parameters within which courts can take decisions on virtual attendance.”
“There are also some shared positions on how we can, collectively, improve the bill ahead of stage 2. Given that a lot has already been said in the debate about different aspects of the bill, I will focus on some aspects of part 1. I remind Parliament of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am on the roll of Scottish solicitors. Part 1 supports greater use of digital technology, which will modernise the justice system even further with positive benefit for all. The measures seek to modernise the sector through greater use of digital technology, including for evidence sharing and making processes more efficient. Part 1 will also allow the electronic signing and sending of documents in criminal cases and more virtual attendance at criminal courts, which other members have touched on.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on an important piece of legislation: the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill. As colleagues have done, I thank the clerks to the Criminal Justice Committee, who have done an excellent job, and all those who gave evidence. I also thank the Scottish Government ministers and officials for their attendance and engagement during stage 1. I fully understand the importance of the proposals, the work that went into preparing the bill and the positive impact that it will have. This afternoon’s excellent and constructive debate shows that there is a consensus on the importance of what needs to be achieved by the bill and the positive benefits that it will have if it is enacted and the provisions are implemented.”
“I am very happy to arrange such a meeting and to be part of it, and I can confirm that officials also met Simon Forrest, the chief executive of Nova Innovation, recently. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 3 has been withdrawn. Lothian Buses (Meetings) 4.”
“The Scottish Government is aware of Nova Innovation, a world-leading Scottish marine energy company that manufactures in Leith, in my constituency. It has secured £100 million of investment for a tidal array in Orkney, is planning floating solar arrays across the UK and is considering a manufacturing base in Grangemouth. Considering all of that, will the minister agree to meet me and that remarkable home-grown company to discuss its projects and next steps? Alasdair Allan: I recognise the contribution of Nova Innovation and its pioneering projects in the development and deployment of tidal energy and the benefits that go with that, both economically and environmentally, across the country. The Scottish Government would certainly welcome a meeting.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate. 13:34 Meeting suspended. 14:30 On resuming— Portfolio Question Time Net Zero and Energy, and Transport”
“He made particular reference to successes such as the Government’s support for veterans’ physical and mental health; its encouragement of collaboration throughout the sector to best support veterans and their families; its obtaining detailed veterans data, from the census in particular; and its continued funding of projects through the Scottish veterans fund. The Scottish Government remains committed to providing the very best support for our veterans, their families and service families. I give my personal thanks to all the individuals and organisations who continue to support our veterans and armed forces community and who work hard every day to do so. I thank Liz Smith for bringing forward the motion today and members for their contributions and reflections on the Black Watch’s decorated history throughout the past three centuries.”
“Members will know that the Scottish Government offers its full support and commitment to our veterans and their families, primarily through our veterans strategy action plan and our role in responding to—and supporting the delivery of—the Scottish veterans commissioner’s recommendations. In December last year, Graeme Dey delivered his latest annual update to Parliament, in which he outlined how the Government had supported the entire armed forces community throughout the previous year. As ever, that was accompanied by a published report, which fully detailed what the Government and its partners had done in the preceding 12 months.”
“I am very well aware of the role that accommodation plays in the viability of military bases, as in the cases of the two Royal Air Force bases—there is now one—the Army engineering base and Fort George, which is absolutely an historic site. We need our armed forces to be provided with appropriate base facilities and accommodation, but I observe that the armed forces’ footprint in Scotland is now the smallest that it has been since the Napoleonic wars. Unfortunately, we are living in times in which there is a conflict in Europe and a requirement for us all to get behind appropriate defence spending in order to make sure that our armed forces are properly supported. Today’s motion gives us the opportunity to underline how important it is that we support our veterans and their families.”
“I have had the opportunity to be a guest of the Black Watch at some mess dinners at Fort George. While it is an impressive historic estate, it is clear that the facilities and accommodation are far from suitable for the modern soldier. With that in mind, will the cabinet secretary consider how we can maintain the Army’s footprint in Scotland while upgrading facilities and moving away from antiquated estates such as Fort George? Angus Robertson: The member is aware that, as the member of Parliament for Moray between 2001 and 2017, I had the good fortune to represent a constituency that had the most significant military footprint of anywhere in Scotland.”
“It will also mean introducing a presumed limit of no more than 500 hectares on the aggregate amount of land that any person can own unless that public interest test can be met. Those are not new or fringe ideas—they are popular and well-supported ideas, and I have the receipts to prove it. They are the very proposals that I consulted on for my proposed land ownership and public interest (Scotland) bill, which received majority support from respondents. The consultation on those proposals received greater participation than the Scottish Government’s consultation. Land is a public good, and land reform is a question of who owns that public good. With the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, we have an opportunity to right a centuries-old wrong and finally bring land back to the people—for the many, not the few.”
“I thank Mercedes Villalba for making a powerful point about the need for a public interest test. Does she agree that the inclusion of a public interest test would help the bill to make improvements in urban Scotland as well as in rural Scotland? Mercedes Villalba: I do. It is important that urban land is looked at, and it is unfortunate that it has not been up until now. It does not have to be this way. If legislated for correctly, land reform can be a vehicle for empowering communities across Scotland. That will mean amending the land transfer test so that it is properly redefined as a public interest test, to ensure that land transfers benefit the public—us, the people of Scotland.”
“It will aid those who work with children who might require secure accommodation to consider alternative options for them. Funding of up to £8.4 million is also being made available by the Government to fully cover secure placement costs for sentenced and remanded children in 2025-26 and 2026-27. That is a further financial commitment to support the system and its sustainability.”
“The minister has previously advised that work is being undertaken to consider effective alternatives to secure care so that children and young people receive the care that they need in the setting that most appropriately suits their needs. With consideration of all that has been said so far, can the minister say any more about such alternatives? Natalie Don-Innes: Maximising alternative measures is absolutely critical to ensuring that no child is deprived of their liberty unnecessarily. The core responsibility for developing and delivering those alternatives lies, rightly, with the implementation authorities, but the Government is supporting them with those responsibilities. Only last week, new guidance on community alternatives to depriving children of their liberty was published.”
“I appreciate what the cabinet secretary says, but many of the third sector organisations that face potential reductions after June, such as the Cyrenians, the Ripple Project and the Pilmeny Development Project, do valuable prevention work that serves or is based in my constituency. Therefore, I would be grateful if the Scottish Government would consider undertaking additional engagement with other parties involved about the longer-term impact of those potential reductions, were they to happen after June. Those organisations do remarkable preventative work. Shona Robison: I am happy to ask my health colleagues to engage with Ben Macpherson on the matter, because we all recognise its importance. Visitor Levy 8.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Clydeport Conservancy Fee”
“Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament welcomes Scotland’s renewed status as a Fair Trade Nation; recognises the dedication and hard work of Fair Trade campaigners, businesses and communities across Scotland in sustaining this achievement; congratulates Scottish Fair Trade for its leadership in promoting and strengthening Scotland’s Fair Trade commitment; acknowledges the vital role of Fair Trade producers, workers and enterprises in the Global South in building a fairer, more sustainable trading system; recognises that Fair Trade is a partnership that supports the rights, dignity and livelihoods of those throughout the supply chain; commits to uphold and advance Scotland’s role as a Fair Trade Nation as part of its broader commitment to global citizenship and international solidarity; recognises that free and fair trade is the most powerful engine for poverty reduction and global prosperity; affirms that open markets, trade liberalisation and the entrepreneurial spirit are central to Fair Trade; believes that protectionism and arbitrary trade barriers harm the very producers and communities that Fair Trade seeks to support; calls on all MSPs to actively champion global agreements that allow Scotland’s businesses to compete, innovate and lead on the world stage; further calls on the Scottish Government to support the full potential of, and critical work already performed by, local producers by properly accounting for them in its public sector procurement rules and guidelines; notes Scottish Fair Trade’s strategy, which includes the aim of increasing the consumption and production of Fair Trade products, and calls on the Scottish Government to continue to support Fair Trade by establishing a standard definition and measurement framework for Fair Trade in public sector procurement, embedding Fair Trade in education and lifelong learning and supporting Fair Trade and ethical supply chains in Scottish business practices.”
“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) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) 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) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) 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) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Abstentions Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-16923, in the name of Angus Robertson, on “Scotland—a fair trade nation”, as amended, is: For 108, Against 7, Abstentions 1.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Macpherson. Alex Rowley: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Rowley. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“Our new scheme will accelerate progress on cladding assessment and remediation by empowering owners—“empowering” is the key word here—and providing appropriate financial support. We will also continue to work with those developers who have already taken responsibility for assessing and mitigating risks in properties that they have built. Our regular newsletters and bespoke proactive communications will keep owners and residents updated, and a letter from me is going out to all MSPs today. We have also notified the committee of the statement about Grenfell and cladding, and I am happy to keep it informed on a regular basis.”
“I welcome the minister’s statement. As he knows, many of the buildings in Scotland that are affected are in my constituency. I appreciate both the challenge and the complexity of the work and I welcome the progress. However, there is a strong need to pick up the pace. Although I welcome the single open call, can the minister tell Parliament how he will keep members updated on progress? How will he engage and communicate with those who live in affected buildings, property factors and residents associations, and how will he keep developers to their commitments? Paul McLennan: I thank the member for his dedication in working with his constituents on the matter. I also commend my colleague Kaukab Stewart for the work that she has carried out in this area.”
“That will ensure that Scotland’s food and drink sector can survive the hurdles that will be presented over the next decade while, at the same time, we protect our population and preserve our culture. 16:34”
“I support the food charity Nourish Scotland’s vision for glasshouses, such as those in the Netherlands, that allow fruit and vegetables to be grown pretty much anywhere and allow rural and island communities to benefit economically and access locally grown nutritious food. If we are to continue to support the whisky industry, it must get what it needs from genuine regenerative and sustainable sources. There are great examples of distilleries, such as Nc’nean in Morvern, doing that. Doing all of that would ensure a resilient and healthy system that meets our food needs. We also require a diverse workforce that is made up of new entrants and experienced workers, not only so that the food and drink sector is exposed to different ways of thinking, but so that our rural communities can continue to thrive.”
“Ariane Burgess: I will keep going, because I am not sure how much time I have left and I have quite a lot to say. I apologise for that. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has recognised that proposal from key farming organisations, and I look forward to continuing discussions with the Government on it. The common thread that runs through all those solutions is diversity. In the face of the threat to food security that is posed by climate change, we need to diversify what we eat. At present, 10 per cent of Scotland’s agricultural land is used for crops, and 80 per cent of the grain that we produce is used for animal feed or whisky. We need more fruit, vegetables, cereals and pulses for human consumption.”
“Ariane Burgess: Thank you very much—that is very precise. One third of the current workforce will hit retirement age over the next decade, and Scotland needs to be in a position to replace those workers. To do so, we need to offer young people and new entrants the opportunity to get into the food and drink sector—including from school, all the way through university and beyond—and to show them that it is an exciting sector to work in. After all, future food workers will be at the cutting edge of tackling the climate and nature emergencies while feeding people, and they will need to be able to deploy many different skill sets, including those relating to engineering, marketing and technology. Finlay Carson: Will the member take an intervention?”