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…”
The complete record
Every one of 643 lines we hold for Ben Macpherson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 13.
“SRUC has also advised that its animal care provision will remain on offer at its other campuses, while horticulture and gamekeeping provision will remain on offer at Elmwood. The Presiding Officer: That concludes general question time. First Minister’s Question Time 12:01 Grooming Gangs Inquiry 1.”
“Will the minister agree to meet the local groups that have formed and that are concerned that there will be no future for the campus if SRUC is allowed to continue to strip its assets and reduce the number of courses that are available? Ben Macpherson: I would be happy to engage with Alex Rowley and take up that correspondence, if he can facilitate that. I had a good meeting with SRUC in recent weeks. I am aware that SRUC’s decision earlier this year to close its main building at Elmwood due to concerns about structural deterioration and long-term financial viability has raised questions. However, SRUC provides an important role for further and higher education students in Cupar— we are very aware of that—so it is welcome that it has stated its commitment to retaining a presence in Elmwood and that there are no plans to close the campus.”
“SRUC’s Elmwood campus continues to play an important role in delivering further and higher education in Cupar. Although SRUC is an autonomous institution with responsibility for its own decisions in relation to provision and facilities at Elmwood, I would expect it to take into account the needs of students, staff and the wider community. In line with its statutory responsibilities, the Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer appropriate support to further and higher education institutions, including SRUC, as they develop their own plans. Alex Rowley: Since SRUC took over the Elmwood campus, courses and facilities have been gutted. There has been a college in North East Fife since 1953.”
“However, as Alex Rowley would expect me to say, decisions on next year’s budget are still being considered and will be relayed to Parliament on 13”
“As well as that, in the new year, I will be working with the principal to assist the college with organising a round table that will bring together all interested parties in the locality to consider the future of the Alloa campus, with a shared intention for it to continue to be used for the common good of the local area and of all the stakeholders who benefit from it now and could benefit from it in future. On the budget considerations for the college sector more widely, including Forth Valley College, ministers are constructively engaged with Colleges Scotland as the representative body for the sector. We are having good discussions; indeed, ministers will be having discussions with Colleges Scotland today.”
“In its recent publication on the draft budget, Colleges Scotland highlighted that, under the current model, the college sector is unsustainable without significant change. The publication calls for “above inflation investment” and a commitment to sustainable funding to reverse years of underinvestment in the sector. Does the minister accept that, if we are to reverse the dire state of further education finances, the Scottish Government must commit to above-inflation investment and sustainable funding models moving forward? Ben Macpherson: With regard to Forth Valley College and the Alloa campus, as I have said, the contract for the work on the feasibility study was signed on 2 December and that work will inform the college board’s deliberations in the new year.”
“I last spoke with the principal of Forth Valley College at an event earlier this week and last met him formally on 18 November at the Alloa campus. I remain assured that the college leadership team is committed to doing all that it can to keep the campus open. The Scottish Government is supporting the Scottish Funding Council’s college infrastructure investment plan. Through that plan, the SFC has supported the college to undertake an urgent feasibility study to identify and explore all possible options. A contract for that work was signed on 2 December and the work will inform the college board’s deliberations in the new year. Alex Rowley: The college projects that it will be millions of pounds in the red. A feasibility study will, in itself, still need resources.”
“In 2023-24, that number showed an increase of 37 per cent in comparison with the number when the Government established the commission on widening access. The proportion of Scotland-domiciled entrants with a known disability from the 20 per cent most deprived areas has risen from 12.8 per cent in 2016-17 to 18.1 per cent in 2023-24.”
“It should be one of our top priorities in the period ahead, along with creating greater parity of esteem, which I know also motivates so many colleagues in the chamber and others across the country. Those two aspects in particular will help us to establish a better scenario than we have now, although we have made much progress towards creating a more equitable post-school education system. As the convener did, the report sets out the remaining challenges, but I want to talk first about some of the progress that has been made. It is important to acknowledge the advances that have been achieved collectively and on which the Government has sought to provide leadership. For example, as we speak here today—indeed, over recent years—the number of Scots from more deprived areas entering full-time degree courses has risen.”
“I thank the convener and the members of the committee, as it is their work, and that of all the stakeholders who gave evidence to the committee, that enables us to have this debate today. I also thank the clerks who were involved in the process. I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the committee’s report and the Government’s formal response, which was issued earlier in the year. I am also grateful for the opportunity to do so as someone who is politically committed to creating a fairer society—as are so many colleagues across the chamber—and who recognises the important role that widening access to higher education and other opportunities plays in that process.”
“There are a lot of opportunities in his region—as well as some challenges, which he highlights in the chamber regularly—and we want to ensure that the fishing industry and other opportunities in the north-east are maximised for our young people and those who are retraining. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There are a number of supplementary questions. Before calling them, I remind members that the substantive question is on skills development in relation to the fishing industry in the north-east.”
“What is the Scottish National Party Government really doing to guarantee the future of a totemic industry for the north-east, and is the minister content to allow the skills pathway to decline and to take away a way of life with it? Ben Macpherson: To give some context in answering the question, I think it important to acknowledge that there has been a record number of vocational qualifications this year. However, I do take the member’s points, and I appreciate why they are of interest not just to him as a representative of the north-east, but in relation to the common good of Scotland and this important industry. If the member would furnish me and other ministers with the full details of the situation in his region, we would be happy to look into it.”
“Douglas Lumsden: Vocational qualifications are a vital route for young people to enter the fishing industry, thereby becoming the next generation of skippers, deckhands and engineers and taking on what is an important way of life in the north-east and other parts of Scotland. However, according to new figures that I have obtained from Skills Development Scotland, no new vocational qualifications have been awarded in sea fishing since 2019. There were no north- east starts at all last year, and fewer than five workboat diplomas were given out of a total of just under 90 maritime qualifications in the past five years.”
“One of the ways in which we support skills development in Scotland’s important fishing industry is through our marine fund Scotland. In the north-east, examples include funding a training manager within Opportunity North East’s seafood transformation project, and providing funding to the North East Fishermen’s Training Association to invest in training equipment to allow fishers to undertake Maritime and Coastguard Agency courses. The fund has also provided more than £800,000 to Seafish to provide safety training to fishers across Scotland. The recent update on our fisheries management strategy delivery plan set out our commitment to continue to work in partnership with our fishing industry and Seafish to identify and support the delivery of actions in support of safety and career development training.”
“Ben Macpherson: I am glad that Carol Mochan has raised that point, although I did not hear the totality of her question due to the technical issues. I will take away her specific request, look at the Official Report and engage with health colleagues before providing her with a written update, if she is agreeable to that. I will do that within the wider context in which £185 million is being invested in supporting 25,500 new modern apprenticeships in Scotland. In addition, the health and social care sector is part of the sport, health and social care occupational grouping, which recorded the highest share of modern apprenticeship starts in 2024-25, at 26.1 per cent, which represents an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year. The Deputy Presiding Officer: A number of members would like to ask supplementary questions.”
“Carol Mochan: I appreciate that expanding the apprenticeship model and earn-as-you-learn routes for healthcare workers across professions creates opportunities for people who might not have had the chance to attend university. It also offers the chance to grow skills in local areas. In the past, when I have asked about the apprenticeship model for allied health professions, the Government has pointed to the development of the next generation higher national certificate for AHP subjects, which could offer people a recognised pay-as-you-earn route into those professions. Has progress been made on that since the start of the year? When might we see those routes across the allied health professions?”
“Health and social care is a key growth sector and will continue to be a modern apprenticeship funding priority in 2025- 26, as we support opportunities for young people across Scotland. To ensure that those opportunities align with the sector’s evolving needs, Skills Development Scotland is reviewing the current health and social care modern apprenticeship frameworks. We have also recently launched the operating department practitioner— ODP—graduate apprenticeship, which enables perioperative staff to gain degree-level qualifications while ensuring safe and high-quality care. In addition, a foundation apprenticeship in social services and healthcare provides school learners with an early pathway into the sector.”
“Again, I commit to working across the Parliament on the challenges and opportunities that our college sector faces. The Presiding Officer: That concludes general question time. First Minister’s Question Time 12:00 Scottish Government Budget (Taxation) 1.”
“Ayrshire College is facing a £2.1 million reduction in core teaching funding, over and above a 20 per cent real-terms cut since 2021-22. That huge blow means that the college is already having to make difficult decisions. Does the Government recognise that, and that it must work urgently with the college and its trade unions to address its funding challenges and ensure that we secure and protect jobs, alongside young people’s education? Ben Macpherson: Since coming into post, I have greatly valued my engagement with Colleges Scotland, individual colleges and members across the chamber on the challenges that are facing the sector, as well as the huge opportunities. Ayrshire College is showing leadership with its partnership with Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance Ltd, providing real-world opportunities where there is significant demand.”
“Ayrshire College does remarkable work, particularly in the aerospace sector, and I very much valued and appreciated visiting the college on 11 November. I greatly value the significant contribution that all colleges, including Ayrshire College, make to our economy and society, and I recognise the significant financial pressures that the sector is facing. The Scottish Government cannot comment specifically on the financial position of an individual college such as Ayrshire College, but the Scottish Funding Council continues to engage closely with the college sector to monitor financial sustainability and provide appropriate forms of support that are tailored to the circumstances of individual institutions. Carol Mochan: Forecasts show that most colleges are not sustainable.”
“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. 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”
“At col 30, paragraph 8— Original text— At the moment, there are a record number of people in modern apprenticeships. Corrected text— As of 26th September 2025 there were over 38,000 modern apprentices in training. At col 31, paragraph 5— There is “Scotland’s Offshore Wind Skills Priorities and Action Plan”, the energy transition skills hub, the oil and gas transition training fund, and so much more that we want to deliver and build on, as well as—as I said earlier—a record number of 25,000 modern apprenticeships. Corrected text— There is “Scotland’s Offshore Wind Skills Priorities and Action Plan”, the energy transition skills hub, the oil and gas transition training fund, and so much more that we want to deliver and build on, as well as—as I said earlier—as of 26th September 2025 there were over 38,000 modern apprentices in training.”
“All those entities are working together with SDS, Developing the Young Workforce, the third sector, teachers, universities, colleges, parents, guardians and carers, and through initiatives such as the career services collaborative, to help people to find the next steps on their journey.”
“That was a great opportunity for people from a variety of industry sectors to go into schools and other settings to help young people and those who are retraining to realise what career opportunities are available to them—whether in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, hospitality, care, the creative industries or many other areas. In recent days, I have had the great pleasure of attending many initiatives, including a conference that was jointly organised by the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors Scotland and Young Scot.”
“Yes, there is more demand in the economy than we are meeting, and, yes, there are colleges that want to fill more places. We want to work together with them. We recognise the challenge. However, to state that the system is not working in any way for our young people, or for business and industry, is erroneous. A good amount of work is happening across the country between industry and educators in schools, in order to prepare our young people, who are flourishing. heating. [Ben Macpheson has corrected this contribution. See end of report.] For example, in the past few weeks, we have had Scottish careers week.”
“Yes, there is room for improvement, and we need to work together on that and on the challenges that have been set out in relation to the technological revolution that is happening across the world. However, such negativity is erroneous and is not helpful—let us be constructive and work together. Daniel Johnson: Does the minister not at least agree that the fact that 4,500 fewer people than the Government’s own targets are getting an apprenticeship means that young people are being let down? Ben Macpherson: I have stated before, as have colleagues, that we have an ambition to grow the number of modern apprenticeships, graduate apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships. At the moment, there are a record number of people in modern apprenticeships.”
“Excuse me—I lost my voice slightly at Hampden last night, as I am sure much of the country did, across different parts of our society. What we witnessed last night was a sense of resistant optimism, which I have talked about in the chamber before. That is relevant to the motion and the amendments that we are debating today. I appreciate the constructive suggestions in the Labour Party’s motion and the constructive tone of some of what is in the Conservative amendment. That is what we need. The principal problem with the motion, however, is that in its opening line it states, erroneously, that the “skills system is letting down young people and holding back economic growth”.”
“As for what the Scottish Government is doing in the face of the challenge and in consideration of our budgets—not just in the financial year ahead but thereafter—we continue to engage with the universities sector to ensure long-term sustainability of funding and success for Scottish universities from the very clear starting point that this Government will not reintroduce tuition fees. We are currently scoping and shaping a framework for the future sustainability of the sector, and we have been engaging with key stakeholders, including sector leaders, staff, student representatives and MSPs across parties, to discuss how they can be involved and to ensure that they have the appropriate input into the various ideas. I will update Parliament on that in due course.”
“In Scotland, many of those challenges are external. For example, there is the estimated cost of more than £48 million to Scottish universities because of the increase in national insurance contributions that the UK Government implemented in its budget for this financial year. We are all waiting to see what the Chancellor of the Exchequer will do in her budget on Wednesday 26 November. The real question for us all, and the question that the university sector will be asking at this moment, is, what will the UK Government do to support those important economic institutions as well as centres of educational excellence?”
“We now have up to 1,800 jobs at risk there, 600 redundancies proposed at Dundee and 70 at Napier, and a £14 million deficit at the University of the West of Scotland. The Scottish Funding Council reports that nine universities are already in deficit and that that figure will rise to 11 next year. Universities Scotland has said that the latest funding allocation does not give the sector what it needs. Does the Scottish Government accept that those real-terms cuts to university funding and increasing reliance on volatile international income have helped to create the conditions for mass redundancies and pain across the sector? What is the plan to prevent institutions from sliding further into crisis? Ben Macpherson: As I stated in my first answer, the university sector across the UK is facing multiple challenges.”
“Ben Macpherson: I thank Martin Whitfield for bringing the issue to the chamber and I start by emphasising that my thoughts are with those students and staff who are affected, including constituents who have been in touch with me in recent days. As the member helpfully and constructively suggested, and as the Parliament would expect, ministers will consider how we can assist meaningfully in this situation, including, potentially, using our convening power, while being mindful of the fact that the University of Edinburgh is an autonomous institution. I had a good meeting with representatives from the UCU on a number of matters recently, and I would be happy to receive further correspondence from it on the matter. Martin Whitfield: Answers maybe next year, but the questions are being asked this year. The crisis is not confined to Edinburgh.”
“Courses are being reduced, support services are being scaled back, and staff do not know whether they will be employed next year. Scotland prides itself on its world-class higher education, but that is not what the students are experiencing. Staff have overwhelmingly supported on-going action in a re-ballot and, as Jo Grady, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “Before this dispute escalates further, university senior managers need to reflect on where their actions are taking the university and engage urgently and seriously with the union.” Does the minister agree that, at the very least, the Government’s convening power should be used to bring the parties together to ensure that students are not the ones who pay the price for decisions that have been driven by underfunding and financial instability?”
“The university sector across the United Kingdom continues to face financial challenges from a number of factors, including the impact of increases to national insurance contributions and migration policies. The University of Edinburgh is an autonomous institution, but the Scottish Government expects staff and trade unions to be consulted meaningfully and constructively on the potential impact of any cost-saving measures in line with fair work principles. Ministers cannot compel universities to commit to no compulsory redundancies, but our clear expectation is that they are considered only as a last resort after all other cost-saving measures have been fully explored. Martin Whitfield: Students at the University of Edinburgh are already seeing the impact of those cuts.”
“We are also improving careers support, creating new national skills planning arrangements alongside colleagues in the economy directorate, enhancing apprenticeships, modernising qualifications and seeking to ensure that funding is targeted at the right opportunities. There are great examples in Scotland in which business and higher and further education are working together to make sure that we fulfil the economic need in the regions and make sure that we provide opportunities that people can benefit from. Those examples include Ayrshire College, which I visited this week, and the City of Glasgow College, which I was at this morning. There are situations where the need for consideration of funding is greater, and I am grateful to the member for raising the issue.”
“Does the minister agree with Audit Scotland that core funding should reflect the true delivery cost of a course and that targeted funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects and capital investment in advanced infrastructure are vital if we are to provide greater opportunities for young people and secure the economic growth that is essential to Scotland’s future prosperity? Ben Macpherson: We are grateful for the report from Audit Scotland that was published a few weeks ago and for what Audit Scotland relayed to the Public Audit Committee this week. We are seeking to deliver an interconnected series of reforms that will make the post-school education system simpler, more responsive and more agile.”
“I am aware that there are specific challenges affecting some institutions and sectors, and if it would be helpful, I would be happy to meet Mr Gibson to discuss any of those issues in relation to his constituency interests. Kenneth Gibson: I thank the minister for that helpful answer and would be delighted to meet him. Not all courses are the same. Delivering an engineering course costs, on average, £10,000 a year; for health sciences, the cost is £8,000; for information technology, it is £7,000; and for business, it is £6,000.”
“The Scottish Government is investing more than £2 billion to give people access to education, training and other activities that help them prepare to succeed in life. The Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland are responsible for the details of how that investment is distributed. The work that is under way to reform the skills landscape seeks to ensure that we have the most effective structures in place to meet our post- school training, education and skills needs in the future. We continue to work closely with our agencies and stakeholders across the economy to respond to the challenges that the sectors face.”
“Indeed, a number of the Parliament’s committees have been looking at the issue and, as I said, the curriculum improvement cycle is looking at the issue from a Scottish Government perspective in terms of the curriculum and our young people. Across Government and society, we need to think carefully but rapidly about how we respond to the technological revolution of AI. The economies that will succeed in the 21st century, through all reasonable and objective analysis, will be those that utilise AI effectively, so we need to get to a place where our young people and other people in our economy know how to use AI, and how to use it ethically, responsibly and productively.”
“The opportunities for the use of AI in education in the areas of lesson planning, marking, research and materials preparation are very attractive, but there are clear risks, too. Will the Government’s revised strategy, which is due in spring next year, embed a clear sense of responsibility and ethical standards in any AI framework for our schools? Could the minister see the day when young people at school will be able to use their own personalised AI assistants to help them on their learning journey? Ben Macpherson: Willie Coffey is right to emphasise the work of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. I also pay tribute to the work of the Education, Children and Young People Committee.”
“As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people are equipped with the skills and knowledge to live in a world in which AI is ubiquitous. To that end, the curriculum improvement cycle, led by Education Scotland, is continuing at pace. That will ensure that our curriculum remains relevant and better supports high-quality teaching and learning, while examining the skills, knowledge and understanding that children and young people will be required to develop. That work will include consideration of the place of AI in the curriculum, with specific academic expertise feeding into that process. Willie Coffey: The minister might be aware of the discussion on AI that has been taking place at the Economy and Fair Work Committee.”
“Free tuition is a policy that we stand by, and tuition fees will not be reintroduced under the SNP Government. Free tuition helps learners not to accumulate as much debt through their studies. For example, through free tuition, undergraduate students in Scotland do not accrue a potential additional fee debt of around £28,000. The fee debt in other parts of the United Kingdom is significant. For example, in England, around £53,000 of debt is accrued. We have the lowest average debt in the UK, and we also have impressive rises in widening access. Collectively, state-funded investment in higher education is to the benefit of us all.”
“Analysis of data from the Student Awards Agency Scotland, otherwise known as SAAS, shows that approximately 740,000 students—that is around three quarters of a million—have benefited from free tuition fees on higher education courses between 2007-08 and 2024-25. Kevin Stewart: It is gratifying that 740,000 people have benefited from free tuition here, when students in England and Wales are about to face tuition fees of £9,535 per year. Will the minister assure me and my Aberdeen Central constituents that university tuition in Scotland will always be free under the Scottish National Party? Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government is resolute in its commitment to free tuition, which ensures that higher education in Scotland is based on the ability to learn and not on the ability to pay.”
“He certainly had a massive impact, not just in the university but far more broadly, as we heard at the ceremony. With that, I close the debate and this meeting of Parliament. Meeting closed at 18:02. 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. 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”
“I echo the points that members have made about Sir Geoff Palmer and how the development of the proposed centre will help to add to his strong legacy, which ripples through our constituencies. I had the great privilege of meeting Sir Geoff several times and hearing his enthusiasm for brewing, and I know of the impact that he has made in my constituency, through the businesses that are now developing their craft there. I had the great privilege, on behalf of the Government, of attending his memorial service. In today’s debate, and in many other ways, his legacy lives on, and we look forward to continuing to build on it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, minister. Having also attended the memorial ceremony, I, too, send my personal thoughts to Sir Geoff’s family.”
“The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the role that universities play in Scotland’s economy and society, and I look forward to engaging further with Heriot-Watt on the proposals for the centre. The debate has shown that there is strong cross-party support for brewing and distilling. That is important, as those are an essential part of Scotland’s national fabric. We have also underlined the role of our higher education sector in ensuring that those important industries are not just rooted in our past, but remain at the forefront of our future, and that we enable opportunities for people to enter those industries and build their skills. We will continue to support those sectors not only for their economic value, but for their leadership, and for the important role that they play in Scotland’s identity and prosperity.”
“We are committed to supporting growth for the sector through initiatives such as the guest beer agreement; that is a key component of the Scottish pubs code, which came into force this year and is making a positive difference. Ensuring that brewing and distilling remain not just legacies but areas of future success will depend on knowledge, skills and innovation— areas in which our universities are uniquely placed to excel. Their capacity for adaptation and forward-thinking research will be critical to sustaining those industries in a changing world. Through the proposed CSBD project, Heriot-Watt University will have the capacity to do even more.”
“Ben Macpherson: My support for the industry is well documented in the Official Report of this Parliament, and I continue, in my current ministerial brief, to be that person; I have just talked about the producers in my constituency. I recognise the work that the member has done in leading the CPG on beer and pubs, and I heard the call to engage on the CPG’s recommendations. I will certainly welcome it if the member wants to engage with me on that, and I know that ministerial colleagues in other portfolios will be interested, too. Scotland punches well above its weight in the craft beer industry, accounting for 12.1 per cent of the UK’s craft beer market, which is worth £42.5 million.”
“We also have a thriving craft beer scene, with Moonwake Beer Co, Newbarns Brewery, Campervan Brewery, Pilot Beer and Cold Town Beer—along with Bellfield, just over my constituency boundary—each creating unique products that reach national and international markets. Craig Hoy: I thank the minister for his positivity, but he will be aware that 2 per cent of Scotland’s pubs closed last year, in comparison with just 0.9 per cent in England. Will he be a voice for the industry in the Government, and will he address the industry’s concern that there is an anti-alcohol agenda creeping through the Scottish Government? We recognise that alcohol harm is real, but the industry is doing a lot to prevent it, so will he ensure that he speaks up for the industry in the Scottish Government?”
“We have an incredible range of producers, from large-scale distillers—some of which have been mentioned—crafting some of the world’s finest whisky, gin, vodka and rum to a tapestry of brewers. Those producers span the length of the country and are leading the way as part of a traditional industry embracing different and sustainable practices. For example, the Black Isle Brewery is proudly certified as organic and as a B corp; it is one of the places that I really want to visit. We also have Tennent’s Wellpark brewery, which is powered entirely by renewable energy, eliminating more than 4,200 tonnes of CO2 annually from its network. In my constituency, I know that the sector’s value is clear. The Port of Leith Distillery—which is, as was mentioned, the world’s first vertical distillery—is a remarkable success.”
“For example, the Deputy First Minister visited Ardgowan Distillery, where joint research with the university is improving efficiency, cutting costs and reducing emissions in the distillation process. That is a win for business and for the planet. The research was supported by the Scottish food and drink net zero challenge fund as part of a £130,000 package from the Scottish Government in 2022. To maintain our position as a world leader in brewing and distilling, we must harness every opportunity that is available to us to enhance and support those industries. One of Scotland’s greatest strengths is its diversity and capacity for innovation. Those qualities are nurtured by Heriot- Watt University, and we need to build on them.”