Colin Smyth
Independent · Scotland
“When the minister considers the review, will he also commit to considering full cost recovery from licence applicants so that the public no longer subsidise private interests when licences are granted for the killing of protected species?”
“Amendment 64 agreed to. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That ends stage 3 consideration of amendments. As members will be aware, under standing orders, the Presiding Officer is required to decide whether, in her view, any provision of the bill relates to a protected subject matter—that is, whether it modifies the electoral system and franch…”
“I was taken in through the big arch door, and as soon as that door closed, my nightmare began—six weeks of hell I’ve carried with me all of my life.” Those wee girls’ hell was concealed, covered up and kept from parents. The children were made to write “nice” letters home, copied word for word from a blackboard.”
“Presiding Officer, “Trust is sacred. Our trust was broken as little girls—and now, trust in the system that’s supposed to help us and do right by us has been shattered.” Those are the words of the Fornethy survivors. Some of those brave women are with us in the public gallery today. Hundreds more have shared their story.”
“Most of those girls stayed for four to eight weeks, sometimes more than once. Some were as young as five years old. They were sent away to somewhere new and exciting—a place to rest and recuperate. One survivor said: “I remember getting on a bus with a suitcase. I was going on holiday for the first time.”
“My focus today will therefore be on the failures of Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to show that same respect to those women. They have been campaigning for five and a half years against those failures, and they are still waiting for a full and meaningful apology.”
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“Those involved represent the decent, ordinary people whom we do not hear much about any more: the couple who found the body of a young man in their field and did not want to leave him, so they stood vigil there overnight; the man who scooped up the body of a toddler and took them into the town to avoid them being left in the dark and the wet; and the women of Lockerbie who, in the aftermath of the explosion, washed, ironed and carefully packed the clothes and belongings of victims back into the suitcases that had been strewn across the fields, so that they could be returned to the victims’ loved ones.”
“Eleven victims—some as young as 10 years old— were in Lockerbie as the wreckage showered down on their town. When we discuss in the Parliament what remains the worst terrorist atrocity that our nation has ever seen, we should always remember, first and foremost, the 270 innocent people who needlessly lost their lives. The service at Tundergarth also recognised the truly humbling response of the community and the emergency services to the tragedy, both at the time and ever since.”
“On 21 December 2024, I attended the service of remembrance and gratitude at Tundergarth church, which was organised by Tundergarth Kirks Trust and the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation. Members of families who lost loved ones, students from Lockerbie academy and members of the community quietly and poignantly read out the names of each of the 270 souls lost, accompanied by pictures of each victim in happy times. Wives, husbands, mums, dads, and 14 children and babies—some as young as two months old— were murdered in the atrocity that was the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. Two hundred and fifty-nine of those victims, from 21 nations, were on the flight, including 16 crew members and 35 students from Syracuse University in New York.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Karen Adam to speak on behalf of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. 15:42”
“Following the Deputy First Minister’s most recent attendance at committee, we received a helpful letter that sets out spending plans in her portfolio and how they have evolved over the past two years from the budget bills, detailing in-year transfers and providing the latest spending figures for each year. However, the committee should not have had to ask for that information; it should be contained in the budget when it is published. The budget has a key role to play in driving economic growth, which will raise living standards, give people more freedom in their lives and help to revitalise and rejuvenate communities. I hope that the Government will act on some of the points that the Economy and Fair Work Committee has raised about how we support Scotland’s businesses to help to deliver that important growth.”
“The committee strongly believes that there should be a clearer link between NSET and the budget, with NSET driving budget decisions across Government departments and more coherence across portfolios. The ability to evidence spend on strategies and what it achieves is vital for measuring the success of NSET or, indeed, any Government strategy. As we have heard from a number of other conveners, the budget presentation has made year-to-year comparisons of spending plans that bit more complicated. The committees’ role is to scrutinise and hold the Scottish Government to account, and that requires information that we know exists to be made available at a much earlier stage in the budget process.”
“The Economy and Fair Work Committee, the Finance and Public Administration Committee and the Public Audit Committee have all highlighted concerns that were raised in last year’s Audit Scotland report on NSET, including the “gap in collective political leadership”, the fact that there is no information on “how much investment is needed to deliver the NSET”, the fact that there is little detail on “how directorates are working together to agree funding priorities” and the “lack of transparency about directorate decisions on allocation of funding for NSET actions.” Audit Scotland said: “there is a risk that NSET objectives are not given the same priority by all directorates when it comes to funding decisions.” I raised Audit Scotland’s report with the Deputy First Minister during her two appearances before the Economy and Fair Work Committee last year.”
“When I asked the Deputy First Minister about that at committee, she pointed to, among other things, the commitment to review the methodology for non- domestic rates assessments for hospitality businesses. That is welcome because they have, understandably, expressed concern about the focus on turnover when it comes to that assessment. However, we still do not have clarity on when any further review will be completed. The main strategy that underpins the Government’s priority of economic growth is the national strategy for economic transformation.”
“John Mason: Is it the member’s argument that where money is being spent on one subject in England we should automatically spend the consequentials on the same subject? Colin Smyth: It is not my argument; I am repeating evidence that the committee heard from those in the business sector who believe that those different decisions put them at a competitive disadvantage. The Scottish Government’s budget for next year proposes a 40 per cent business rates relief, which is welcome, but it is restricted to hospitality businesses—it does not cover retail—and it is only for those with a rateable value of up to £51,000. Many businesses have expressed concern that that will lead to a cliff edge for them.”
“We know how vital tourism is to Scotland’s economy and that the Scottish Government has identified sustainable tourism as a growth sector. Our hospitality sector is a key part of that tourism offer. The UK budget provided 40 per cent business rates relief to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across the rest of the UK, which resulted in £147 million in consequentials for Scotland. In recent years, the Scottish Government has chosen not to pass those consequentials on to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, and the Economy and Fair Work Committee has repeatedly heard that those sectors feel that they are now at a competitive disadvantage in Scotland, compared with the rest of the UK. John Mason: Will the member give way? Colin Smyth: Yes, if I have time.”
“In evidence to the committee, the agency made clear that it might have to consider “stopping doing some things that we are legally obliged to do”.—[Official Report, Economy and Fair Work Committee, 25 September 2024; c 25.] The committee also heard concerns about reductions in capital funding for our enterprise agencies and for the Scottish National Investment Bank in recent years, and about the fact that short- term funding decisions had caused uncertainty and hampered some of their work. Funding reductions for VisitScotland in recent years led to a strategic change programme that included disposal of the iCentre network, ending the quality assurance schemes for tourism and business events, and pivoting towards a digital first approach. VisitScotland has also had to scale back activity in growth markets to focus on core markets.”
“The committee notes that that will be considered as part of the reform programme for post-school education and skills and intends to take evidence shortly that will feed into that. In our pre-budget letter to the Government, we sought further clarity about its wider plans to reform the economic development landscape. Although the Government outlined its three broad priorities, there was no detail about reform, such as progress to date, future plans, expected timelines or measurable outcomes. At a time of challenging budgets and growing demand, delivering public sector reform has never been more important. It was also clear from the evidence that we took that concerns remain about funding for the current model, with a 30 per cent real-terms reduction in Scottish Enterprise resource budgets in the past two years.”
“The Economy and Fair Work Committee’s pre- budget scrutiny had a particular focus on our enterprise agencies, the Scottish National Investment Bank and VisitScotland, which together account for the majority of the spend that our committee scrutinises. That economic development landscape has been described as cluttered, and the committee has heard repeated calls for a more seamless and focused support mechanism for businesses that still recognises the distinctive needs of different sectors, businesses of different sizes and different parts of Scotland. We know that the Withers review recommended that enterprise agencies should take responsibility for supporting businesses with skills and workforce planning, which will require those agencies to broaden their approaches.”
“I am grateful to the Deputy Presiding Officer for giving me permission to leave the debate early in order to attend a business event. I apologise to members, because that means that I will miss some contributions in this important debate. Scotland’s economy, like that in the rest of the UK, has seen a sustained period of low growth and low productivity against a backdrop of rising costs in recent years. When the First Minister assumed office in May, he said that economic growth would be a priority for his Government. Effectively supporting Scotland’s businesses will be key to delivering that ambition.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the ministerial statement on Creative Scotland multiyear funding. Before we move to the next item of business, there will be a short pause to allow front-bench teams to switch over. I ask members who are leaving the chamber to do so without having lots of discussions with other members. Scottish Budget 2025-26”
“Given that we have lost a lot of festivals in Dumfries and Galloway and that there is a clear inequality when it comes to funding such festivals, will the cabinet secretary guarantee that today’s announcement will tackle that regional inequality of support for festivals, particularly in Dumfries and Galloway? Angus Robertson: I will make sure that Mr Smyth receives the link to the funding announcement, so that he can satisfy himself that there is a significant improvement throughout the country. Mr Smyth draws attention to the work of the strategic partnership for festivals and festival support, which I am personally chairing. I am so invested in that because I want to make sure that festivals across the country go from strength to strength. I am happy to work with him and other colleagues to make sure that that happens.”
“As a director of the committee, I make the point that we have to view all that alongside the group’s work and the considerable progress that is being made there including—just this week—agreement to the means of taking forward measures at pace to assist the sector to deliver and become more sustainable. As the First Minister has identified previously, that includes accessing budget lines that do not necessarily sit in the education portfolio.”
“removal of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund” and has warned that “in line with many other colleges, Borders College will see increased financial deficits in the coming years.” If our college sector is being properly funded, as the minister seems to imply, why is it that Borders College, Audit Scotland and Colleges Scotland are saying something different? Graeme Dey: I have said many times in the chamber that I wish that we were in a stronger position to provide more funding for the colleges. The point that I am making is that there was, for example, a £50 million increase in resource provided to the colleges between 2019 and 2020 but, in that period, inflation peaked at 10 per cent, so there is a challenging situation.”
“The Scottish Funding Council has also delivered on various asks from the sector to help to invest funds more flexibly, including by giving colleges a more flexible way to invest in vital changes to curriculums so that they can meet local and national skills needs. Colin Smyth: Borders College recently wrote to MSPs to highlight the fact that it has had to cut student activity levels, reduce modern apprenticeships and turn away students who have applied for important subjects, such as construction and engineering, because of cuts in college funding. It has also had to reduce upskilling opportunities due to “the ...”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns raised by Colleges Scotland that the role of colleges is being damaged by relentlessly falling budgets. (S6O-04276) The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): The draft budget increases resource funding to colleges. Although we have not gone as far as the sector would have liked us to go, it is important to view that in the context of our other support. For example, I recently released an additional £13.4 million of resource funding into the sector to provide support with maintenance needs this financial year—which was a specific ask of the sector. Additionally, this week, we have agreed to invest a further £3.5 million in colleges through targeted support for skills in social care and offshore wind.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that motion S6M-16252, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on supporting Scotland’s health and social care workforce, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. Members should cast their votes now. The vote is closed.”
“For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against 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) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) 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) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Gillian Mackay] Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] 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) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Abstentions Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-16252.2, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, is: For 51, Against 68, Abstentions 1.”
“Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S6M-16252.2, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, which seeks to amend motion S6M-16252, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on supporting Scotland’s health and social care workforce, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My phone did not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: We will ensure that that is recorded, Mr Smyth. 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) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) 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) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] 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) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Abstentions Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Gillian Mackay] Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-16252.1, in the name of Neil Gray, is: For 61, Against 53, Abstentions 7.”
“Should we be considering whether such advice is statutory and compulsory in such circumstances? Angela Constance: I contend that the red travel warning was very clear. I do not think that it could have been clearer. Nonetheless, we always have to have an open mind with respect to reviews. I will not repeat what I said in two previous answers on and around employers. There is some really informative data on the public’s compliance with the advice about not travelling. There is significant data on reductions in the volume of traffic—on different roads, it reduced by 95 per cent, 100 per cent and 90 per cent—that we can share with the member. I reiterate that the public overwhelmingly complied with the advice, but we will pick up on the other issues that members have raised today.”
“I echo the condolences for those who lost their lives during storm Éowyn. The tragic death of 19-year- old Calum Carmichael in Mauchline will be utterly devastating for his loved ones. Police Scotland urged people not to travel during the storm. I appreciate that the cabinet secretary has said that traffic volumes dropped by 80 per cent. However, as we have heard from other members, it is clear that some businesses still put an expectation on their employees to come to work, even when that work was far from urgent. Will the Government review the approach to travel advice when we have a severe red weather warning? We only have to look at the pictures of HGVs lying at the side of our roads during the storm to see that advisory messages did not go far enough and were not adequate to keep workers safe.”
“It is therefore disappointing that Conservative, SNP and Liberal Democrat MSPs joined forces to vote down amendments on them, and that a number of members made it clear that they are against a ban.”
“Those poor pups suffered appalling health issues but, thankfully, due to the efforts of the SSPCA, they all survived and have since been rehomed. Although Christine Grahame’s bill, in its final form, will have a positive impact, a number of amendments that were before us today could and should have strengthened the legislation further. I strongly support the prohibition of electric shock collars and other harmful tools to train or control dogs. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and practically all animal welfare charities have raised concerns about those devices and have called over a long period of time for their prohibition. The Dogs Trust has rightly said that “Shock collars are unnecessary and cruel”.”
“I begin by paying tribute to Christine Grahame for her long-standing commitment to animal welfare, of which her bill is the latest example. It has been a privilege to be her deputy on the cross-party group on animal welfare, and I look forward to continued work with her. We must prevent impulse purchasing of pups and young dogs and tackle public demand. I believe that Christine Grahame’s bill will help to do that. Where there is demand, there is also a trade in which rogue dealers seek to make a profit at the expense of animal welfare. Last year, at the port of Cairnryan in my region, a large number of puppies were found in an appalling condition, confined in cardboard boxes under a lorry and without any food or water.”
“It knows that such guidance has practically no legal underpinning, which limits its power when it comes to enforcement. I very much support the amendments in the name of Ross Greer, and Labour will support all the amendments in the group.”
“The reality is that, if someone cannot control or train a dog humanely, they perhaps should not have one. That is why the amendments relating to such matters are relevant to a bill on responsible dog ownership. The Government says that the bill is not the place to enact such measures—Maurice Golden has repeated that—but it fails to say where that place is and, crucially, when it should happen. Members have raised the fact that the amendments have come only at stage 3 or are not within the scope of the bill, but I remind the Government that there is a precedent. During the passage of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, it introduced late-stage amendments to ban the shooting of seal. Too often, when it comes to animal welfare issues, the Government hides behind guidance.”
“The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says: “Electric shock, prong and choke collars have no place in Scotland. Their use constitutes a cruel and counterproductive practice which only further endangers the welfare of dogs by inflicting pain and suffering.” Blue Cross warns that the collars lead to “Anxiety-related behaviour or panic responses to seeing a collar or hearing the noise associated with their use. They can also re-direct aggression towards other dogs, their owner or members of the public”. The British Veterinary Association has raised concerns that “the use of shock collars on dogs generates considerable welfare harms”. All argue that reward-based training is the only effective training method. Even the Scottish Government’s guidance on dog training aids, which was published in 2018, says the same.”
“I will comment primarily on the amendments in the group that relate to electric shock collars and other harmful tools to train or control dogs. Practically all the animal welfare charities have raised concerns over a long period about electric shock collars and have called for their prohibition. So, too, has the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, which was set up by this Government to advise it on such matters. As we have heard, the issue is not new— it has been extensively debated. The evidence on the cruelty of such devices is clear, and action is overdue. Electric shock collars can emit up to 6,000 volts for up to 11 seconds at a time. Some devices have a range of up to 2 miles, which means that dogs can be completely out of sight, as we heard, when they receive that shock.”
“Oliver Mundell is right when he says that Burns was maybe all things to all people—that would probably make him a Liberal Democrat. However, his legacy is enduring, and the potential to grow that legacy is enormous. At this point, the Presiding Officer is probably going to ask me to sit down. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Had I known what you were going to say, I might have asked you to sit down 30 seconds earlier. Craig Hoy is the final speaker in the open debate. 18:12”
“Unfortunately, that festival did not take place last year due to the Government’s decision to end the winter festival funding. Although it returns with a great line-up this year on a smaller scale than in the past, it needs that on-going support in the future. Neil Bibby and Stephen Kerr talked about the downgrading of Burns on our curriculum. We should be building up Burns’s legacy. I make that appeal to the Government, as I did in last week’s culture debate. We have lost a lot of festivals in Dumfries and Galloway in recent years. Sadly, I fear that we will lose more in the weeks ahead. Scotland’s rich cultural offering is more than big festivals in the central belt, and that needs to be reflected in more regional support with festival funding, including of the Big Burns Supper.”
“However, the plans by the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to preserve Burns’s legacy by widening access with more events, artist residencies, and educational opportunities and, ultimately, to create a world- class visitor attraction, have the potential to be truly transformative. I give the trust, led by Joan McAlpine and her staff team, Adam, Sarah and Ailsa—who, along with a number of trustees, are here this evening—my full support on their journey. It is great to hear similar support from members during the debate. The potential is enormous, but delivery of that potential will need on-going support from the Government and other agencies, not just at the development stage but in the future. In the meantime, there is already much to do in Dumfriesshire when it comes to Burns, including, as we have heard, the fantastic Big Burns Supper.”
“The ownership of the Globe Inn now sits with David Thomson and Teresa Church, the owners of Annandale Distillery, who have a real vision for a Burns quarter in Dumfries, including a visitor centre. The Burns footsteps go beyond the town—they go to the Brow well, which is renowned for its healing qualities, although, in truth, bathing in the freezing waters probably did Burns more harm than good. The footsteps also lead to Ellisland farm, the home that Burns built from 1788 to bring together his family, as Neil Bibby said, for the first time and where he penned what are arguably his finest works, including “Auld Lang Syne”. Ellisland Farm is well worth a visit—if members have not been, I ask them to please go.”
“One wee lad answered, quick as a flash, “It’s the deathplace of Rabbie Burns”. He maybe was not wrong, but of course it is also where Burns thrived and lived, albeit for far too short a time. That trail takes you past the wonderful statue of Jean Armour, Burns’s beloved and loyal wife, to the house that Burns lived in on stinking vennel—a street that, fortunately, has had a name change since Burns’s time. It then works its way to Scotland’s oldest working theatre, the Theatre Royal Dumfries, where Burns was a frequent visitor, and to his favourite howff, the Globe Inn, where he was an even more frequent visitor. That is a Burns tradition that I have followed for many years—although I suspect that if I etched verses on one of the Globe Inn windows, as Burns did, rather than have it displayed, I would be barred.”
“I thank Oliver Mundell for lodging his excellent motion, which provides a timely opportunity to celebrate not only the rich cultural contribution of Robert Burns but also the enduring social and economic legacy, and the future potential, of our national bard. Prior to being elected to Parliament, I had the pleasure of representing Nith ward on Dumfries and Galloway Council, and chairing the council’s economy committee. I remember, about a decade ago, launching the “In the Footsteps of Burns” trail, to promote the breadth of the physical legacy of Burns’s time in my hometown of Dumfries. That trail of course included St Michael’s kirkyard, where Burns was laid to rest at the far too young age of 37. I remember a visit to neighbouring St Michael’s primary school, where pupils were asked what Dumfries was famous for.”
“To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed plans with NHS Lanarkshire to ensure that neurodivergent children and young people receive the right treatment and support. (S6O- 04233)”
“To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed plans to reduce delayed discharge with NHS Dumfries and Galloway. (S6O-04205)”
“The current silo model of cultural funding, with its emphasis and focus on performance—often professional—does not properly recognise participation. In contrast, for example, Ireland—”
“The Government needs to take a far more strategic view on what public funds should deliver, what a sustainable level of cultural funding is and how we provide on-going certainty and confidence to a sector that feels that it has been badly let down by decisions in recent years. The review also needs to ensure that we better recognise the role of culture in delivering creative place making in our communities. In November, I had the privilege of co-hosting an event in Parliament that was organised by the Stove Network in Dumfries. It has been working with South of Scotland Enterprise on creative place making using the arts and culture as the foundation of community engagement and involvement because of the positive impact that that has on health, employment, wellbeing and regeneration.”
“Maybe in the cabinet secretary’s closing comments he can provide some clarity on that issue, because Creative Scotland has not, and it remains a concern for any organisation that might be unsuccessful in what is an oversubscribed bidding process for multiyear funding. Looking to the longer term, I appreciate that the Government has announced a review of Creative Scotland and cultural funding. That is welcome, but it is often referred to as a review of Creative Scotland. Although that is an important aspect of the review, it is also important that it looks at the Government’s approach and decisions.”
“I welcome the debate and the fact that, as a result of the record funding settlement from the UK Government to this Parliament of an extra £5.2 billion over the next two years, there is an opportunity to reset the damaged relationship between the Scottish Government and the sector. The proposed uplift in the Scottish Government’s budget this year can be a first step, but there remains uncertainty over the approach to how that funding will be allocated by Creative Scotland. Many organisations that currently are not regularly funded access funding for their on-going work through annual applications to the open fund. It is unclear whether that route will be available in the future, as Creative Scotland seems to be hinting that multiyear funding may become the only route to support regular or on-going work.”
“If the member will forgive me, I will get back to him in writing—or perhaps one of my colleagues will, as the specific aspects of that policy are within the net zero portfolio. I will ensure that he is provided with a response in writing.”
“The cabinet secretary referred to funding for the warmer homes Scotland scheme. What discussions has she had with her colleagues on the Government’s consistent failure to spend the budget that it sets aside for area-based energy efficiency projects? Does she not agree that the failure to spend £62 million of the £192 million allocated in the past three years is appalling, as is the fact that research by the Chartered Institute of Building shows that fewer than 40 per cent of older people are even aware of the Government’s energy efficiency schemes? Shirley-Anne Somerville: Colin Smyth makes an important point about raising awareness of the schemes that are available. That becomes even more pressing in the cases of people who are no longer entitled to other forms of support.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data from the pupil census supplementary statistics, which reportedly shows that the number of pupils with additional support needs in Dumfries and Galloway increased by over 1,000 between 2019 and 2023. (S6O-04171)”