Rachael Hamilton
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Despite Jenny Gilruth, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, declaring for me my entry in the register of members’ interests after her statement on non-domestic rates on Tuesday, I failed to do so myself.”
“I am very concerned about this bill. First, the UK Parliament expedited the bill—it was fast-tracked—yet it confers huge powers on UK Government ministers not only to intervene in a business and take operational control, but to make a business’s failure to comply a criminal offence. This is a serious piece of legislation.”
“Time is running out, and some of Scotland’s businesses are being worn to the bone by rising rates. High streets are also being hollowed out. Will the Scottish Government consider a pause on the collection of non-domestic rates while it sorts out the glitch in the software system? What is the definition of “rapid”?”
“Our commitment to the industry is clear through ministers’ ongoing involvement in the UK steel council, as well as our role in and input to the development and publication of the recent UK steel strategy. This has always been—and will continue to be— a Government that takes action.”
“Members will have seen in UK minister Chris McDonald’s recent written statement that the UK Government “is strongly minded to use the powers in the Bill to bring British Steel into public ownership in the future, subject to the public interest being satisfied and taking into account all the relevant facts at that time.” I suggest that thi…”
“I hope that the member understands that we have sought to act in good faith by keeping the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee informed and by ensuring that Parliament has the opportunity to consider, at the very least, the matter of legislative consent through the debate that we are having this afternoon.”
The complete record
Every one of 429 lines we hold for Rachael Hamilton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 9.
“If the revaluation is not postponed, the assessors will be akin to assassins; they will destroy businesses because the business rates will exceed the whole annual income of thousands of businesses. How on earth is that allowed to happen? The Government must step in. The revaluation must be postponed by the Government, or it will cause commercial Armageddon. 17:23”
“I understand what Fergus Ewing said about the difference between the assessors in England and the assessors in Scotland, but, as the Scottish ministers will say, assessors are independent. It is the Scottish ministers who have the power to make the change, and that is where we should be looking. Fergus Ewing: Indeed so. That is why the solution is not rates relief or tinkering around with the valuations—there is not enough time to do that. The solution is postponing the revaluation. It was done in 2022. It has been done before and it should be done again. That is the only way that this can happen. The First Minister acknowledged the serious problem last Thursday.”
“Motion disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: That concludes this item of business, and there will be a short suspension before we move to the next item. 15:10 Meeting suspended. 15:12 On resuming— Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3”
“For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) 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) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) 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, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (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) 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) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] 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) (Ind) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-20135, in the name of Russell Findlay, on a motion of no confidence, is: For 57, Against 67, Abstentions 1.”
“The question is, that motion S6M-20135, in the name of Russell Findlay, on a motion of no confidence, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. We will suspend the meeting to allow members to access the digital voting system. 15:03 Meeting suspended. 15:09 On resuming— The Presiding Officer: We come to the vote on motion S6M-20135, in the name of Russell Findlay. Members should cast their votes now. The vote is closed. Keith Brown: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Brown. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“It appears that the SNP’s strategy has been to get the issue out of the road before Christmas and hope that it goes away, and that people will have forgotten about SNP members’ disgraceful behaviour from the moment that they voted down Liam Kerr’s amendment to the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill and about the behaviour of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, who has let down victims. This stinks. This is on a different scale. Labour and the Liberal Democrats agree: Angela Constance must go, for the sake of survivors and thousands of others whose trust and confidence have been undermined by a cover-up. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on the motion of no confidence and we move to the question.”
“As my colleague Russell Findlay said, John Swinney met Taylor and her mother a week ago, on 9 December. Taylor and her mum told the First Minister about the destruction and loss of vital evidence and records held by the Government, the police, education, the national health service and local authorities. Victims’ voices are clear: they do not want to be fobbed off. Transparency and honesty matter. It is not that the SNP is shy of inquiries, but this one really matters—this situation matters.”
“On top of that, there was an opportunity for John Swinney to respond to his justice secretary’s lying in Parliament at two separate First Minister’s question times in answering questions from my colleague Russell Findlay. There have been no answers, however—just stonewalling. That is no way to treat victims of horrific crimes. As Taylor’s mum said, “Where is the humanity for these young people who have to keep being re-traumatised time and time again every time they have to speak out in the hope that you will all do the right thing. The survivors demand honesty and transparency.” John Swinney could have called an immediate inquiry. It is unclear why the First Minister has not called an immediate investigation or indeed why he has instructed his Cabinet to defend Angela Constance misleading Parliament.”
“Over the course of a few weeks, Natalie Don- Innes has responded to an urgent question from Meghan Gallacher while the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs sat in the chamber; Meghan Gallacher raised the subject of an inquiry through a business motion but, again, there no action; Tess White, Pam Gosal, Sharon Dowey and Douglas Ross called for an inquiry in the violence against women and girls debate led by Shirley-Anne Somerville and Kaukab Stewart but, once again, there was no action; there was a Labour debate on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, led for the SNP by Jenny Gilruth and Angela Constance, but once again there was no action; and there was a point of order and an urgent question from my colleague Douglas Ross but, again, there was no action.”
“The justice secretary continued to deny that she had misrepresented Alexis Jay until correspondence confirmed that the current position was unsatisfactory to her. Finally, just a few weeks ago, the Scottish Government published email correspondence from Alexis Jay confirming that Angela Constance had misled Parliament. There has still been no correction or apology. You just could not make this up. Cabinet secretaries have tied themselves in knots trying to defend their justice secretary. Let me remind Ross Greer that we have been standing up for victims of grooming gangs, not slavishly and spinelessly protecting the SNP Government. A plethora of cabinet secretaries have been rolled out to shut down the truth.”
“It is despicable. The First Minister did not address the substance of our motion. Instead, he read out the justice secretary’s CV, diverting from the substance. It was 80 per cent deflection, 10 per cent spin and perhaps 10 per cent job reference. Our Scottish Conservatives party leader has set out the timeline that demonstrates with clarity that the justice secretary has misled Parliament—a timeline that has been protracted for survivors and victims and a scale of events that has escalated to such serious levels that survivors have lost trust in the Government. It has taken months to reveal that Angela Constance clearly misrepresented Professor Alexis Jay’s comments in relation to her view of my colleague Liam Kerr’s amendment, which was voted down by the Scottish National Party and the Greens.”
“We have been down the road of calling for a vote of no confidence in ministers before. In the past, we have called for people in charge to step down because of catastrophic exam results or the misuse of public money. However, today’s vote of confidence is darker and graver. It is about something that is potentially widespread and that affects thousands of young women. It is about vulnerable young girls as young as 13 being gang raped and abused and teenagers being trafficked, drugged, plied with alcohol and waking up naked and bruised on a mattress with no recollection of the night before. There is a material difference in today’s vote of no confidence. In this case, the Parliament has been misled by the justice secretary, who is responsible for safeguarding victims. Survivors of grooming gangs have been let down unforgivably.”
“Regardless of people’s individual identities, I expect everybody to be treated with respect and that boards will ensure that any concerns that people raise are properly considered and investigated, regardless of whether those concerns are about the issues that this tribunal is concerned with or about other matters around patient safety. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes this 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 over. Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited”
“It is clear that the SNP’s gender self-identification policy still prevails in spite of the Supreme Court judgment. Sandie Peggie’s case proves that the burden of expressing concerns around safety, privacy and dignity lies directly with women and women only. Women’s protections must be guaranteed in the workplace. Will the cabinet secretary give biological females the assurance that they can feel safe in all health boards across Scotland? Neil Gray: Since coming into office, I have made clear the culture of respect that I expect within our boards as employers, and I continue to work on that with the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer and local whistleblowing champions, as well as with the chairs and chief executives of boards.”
“The First Minister: I have also set out on previous occasions what the Scottish Government would do in the situation that we now face. I said that we would use the money that we had allocated to lift the two-child limit, which was an initiative taken by the SNP Government in the face of votes against such a proposal by Labour MPs in Westminster, to reduce child poverty even further than the decreasing levels of child poverty in Scotland under this Government. Mr Findlay attacks me for asking people on higher earnings to pay more in tax. I am prepared to do that so that I can work to eradicate child poverty, which is the best thing to do for the future of our country. United Kingdom Government Budget 2.”
“There is another way—a commonsense way— that would reward hard work and help the economy. We believe that Scottish taxpayers deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money. They deserve fairness and a break from higher bills, so will John Swinney instead use that £150 million to cut income tax? The First Minister: I have made it clear that the mission and purpose of my Government is to eradicate child poverty. I welcome the fact that the United Kingdom Government has taken the decision, from 1 April, to abolish the two-child cap, which was put in place by the previous Conservative Government. It is an atrocious intervention in the benefits system, and I am glad that my Government has shamed the Labour Party into acting on it. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members.”
“The First Minister: The Scottish Government put forward legislation, which has been approved by Parliament, that introduces rent controls but also enables Scotland to be an attractive market for housing investment. That is demonstrated by the dialogue that the Government is having with the investment sector. Of course, any decisions about these issues will be set out in the budget in January. Russell Findlay: The SNP is forcing Scottish taxpayers to constantly pay more and more and more. Before the budget, it had already set aside around £150 million to end the cap on universal credit for families with more than two children. However, given Labour’s decision to scrap the two-child cap, the SNP can now spend that money on something else—not on more benefits.”
“He is the guy who raised income tax and broke his manifesto promise twice—we always have to read the small print with the SNP. Scotland’s workers, families and businesses deserve to know whether more of their hard- earned money is going to be swiped by the SNP, but John Swinney cannot be trusted on any tax rises that he may be planning. One group that is increasingly concerned is the Scottish Association of Landlords. It says that Rachel Reeves’s new “property income tax could be the final straw”, and that it could harm tenants by jeopardising the supply of rental properties. Rachel Reeves has handed the SNP the power to introduce and even increase that tax in Scotland. Given the damage that has already been done by the SNP’s rent controls, does John Swinney accept that that new tax could further damage the rental market for tenants?”
“[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members. The First Minister: Mr Findlay makes a habit of coming to the chamber and not reading out complete paragraphs from party manifestos that set out our position. We set out our manifesto position in 2021, but we said that we had to be mindful of the economic context. The economic context has been fundamentally changed by two things: first, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which led to a spike in inflation and a massive increase in public sector costs; and, secondly, the absolute rank and total stupidity of the Liz Truss budget, which Russell Findlay supported. That is what changed the landscape. Russell Findlay: What a cheek. The master of wandering drivel speaks.”
“How can we trust you? The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Findlay. Russell Findlay: One year later, the SNP again raised income tax. On 6 November, when John Swinney was challenged about that broken promise, he had the audacity to claim that it was not “out of kilter” with the SNP’s manifesto. Looking very much like Joe Biden, John Swinney seemed to be completely unaware of what he had done. To make matters worse—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Russell Findlay: To make matters worse, on 13 November, he misled the Parliament by falsely claiming to have maintained his manifesto commitment. When John Swinney suggests that he will not increase income tax, how can anyone trust a word that he says? The First Minister: What a wandering lot of drivel that question was.”
“My question to the Deputy Presiding Officer was about the information that was provided to other party representatives. Certainly, we were told about the August date. I asked when you had been informed. In the discussions that you have had with the Government about the emergency legislation, did it state to you as the Presiding Officer—the person who we have elected to be representative of all MSPs, not just Government ministers and MSPs—that the relevant date was August, or were you informed of the June date?”
“The Parliament voted in 2020 to devolve empty property relief to local authorities to provide greater local fiscal empowerment for councils by letting them, rather than the Scottish Government, decide whether to offer any rates discounts to the owners of unoccupied properties. The bill will give full effect to the Parliament’s original intention by clarifying the legislative position as quickly as possible. I urge members to support it. Douglas Ross: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In an earlier point of order this evening, before you assumed the chair, I raised the letter that we received from Graeme Dey correcting what he had said on the record yesterday. He had informed the Parliament that the Government first became aware of the error in the law in August, but it turns out that it learned of it in June.”
“Will the minister take an intervention? Ivan McKee: I have probably taken enough interventions. In conclusion, I urge members to recognise the importance of the matter that the bill seeks to address. It is vital in order to maintain the credibility of the tax system, protect public finances, and enable the non-domestic rates system to continue to operate as it had been understood to be operating by local authorities and ratepayers since 1 April 2023. If passed, the bill will not introduce any new additional costs to businesses or individuals compared to the Scottish Parliament’s original intended policy.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app would not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Hamilton. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the TRANSFORM—trial of randomised approaches for national screening for men— prostate cancer screening trial, including any implications this may have for improving prostate cancer screening in Scotland. (S6T-02767)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what legislative action it plans taking in the remainder of this parliamentary session to protect farmers from the threat of rural crime. (S6O-05172)”
“They are being used as a dumping ground for renewables, with the SNP overturning 99.9 per cent of appeals, leaving communities completely ignored. Rural crime is up, with essential machinery and equipment being stolen because the Scottish Government failed to replicate Westminster legislation. Bus funding has been cut, leaving villages such as Swinton and Leitholm unable to access key services. Banks have withdrawn from high streets. Post offices have closed, with the likes of St Abbs left without even a postbox. Broadband is patchy, creating a digital divide. The Deputy Presiding Officer: You need to close. Rachael Hamilton: Let us think about the physical and mental impact of what is happening in rural areas, areas that only the Scottish Conservatives are standing up for. 18:28”
“In a recent case covered by the Border Telegraph, an anonymous patient reported that their doctor had said: “You clearly are [ADHD], you meet the criteria but the Borders have withdrawn their adult services and no longer will diagnose or provide services for ADHD or ASD, so you would need to go private.” There is a pattern here, and I could go on, but I do not have much time. I just believe that rural health boards must be supported and that the rurality that my constituents live in must be recognised, and I ask the SNP Government to consider the fact that its resource allocation formula is inadequate and insufficient. The Scottish Government is not on track to recruit 800 GPs by 2027, and the overreliance on locums and outsourced workforce is costing millions. It is evident that rural communities are being left behind.”
“I shared with the minister the traumatic story of my constituent, Samantha Hogg, who said that she had been waiting for a diagnosis since she was 12. She is now 25, and she was scared about the damage that the wait was causing. She was told that she would have to wait two years for a laparoscopy procedure at the BGH, and she was in so much pain that she went private. It does not stop there. Concerns have been raised in the Borders about diagnoses for ADHD and autism and whether the health board still provides that service.”
“Rachael Hamilton: Christine Grahame has made my point for me: we should not have inequality, simply because of a geographical difference between urban and rural communities. In fact, the Government should be supporting rural communities because of that difference. I recently met Jenni Minto, the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, for an update on the much-lauded women’s health plan. The Scottish Government said that it would bring endometriosis waiting times down to less than 12 months by the end of this parliamentary session, but has it done so? No. People are still waiting eight and a half years. That means, if someone’s symptoms started today, they would not get a diagnosis until 2034.”
“Those services are being impacted right across the board, and, furthermore, delayed discharges in the Borders are already among the worst in Scotland. The Scottish Government should—and does—have a duty to ensure sustainable access to vital treatment options provided by community hospitals, especially in rural areas, because they plug those gaps. The rural inequalities do not stop there. The average waiting time for a laparoscopy procedure for endometriosis in NHS Borders is 53 days, while the longest wait time is 126 days. Christine Grahame: I hope that the member will agree that the demographics in the Borders are extremely challenging, with an increasing elderly population that is living even longer and requiring even more healthcare and social care. That is a huge issue in areas such as the Borders.”
“My colleague Finlay Carson’s motion is absolutely spot on, and I thank him for bringing the debate to the chamber. Under the SNP, taxpayers are paying more and getting less. Last year, community hospitals in the Borders faced a challenge when NHS Borders proposed the closure of 92 beds across Kelso, Duns and Hawick in my constituency, and in Peebles in the neighbouring constituency. My constituents are aware of the difficulty of delivering healthcare in rural areas, and the potential bed closure sparked huge concern, with nearly 4,000 people signing a petition to protect the community hospitals. I acknowledge that a review is under way, but NHS Borders faces a significant financial challenge. Last year, its opening deficit was £28.1 million, leading to the potential for cost savings to be required in front-line services.”
“To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will maintain its manifesto commitment to freeze income tax rates and bands. (S6F-04455)”
“That is 47 per cent more per head of population than in England and 73 per cent more than in Wales. However, that is not to say that there is not work to be done. That is why, in my answer to Willie Rennie, I pointed out that we have, for the first time, offered multi-annual funding certainty. We have committed to an uptick in funding and to a suite of developments, including on planning and permitted development rights, which I hope will help to deliver the homes that we need.”
“To reverse the decline, I have long campaigned for the extension of permitted development rights to unlock opportunities to grow the rural economy in places such as my constituency in the Scottish Borders by allowing redundant buildings, barns and steadings to be developed and transformed into much-needed homes. Has the cabinet secretary or the Minister for Public Finance assessed how many homes across Scotland could be created to address the SNP’s woeful emergency crisis? Màiri McAllan: On the contrary, the SNP Government has a very strong record on the delivery of affordable homes. I mentioned in an earlier answer that we have delivered more than 140,000 affordable homes since we came into government, 100,000 of which have been for social rent.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Housing has had with the Minister for Public Finance regarding the consultation on permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes. (S6O-05119) The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan): Scottish ministers have regular discussions regarding matters that affect our shared portfolio interests. There is clearly considerable crossover between the Minister for Public Finance and me. We meet regularly to discuss the planning system in respect of housing, and we did so most recently at the meeting of the housing emergency action plan oversight board on Thursday 30 October. Rachael Hamilton: House-building rates have plummeted under the Scottish National Party.”
“I will continue to campaign to keep access to cash alive and to keep banks on the high street. 13:21”
“Predominantly, relevant distances in urban areas are assessed as being within a mile, where at least 95 per cent of people will live, but we all know that that is not how rural towns operate. Rural towns also face challenges because commercial bus companies cannot operate viably there and so are withdrawing services, which means that the threshold is not relevant. I pay tribute to a wonderful retired schoolteacher from Eyemouth, Margaret Carey, who has campaigned vigorously to get access to cash there. Communities must also be empowered to have a realistic chance of making their case about the challenges in rural areas when they appeal decisions. It is extraordinary that communities are not consulted prior to decisions being made to close banking services.”
“Retailers and tourism businesses are closing, too, and the lack of access to cash does not help them, because small retailers still rely on cash, and people use cash because they want to be able to budget. I agree with my colleague Craig Hoy about the limitations of the Financial Conduct Authority, which I met in London. Clearly, as we have all agreed today, many of the solutions are reserved. Nevertheless, we must ask the Labour Government to give more powers to the FCA, so that it can protect cash access in rural areas by reforming the access criteria so that they take more practical account of the challenges faced in those areas. Many of the problems lie in the assessment of the distance threshold for transport links and accessibility.”
“A partially sighted constituent to whom I spoke on the doorstep told me that she had given her banking card to a trusted friend, who took it to Berwick to get cash because there was no cash left at the local ATM at the Co-op in Eyemouth. That is incredibly worrying. The closure in Hawick marks the eighth bank branch closure in the Borders since 2022, following closures—as Craig Hoy has said—in Eyemouth, Selkirk, Jedburgh and Duns. The common factor of those places is that they are small rural towns, and the closures have affected people who are the most vulnerable, including those who are over 65, nearly half of whom still rely on a physical banking service. With the demise of our high streets, the minister should be concerned about the closures, because they are part of an ever-decreasing circle.”
“I thank my colleague Craig Hoy for securing this important debate on bank closures. Since 2012, 6,000 bank branches across the United Kingdom have been closed. The most recent sad casualty is the Bank of Scotland branch in Hawick. That closure is a severe blow to customers, who have expressed shock and disappointment. A banking hub is proposed, which I welcome. If it works, that will be great, but constituents have said that they are concerned about the privacy of a banking hub. That is especially worrying for older customers in the current climate of scams and fraudulent activity—it is no wonder that they are worried. My colleague Liam Kerr spoke about a constituent asking a neighbour to withdraw cash for her. I find that incredibly concerning, yet she is not alone in doing that.”
“What mechanisms are there to understand whether Police Scotland has had conversations with ministers regarding the incident on the parliamentary estate? Which mechanisms led to the police decision being reviewed? Does the Presiding Officer believe that all protests are equal and deserve to be safely facilitated, or only those that suit Scottish National Party ideology?”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In the past 12 hours, Police Scotland has been reviewing its decision to issue Susan Smith of For Women Scotland with a recorded police warning; if such a warning is not accepted, that leads to a charge of criminality. Video evidence from a peaceful protest that was held outside this Parliament on 4 September, at which I and my colleagues spoke, clearly shows no evidence of criminality—such as vandalism— having been directed towards an individual who played loud music to drown out the voices of women peacefully protesting and calling for the Scottish Government to adhere to the Supreme Court judgment on biological sex. The public must be reassured of their democratic rights, and that freedom of speech is valued by this Parliament, the Scottish Government and Police Scotland.”
“To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Scottish Borders Council, and whether issues regarding the future of local facilities, including the potential closure of up to 30 sport and leisure facilities, were discussed. (S6O-05073)”
“Years of damaging Scottish National Party cuts to local authority funding and Labour’s pernicious national insurance increase have created the perfect storm for the future of local community services. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ms Hamilton, I do not think that that is the scripted question. Rachael Hamilton: Oh, I am so sorry. I have the first bit now. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That might have needed a spoiler alert. Scottish Borders Council (Sport and Leisure Facilities) 8.”
“That is the direction of travel that Scotland should continue taking, and we should all continue to put pressure on the Government to do that at pace. However, I do not believe that the bill would help us do that. 15:43”
“That is one route to recovery for some people, but it is not going to be the path that everyone takes or that everyone is ready for. There is a real risk that the bill would see resources shift away from other services that work well to reduce harm and prevent deaths. Scotland is investing to expand the services that are needed and to innovate with new provision such as the safer consumption facility, which is already saving lives. We also need the reform of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which is wildly out of date and inhibits such innovation, making it harder to provide services. Continuing that work is the way to make progress in cutting drug deaths, reducing harm and giving people the support that they need on their own terms.”
“Patrick Harvie: The bill seeks to create a legal right to treatment within three weeks of a treatment determination that would be actionable and challengeable, at a time when we all agree that we should expand the provision of services. I worry that money would end up being spent on lawyers’ fees instead of providing services. The requirement for a medical diagnosis has also been mentioned. Many people require support but do not have a clinical diagnosis of addiction, and they would face additional barriers. I am aware of time, so I will finish by saying that recovery means different things to different people. In the debate today, we have already heard a member conflating recovery with residential rehab leading to abstinence.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Patrick Harvie: —the bill creates significant risk of litigation, and that that would generate additional financial costs to service providers at the expense of investment in services. Brian Whittle: Will the member take an intervention? Patrick Harvie: I will give way if there is time in hand, Presiding Officer. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We have very limited time in hand, but enough. Which member are you taking an intervention from? Patrick Harvie: I saw Mr Whittle first. Brian Whittle: Mr Harvie talks about the issues with creating time directives. Does he not recognise that we already have a time directive, which is that people are supposed to receive treatment in the NHS within 12 weeks, and that that directive has been broken? Why can we not have the directive that is in the bill?”
“It is a very tough subject, but we will continue to stand up for Scotland’s colleges as we move forward. I urge the Parliament to back the Scottish Government’s amendment. 17:02”