Emma Harper
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling child poverty and its investment through the whole family support third sector delivery fund. Will the cabinet secretary say more about how the delivery model will work alongside existing local partnerships?”
“Given the challenges that Christine Grahame outlined and the Scottish Government’s commitment to a just transition, how can the Government support investment in biofuels and anaerobic digestion to reduce reliance on heating oil and provide greener, more secure energy for rural industries such as those in Dumfries and Galloway and the Bord…”
“That is why there is so much emphasis placed in the action plan on whole family support. It is about giving support to families where and when they need it and delivering it in a way that is right for communities. I look forward to continuing to work with Emma Harper on how we can take that forward in the south of Scotland and elsewhere.”
“However, the barriers are not only physical, but also cultural: we heard consistent evidence of negative attitudes from boys, girls being sidelined in physical education and playgrounds being dominated by boys’ activities.”
“As a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, I had the privilege of contributing to our inquiry on female participation in sport and physical activity. What we heard was clear. Although the benefits of sport are universal, access to those benefits is not.”
“Her work has never been about making short-term headlines; it has been about achieving long-term change founded on compassion and justice. During this parliamentary session, Christine introduced her member’s bill, the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, which strengthened protections for animals and built on years of advocacy on issues such…”
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“Boats that disregard the law, boats that trade in black fish and those that deal in modern-day slavery: those are all abhorrent, and such practices should not be part of our fishing industry. We need to reform how we distribute quota to ensure that biodiversity is taken into account and that we protect species. Those with access to our community quota need to use it in the public interest and to employ people fairly. The Conservatives brought this debate, and most of the issues in it have arisen because of Boris’s botched Brexit bill. That makes trading difficult, and we need to sort that out. The debate is based on a false premise, having been initiated by a party that, to quote Colin Smyth, promised “a sea of opportunity” but delivered “a wave of betrayal”. 17:26”
“Members talked about research. We know that our research needs to be improved, and the marine laboratory needs investment. Some members of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee visited the laboratory, and it looked pretty much like an old shed. It was not a place for cutting-edge science. Ariane Burgess talked about climate change, which brings concerns, and we need to do research into the difficulties that it will bring. However, it also brings opportunities. As fisheries change, we need to be fleet of foot. We need to protect stocks while we get ready for new opportunities. Colin Smyth talked about quotas and grants. He was very clear—and I absolutely agree—that boats that break the law should not be given quota, and neither should they be given grants.”
“That focus has been lacking and I hope that we will get it back, especially in relation to things such as spatial planning. It must be a priority when we are thinking about renewables and many of the other issues that we are dealing with in relation to the marine environment. There is no deal, but a deal needs to be negotiated and it needs to be for the benefit of the fishing industry and the communities that the industry supports. We would expect trading in fish to be made easier—that is another thing that Beatrice Wishart talked about. The way in which the current deals are set up creates huge disadvantages for our fishing communities, which need to be sorted out. We look forward to seeing that happen. I hope that the Scottish fishing industry will be at the heart of that process, which will also involve the Scottish Government.”
“17:22 Rhoda Grant: I start by making a point of clarification in response to Beatrice Wishart’s speech. She was concerned that our amendment to the motion appears to take out the reference to an annual debate. It does take out that reference, but the point that Ms Wishart herself made was that one annual debate does not cut it. There is more than one facet to the fishing industry, so we need more than one debate—we need to look at how we add value to the processing industry, how we distribute quota and how we look at spatial planning. Karen Adam mentioned a lot more parts of the downstream industry. One annual set-piece debate does not deal with that. We need to put a focus on the industry and all its parts to make sure that we maximise the benefit.”
“Their promises, and the law, are crystal clear on this: action is needed to reduce the harms caused by certain fishing practices—namely, scallop dredging and bottom trawling. The time for promises is over. Now it is time for long-overdue action. Scotland’s seas are an asset that can provide Scotland with huge social and economic benefits, but years of inaction and legislative failure have resulted in severe harm and a drastic decline in our marine environment. That is holding us back from meeting our nature and climate targets. It is costing fishers jobs and ripping communities apart. A well-managed marine environment would reverse all those trends and guarantee a sustainable future for Scotland’s marine environment and for all the communities that depend on it.”
“The Government needs to learn from the agricultural sector and to make sure that we use public assets to incentivise the changes that we want to see—using them not just for pockets but for people and planet. We need to put an end to bycatch. Every day, large volumes of fish and other marine wildlife are killed and then chucked back into the sea. That damaging system needs to end. We can solve the problem by promoting low-impact fishing systems and introducing tighter regulations and harsher penalties. It is the Government’s legal duty to end bycatch; failing to act is simply not an option. We also need the Scottish Government to deliver on its legal duty to protect marine habitats. I have lost track of the number of commitments made by SNP ministers to protect marine protected areas and the habitats outside them.”
“I particularly appreciate Karen Adam’s impassioned point about the effect of Brexit on our coastal communities, the broken promises and the devastating impact that Brexit has had on many people’s lives. Colin Smyth talked about how too many coastal communities are in areas of multiple deprivation. In the light of those points, I urge the Scottish Government to act: to use its devolved powers to protect our seas and fishers, and to press the UK Government and the EU to be more responsible in how they approach negotiations. Scotland already has the powers to do a fair bit to change the status quo. At present, it puts quota in the hands of a small number of businesses that have to meet only a small number of obligations.”
“‘He just could not comprehend that we weren’t happy.’” We are talking about a UK Tory Prime Minister who could not comprehend the needs of a Scottish industry and Scottish workers. I am shocked. The Scottish fishing industry deserves this Parliament’s support. It is time for Labour to be honest about the damage that the hard Brexit has done and to stand up for Scottish fishing. Of course, the SNP will do the very same. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to closing speeches. 17:19 Ariane Burgess: We have heard many useful and colourful contributions today. I am pleased to note the widespread agreement that the annual fisheries debate needs to be restored. I will refer to a couple of points that we heard in the debate.”
“That did not affect only Scottish fishermen—just ask the former skippers of Grimsby and the Humber, who were sold out by the UK Government decades ago, or the fishermen of Cornwall, who have seen the supply chains to their most profitable markets in France and Spain torn asunder by Brexit and the Tory omnishambles that was set in train by Boris Johnson. I recommend that members read the Politico article headlined, “How Brexit Betrayed the UK Fishing Industry”. I will give a flavour of what it says about how supportive Tim Eagle’s colleagues were of our fishermen: “When Johnson cited a rise in the numbers of Dover sole UK trawlers could catch, fishermen pointed out this meant little to the Scottish industry, given the species are primarily found in southern UK waters. ‘He wasn’t across the details,’ said an attendee ...”
“Given that the CFP is a treaty, how would the SNP be able to negotiate with France and Spain to get a better deal than the one that we had before? Most of the fishermen I speak to want to be out of the CFP. Emma Harper: I welcome the member’s suggestion that Scotland would have its own voice at the table and would be able to negotiate for itself as a normal independent country. We know that the CFP wasnae perfect, and we know that one of the barriers under the CFP was the UK Government’s complete inertia; I have just covered that.”
“In addition, from next year, the UK Government will have to negotiate fresh access and share of quota agreements with the EU every year. Westminster is desperately trying to avoid having to do annual negotiations and is instead setting up multiyear agreements. The Tories have got what they wanted—the Brexit that they hold so dear. Mr Eagle comes to the chamber and tries to hoodwink skippers in the fishing industry into believing that his party is on their side. Was the common fisheries policy perfect? Of course not. One of Scotland’s major barriers to fairness under the CFP was the complete inertia and apathy shown by the UK Government every time quotas and take rates were up for negotiation. Tim Eagle: Does the member accept that the SNP’s policy would be to take us back into the CFP?”
“Boris Johnson’s trade and co-operation agreement means that a quarter of the existing EU fishing quota in UK and Scottish waters will transfer to the UK in a period of just over five years. To put it another way, which I am sure that the Tories will squeal about from sedentary positions, despite the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the Tories’ mantra of taking back control and all their hot air and yitterin on and bletherin aboot the benefits of Brexit—we must pay heed to the fact that not all fishers wanted Brexit; as I understand it, inshore fishers were pretty much opposed to it—the EU fleet will retain 75 per cent of its quota in UK and Scottish waters, while the UK Government has zero say on the common fisheries policy.”
“I agree with Tim Eagle’s expressing of concern about the UK Labour Government’s attitude to our fishing industry. I fear that Scotland’s fleet will again be hammered as a result of deals done by Whitehall behind closed doors. However, the only reason that those negotiations are happening at all is that Mr Eagle’s former leader at Westminster gambled Scotland’s fisheries and every other sector in our economy on a one-armed bandit Brexit referendum, only to lose and then swan off into the sunset, while his successors carried out the act of dragging Scotland out of Europe against our democratic will. They also did a Brexit deal with the European Union that ended nearly five decades of international co-operation.”
“Richard Lochhead: I welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Transport’s recent visit to the south- west and her commitment to on-going engagement with all stakeholders who are keen to see improvements to the roads mentioned. On wider investment planning, the Scottish Government must wait for the outcome of the United Kingdom Government spending review in June to understand what the impacts will be for Scotland. Thereafter, we will publish a reset of our infrastructure investment pipeline, which will set out investment plans for the coming years. In relation to Emma Harper’s invite, I regularly visit the south of Scotland, as do my colleagues. If she wishes to write to us, we will, I hope, respond positively to the invitation.”
“The recent visit by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to the south-west to hear from the campaigns seeking upgrades to the A75 and A77 was welcome. How will the cabinet secretary continue to ensure that the south-west gets the infrastructure and investment that it needs, including, if possible, support for the Kirkcudbright bridge, and engage with stakeholders across Dumfries and Galloway to fully maximise the economic potential of the south-west, as the Scottish Government has done through its hugely welcome funding for the Stranraer Millennium Centre? I invite the minister or the Deputy First Minister to come and see the difference that the funding has made for the community.”
“We have allocated £123.5 million to NHS boards and IJBs in 2024-25 to support the improvements and better outcomes across mental health services, including CAMHS and neurodevelopmental services. We will continue to work closely with boards to ensure that that progress continues, and that having reached that significant milestone, the achievement is sustained and we ensure that all children and young people can access the support that they need. Childhood Immunisations (NHS Lanarkshire) 4.”
“I welcome the figures from last month that showed that the national standard on waiting times for children and young people accessing mental health services has been met. The cabinet secretary just gave a comprehensive answer about the work that is going on. How will the Government continue to ensure that progress continues for children and young people across Scotland, including in Dumfries and Galloway? Neil Gray: I thank Emma Harper for recognising the significant milestone that 90.6 per cent of children and young people started treatment in CAMHS within 18 weeks of referral. I am incredibly grateful to the dedicated CAMHS staff, who play a critical role in achieving that.”
“The challenge, which was to build a bridge strong enough for a toy car to cross, was reported as “an enjoyable and inclusive activity that fostered teamwork.” In addition, the Galloway Action Team charity in Stranraer is delivering intergenerational work, responding to local people’s needs and building the skills of the volunteers, supporting them to continue to integrate with locals. Today’s debate is a good way of raising awareness of what generations working together means, conveying the positives six years on from the first global intergenerational week and valuing the importance of intergenerational working. 17:28”
“There were many attendees from third sector organisations. I am pleased to inform members about some of the excellent work that is going on in D&G. Just this morning, I read that children at the Johnston Nursery in Kirkcudbright participated in an intergenerational event. The nursery is collaborating with Meeting Centres Scotland to create an intergenerational and dementia-friendly meeting space in the nursery. I note that the children took the lead on a brilliantly relevant bridge-building challenge.”
“In addition, there is a global intergenerational week promotional video. It is worth watching, as it outlines the benefits, including mentoring, and notes the positive effect of confidence building and the reduction of isolation and loneliness among participants. I note that this year’s theme is intergenerational learning, and that the aim is to highlight the findings of the World Health Organization’s “Global Report on Ageism”. As Jackie Dunbar’s motion states, the report “outlines the negative impact of ageism on society and recommends education as a key strategy” to address that. I have my intergenerational guide with me. I will make sure that I read it later and pay attention to what it says. Last September, I presented the welcome address at an intergenerational workshop at the Dumfries & Galloway Carers Centre.”
“There is, indeed, intergenerational work taking place in Dumfries and Galloway. For example, Kerry Little from Mallory Nurseries in Dumfries takes pre-school children to the older persons day centre at Cumberland Street for intergenerational engagement. Intergenerational working might sound quite lofty—it is a bit of a mouthful—but what takes place at the day centre was quite simple to achieve. The wee ones were guided to play and interact with the older adults, and there was much mirth and joy. The home page of the Generations Working Together website states: “Together, let’s celebrate the power of connection. Relationships between older and younger people are not just ‘nice’ but essential.” The website is full of information about events, workshops and activities, as well as online training.”
“Mobility—social and physical—has gradually eroded that way of life, and we need to re-engage to assist generations to work together. The point of generations working together is to leverage the diverse experiences and perspectives of each generation, fostering a richer learning and growth environment for everyone involved. I remember participating as a relatively new MSP in a previous members’ business debate on intergenerational issues, which was led by Christine Grahame MSP, who is sitting across the aisle from me. It inspired me, and Christine Grahame inspired me. Indeed, it was obvious that she had captured my interest, as one of the first actions that I pursued following the debate was to find out what intergenerational engagement work was taking place in Dumfries and Galloway, which is part of my South Scotland region.”
“I congratulate ma guid freend—and, if I can yaise a Doric word, ma guid quine—Jackie Dunbar on securing this debate on global intergenerational week, which runs from 24 April to 31 April this year. This is the second time that Ms Dunbar has led a debate on the issue, and she has aptly covered many important aspects of intergenerational working and the wider global movement, which is now in its sixth year. The meaning of “intergenerational” has changed hugely over our lifetimes—indeed, we might say that it has changed across successive generations. The days of three or four generations of a single family living on the same street or in the same district and engaging with and learning from one another are almost entirely at an end.”
“SPARC is chaired by Police Scotland and draws together key organisations and stakeholders from across the justice and rural sectors to provide a robust multi- agency approach to rural crime. The most recent SPARC update, from January this year, shows that the number of incidents of rural crime and the monetary costs of such incidents are both down compared to the figures at this point last year. Prisoners (Early Release) 2.”
“Many members across the chamber recognise the serious threats that rural crime poses to the communities that we represent. Will the minister outline how the Scottish Government is delivering on its commitment to continue to work with Police Scotland and the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime in order to develop and implement strategies to combat those who perpetrate rural crime, such as equipment theft? Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government recognises the harm that is caused to individuals, communities and businesses by rural crime, and we fully support the efforts of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime in aiming to tackle rural crime across the country.”
“I agree that striking the right balance between meeting our net zero obligations and ensuring energy affordability will mean that we must take account of those crucial differences across the country.”
“It is essential that we strike the right balance between our net zero obligations and ensuring energy affordability, particularly in communities with older, colder homes in rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders. Will the minister say a bit more about how the Scottish Government is engaging with stakeholders and local communities, including rural ones, to ensure that the balance is struck? Alasdair Allan: A number of members have, rightly, made the point about the different situations that pertain in many rural areas, where there are distinctive housing types—poured concrete is one that is prevalent in my part of the world. Unless we take account of that, we will not succeed. We must have a scheme, and a piece of legislation, that will work for all of Scotland.”
“What discussions has the Scottish Government had with Dumfries and Galloway Council, Transport Scotland and partners regarding the closure of Kirkcudbright bridge, which is causing massive disruption for everyone in the town? As well as impacting lifeline services, it will have an impact on the busy tourist season ahead. What practical support can be offered to enable the bridge to be repaired and reopened or even replaced?”
“We continue to press the UK Government to commit to meaningful engagement across the four nations on the future funding settlement for agriculture and to provide certainty and assurances on the delivery of agriculture policies following our exit from the”
“Given the agricultural property relief proposals and the national insurance budget decisions, I am not sure that Labour cares much about Scottish agriculture. Will the minister highlight the challenges that are posed to Scotland’s ambitions to be a world leader by Labour’s decision to end ring-fenced funding? Jim Fairlie: The United Kingdom Government’s budget decisions have not delivered the support that Scottish agriculture requires, have failed to reverse the real-terms cuts of previous years and have not provided the multiyear certainty that the sector needs. The changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief will reduce confidence and investment in the sector even further. Despite the UK Government’s removal of ring- fenced funding, our 2025-26 budget continues to ring fence funding for agriculture.”
“Although the Black Watch is 300 years old and the King’s Own Scottish Borderers has had a long and distinguished past, the service that has characterised both regiments over the decades is very much with us today, right across Perthshire and the south of Scotland. I pay tribute to all the veterans who have served over the years. 13:13”
“It lives on at the Berwick-upon-Tweed barracks, whose museum, which is being redeveloped and refurbished, is due to reopen next year for future generations to learn about the history of the KOSB. The regiment’s history also lives on through work in the community that is undertaken by projects such as the veterans garden in the Crichton campus, in Dumfries, which has been led by my constituent Mark Harper—he is no relation—and his massively hard-working team. Over recent years, they have not only grown the support and services that operate from the garden to help armed forces veterans and their families, but worked with the wider community to put on activities for everyone in Dumfries and surrounding areas. That work has been recognised multiple times, with award after award for the garden and the team behind it.”
“The horrendous loss of life in, and the justification for, the first world war have been debated and discussed ever since, but what cannot be doubted is the bravery that was shown by those who served in the KOSB and who suffered hugely over the course of the war. Less than three decades later, the KOSB was part of the effort against the evil of Hitlerism and axis aggression. Servicemen were at Dunkirk as the British expeditionary force was evacuated and, four years later, they were part of the Normandy landings as the allies returned to the European continent to defeat the axis powers and restore democracy to that continent’s peoples. In December 2021, the Royal Scots Borderers were again reorganised—this time, they were incorporated into the Ranger Regiment headquarters in Belfast. However, the history of the KOSB is not forgotten.”
“As an MSP, I am from not Perthshire but the South Scotland region, so it is only appropriate that I talk a wee bit about what was until recently the Royal Scots Borderers but was for decades the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the King’s Own Borderers, with a lineage dating back to the 17th century. During the first world war, members of the KOSB were sent to Mons, Ypres, the Somme and Arras, among other places, as well as Gallipoli, where casualty rates were recorded as 100 per cent. That is a staggering figure. That war involved four members of the KOSB being awarded the Victoria cross—in three cases, posthumously. The surviving recipient was Piper Laidlaw, who struck out from the trenches playing his pipes. That links to the piping history that Liz Smith highlighted in her speech.”
“The battles which have contributed most to The Black Watch history have been those in which the odds have been most formidable. From Fontenoy to Fallujah with Ticonderoga, Waterloo, Alamein and two World Wars in between the Black Watch has been there when the world’s history has been shaped.” As Liz Smith has referred to, the Black Watch is now part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which was formed of not only the Black Watch but the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Highlanders, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.”
“I thank Liz Smith for securing the debate and for highlighting the role that the Black Watch has played down the years—300 years now—in communities across Scotland. I, too, welcome the members of the Black Watch who are in the gallery today. I will start with words that I took directly from the Black Watch website: “In a Highland regiment every individual feels that his conduct is the subject of observation and that, independently of his duty, as one member of a systematic whole, he has a separate and individual reputation to sustain, that will be reflected on his family and district or glen.” It adds that those words “are as relevant today as when they were written by a 19th century Black Watch historian. They lucidly illustrate that The Black Watch boasts a history of honour, gallantry and devoted service to King, Queen and country.”
“I would be happy to provide the member with the data behind that in writing. It is crucial that the sector has financial consistency, unlike what we have seen from the sustainable farming incentive down south. In addition, the Scottish Government provides funding streams to farmers and crofters via the crofting agricultural grant scheme, the croft house grant scheme, the less favoured area support scheme, the Scottish suckler beef support scheme, the Scottish upland support system and the fruit and veg aid scheme, none of which has an equivalent in”
“The purpose of the payment system is to ensure that money goes into the pockets of farmers and crofters. The Scottish National Party decided that our agriculture sector deserved that money and that it was worth while, while other parties elsewhere in the United Kingdom decided to take that money off the farmers. Will the minister reiterate how the Scottish Government’s rural payments system has ensured that money gets into our agricultural sector and the rural economy on time and as quickly as possible? Jim Fairlie: As part of our transparent approach, we publish an annual payment strategy. The targets in each iteration of the strategy have been met, and payment performance has improved year on year. Indeed, we are paying under the basic payment scheme earlier than ever.”
“[Applause.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: I gently discourage those in the public gallery from participating, including through applause. 17:27”
“Our multiform, our infinite Scotland small?” No doubt Burns would have smiled as MacDiarmid scrieved that oot. Next year, MacDiarmid’s “The Bonnie Broukit Bairn” will be added to the higher English set text list. It is a tribute to his body of work and to the impact that he has had on our nation’s sense of its literary self and the language that we use day after day, that tens o thoosans o weans an bairns will hae the chance tae study his verse in the same context as Burns, Stevenson and John Byrne. In the same way, the work of Brownsbank is keeping alive MacDiarmid’s legacy and life fur oor generation and future generations, celebrating a body o work that has stood, and will stand, the test o time as the work o one o oor great poets and writers.”
“His publishing in Scots gave credence to the language at a time when received wisdom and the dominant establishment view was that Scots was the language of the gutter or of the undereducated. Reading again through “A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle” for today’s debate, I think that his love and admiration for another Scots poet, Robert Burns, shines through, although perhaps not his admiration for some who hing their pegs on his poetry while missing the human meaning behind it. Both poets shared a lowland Scots upbringing and a sense that Scotland and its people needed recorded and shared with others, but in a multiplicity of ways, with the diversity of our land at the heart of what they wrote—or, as MacDiarmid himself said: “Scotland small?”
“It may have been his last home, but it was his longest lasting, and its preservation is a tribute to his wife Valda, who he predeceased, and to the trustees and volunteers who have worked so hard over the years to maintain and promote Brownsbank as a memorial to the man and his body of work. MacDiarmid’s role in the use of the Scots language and its written form cannae be overestimated, and colleagues will shairly ken how important the Scots leid is tae me in the chamber. Hugh MacDiarmid wance said of the Scots leid: “One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Vernacular, part of its very essence, is its insistent recognition of the body, the senses ... This explains the unique blend of the lyrical and the ludicrous”. He demonstrated that through his own body of work: always lyrical and frequently ludicrous, surreal and moving.”
“For the first 60 years of his life, however, his home is hard to pin down, although his formative years appear again and again in his work, with large sections of “A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle” referring back to his youth in Langholm. After leaving Langholm academy, he wound up in Edinburgh, followed by Ebbw Vale in Wales, Clydebank, Forfar and Montrose; then—in the space of a little over a decade—came London, Liverpool, West Sussex and Whalsay in Shetland, where visitors today can stay in the hoose he made his hame for nine years; and then Glasgow, Dungavel and finally, too, Brownsbank.”
“Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for allowing me to finagle wi ma keyboard to make sure that it will actually stand up to the debate. I thank Clare Adamson for securing the debate. She has articulated very well in her motion and in her speech the importance of Brownsbank cottage and the work that is being done by the trustees and volunteers on what is, though it may be an underappreciated corner of Scotland’s literary tradition, a shining star in 20th century history. I am proud to be an MSP for the area. Clare Adamson has welcomed everybody to chamber, and I masel will welcome everyyin tae the chamber the nicht, tae. MacDiarmid was born and schooled in Langholm, also known as the muckle toon and pairt o my South Scotland region.”
“As President Trump rampages across international trade and tariff policies, the UK is now uniquely exposed to his irrational wrath, unlike the EU, which is able to work collectively to protect its food production agri-industries. It is a tribute to the tenacity, ingenuity and hard work of those food and drink businesses that they are maintaining their high quality, but we all know that Brexit has prevented them from being able to go that extra mile and ramp things up to the next level. I am grateful that we have a Scottish Government that has done its level best, within the straitjacket of Westminster diktat, to minimise the harms that Brexit has caused and to stand up for the food and drink industry in Scotland and especially in the south of our country. 16:03”
“We have a booming food and drink sector in Scotland, despite the weight of Brexit hanging around the necks of the whole industry. Members should be clear that restored membership of the EU and the customs union, in line with the express will of the people of Scotland, is, in both the short and the long term, in the best interests of our economy. It is to the shame of the main parties at Westminster that they are simply not interested in carrying out the will of the people of Scotland. Those who campaigned to tear Scotland out of the EU should apologise to every farmer, every agriculture business and every food and drink producer in the land for the increased costs and the red tape that their disastrous kamikaze Brexit has imposed.”
“The events in Ukraine over the past three years have shown the perils of our relying so heavily on food imports. Before the war, 50 per cent of world sunflower oil production happened in Ukraine, and 18 per cent of barley and 12 per cent of wheat came from Ukraine. The Russian invasion has meant that prices for those basic foodstuffs have shot through the roof and at times obtaining supplies has been precarious. Food security is absolutely a concern, so it is good to hear the cabinet secretary mention that. We need a strong and vibrant food and drink sector domestically, not only because it supports tens of thousands of rural jobs but because it reduces our reliance on overseas imports that, as we have seen, can stop or slow down at the whim of a dictator such as President Putin.”
“However, it is not only at the high-rolling end of the market that the south of Scotland is doing well. Craig Hoy: Will the member take an intervention? Emma Harper: I do not think that I have time. I normally take interventions, but the time remaining is short and I want to cover the many notes that I made during other members’ speeches. Just a couple of weeks ago, Arla Foods gave a massive vote of confidence to the Dumfriesshire economy, with the news that it will create up to 90 jobs at its Lockerbie dairy processing facility as it expands for the future. Dumfries and Galloway is the core of Scotland’s dairy industry. As the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity told me at portfolio question time the other week, the Scottish Government is helping to support Arla’s continued success.”
“The oyster festival shows the kind of innovation that takes place in our food and drink sector across the south, with support from the Scottish Government and South of Scotland Enterprise and other agencies. I acknowledge the work of Richard Lochhead, in shaping the Government’s direction towards promoting the high end of the food and drink markets. During his tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, he saw the huge potential in ensuring that Scotland’s leading rural food and drink sector was recognised globally for its quality. A decade on, those efforts are now being led by the current cabinet secretary, who is sitting in front of me. I am pleased that it is demonstrably clear that Scotland’s food and drink sector is a global leader.”
“I will add: Five Kingdoms Brewery from the Isle of Whithorn, the Ship Inn at Drummore, and the Selkirk Arms Hotel in Kirkcudbright, among others. They were all nominated for awards. I also could not miss the opportunity to plug the Stranraer oyster festival, which will take place this September. It was first held in 2017 and now attracts more than 20,000 visitors every year. It is a huge boon to the local economy, and a tribute to the hard work of the Stranraer Development Trust and its partners in developing such a successful event. I know that the cabinet secretary is familiar with oysters and the oyster festival and has visited it on a number of occasions.”