Jamie Halcro Johnston
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“I know that colleagues from across the chamber will miss his consideration of and commitment to the issues that he was most passionate about. Beatrice Wishart, too, will be giving her last speech, and I particularly thank her for all her efforts on the CPG on islands, for making it the success that it has been and for the strong voice tha…”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests as a partner in a farming business. I thank all those who have signed today’s motion, allowing me to bring the debate to the chamber.”
“Meanwhile, the ferries crisis continues, with the Scottish National Party Government coming face to face with the consequences of two decades of neglect, while islands and ferry-dependent communities pay the price.”
“There, too, costs for operators in the visitor economy are escalating, while the Government sees this as a good time to impose more regulation and more tax. In addition to economic woes, small rural communities are increasingly seeing services moved further away.”
“[Laughter.] However, I have served with John on committees, most recently the Finance and Public Administration Committee, and I know how diligent he has been in conducting the vital scrutiny required of MSPs. Last but not least, the cabinet secretary will be giving her last speech, too.”
“That has practical consequences—whether it is the young family facing another year of being unable to afford a permanent home for their children; the small business owner who seems to be sacrificing more than she gains, but who keeps going; the working person who is trying to make ends meet; or the older person on a fixed income who is af…”
The complete record
Every one of 429 lines we hold for Jamie Halcro Johnston, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 9.
“For many school leavers, the full spectrum of options that are available, including perhaps less conventional routes, often remains unknown. We foist a great deal of expectation on our young people in their teenage years, telling them to choose subjects, choose a degree and choose a career, and although some may have a great deal of certainty at that stage of their life, most do not. That is why I advocate for an improved approach to careers guidance in our schools. Matching people with the apprenticeships, training courses and qualifications that they need to succeed is not an optional extra; it must be the bedrock of our economic strategy. Equally, we should not see skills only through the lens of young people. I am sure that many members have friends or colleagues who are in completely different jobs and careers from when they set out.”
“Last week’s Audit Scotland report “Scotland’s colleges 2025” is damning. It tells a tale not only of funding cuts by the Government, but of colleges being forced to make savings by decimating their workforce, risks that courses simply will not run, and a bleak financial outlook for the future. We should not and must not hold back from saying clearly that that means a future with fewer opportunities across the board. Audit Scotland notes that one concern that is voiced by colleges is “competition from universities”. I have spoken in the chamber before about the risk of treating university as a default destination. Even today, there is often a clear divide in many people’s minds between the academic route, on the one hand, and the vocational route, on the other, and judgments are made on their respective value.”
“That has all happened while every stakeholder and most of the budgets have been sliced to the bone and rhetoric from ministers rarely, if ever, matches delivery. It was once a popular cry from members on the SNP benches that this Parliament lacked economic levers. Education and skills are, without a doubt, some of the greatest economic levers that we can pull, but the Government’s record tells us what it thinks about that proposition. That record has left the majority of employers highlighting key skills shortages and struggles to recruit, and the college sector has been asked to find even greater savings, with the inevitable results of shrinking provision and holes in budgets. Increasingly, there is a lack of real choice for Scotland’s young people and all those who want to train and learn beyond school.”
“As many members will know, I served a happy period as my party’s shadow skills minister, and it gave me plenty of opportunities to regularly meet representatives from the sector, undertake visits around the country and see at first hand some of the incredible things that can be done with skills and training. It underlined to me that, as we have heard from colleagues today, a skilled workforce is the central driver of a successful economy, but it also highlighted the many shortcomings in our current system. That system is clearly struggling rather than thriving, and it is expected to do more with less, time and time again. The sector is no stranger to being deprioritised and defunded but, perhaps more than any other public service, it has been forced to sit through endless strategies and action plans that talk big but achieve so little.”
“I asked that question in June, and I did not get an answer then. I have made it very clear. I appreciate that the cabinet secretary would like to dance around, but I asked a fairly straightforward follow-up question. Angus Robertson: The member did not even listen to the answer to the question before he raised a point of order. I am not aware of any humanitarian aid being used in the way that Mr Halcro Johnston suggests. If I receive any reports of that, I will share them with him. I am sorry that he could not also take the opportunity, in his point of order, to condemn the genocide that is being waged against the people of Gaza, and the humanitarian situation there— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us ensure that we hear one another. Parliamentary Business (Scheduling) 6.”
“In June, I asked the cabinet secretary to assure Parliament that no funding from the Scottish Government to UNRWA had been used or was being used to treat Hamas terrorists. His response suggested that he could not give that assurance, but that he was meeting UNRWA the next day and would raise my concerns with it. Did he raise those concerns with UNRWA, and what assurances did it give him that Scottish taxpayers’ money, as humanitarian aid provided by Scottish National Party ministers, was not used to treat Hamas terrorists? Angus Robertson: First, I am sorry that the member could not find it in his heart to thank the UN agencies for providing humanitarian support in the genocide that is currently taking place in Gaza. Rather than casting shade— Jamie Halcro Johnston: On a point of order, Presiding Officer.”
“Angela Constance: Mr Halcro Johnston is right to point out that the Ardnamurchan peninsula is the largest area where customers are still off supply, and that other people, scattered around the country, are also affected. It is extremely difficult and quite punitive to be facing a multiday power outage. That is why Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is continuing to work throughout today and tomorrow. It has 30 engineers working to fix those faults and will do so as quickly as possible. I assure Mr Halcro Johnston that the issue of long-term resilience is a cross-Government endeavour. My understanding is that, although his specific amendment was not supported by the Government in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, action in and around wood stoves has been taken elsewhere.”
“Three days after storm Amy, nearly 2,000 properties remain disconnected, many of them in the Great Glen, the Fort William area and the Ardnamurchan peninsula in my region. Other homes across the region were impacted, and many will have been left relying on direct-emission secondary heating systems, such as wood stoves. Having blocked my amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill last week, will the Scottish Government finally recognise the vital role that wood stoves play in remote, rural and island communities, in building the long-term resilience that the cabinet secretary talked about and in keeping families warm during power outages, especially given that the SNP’s Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, is clearly an advocate for them?”
“The bill is well deserving of support. In the best traditions of members’ bills, it highlights an overlooked issue that is important to people beyond the walls of the Parliament and proposes action to deal with it. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has recognised that and has offered qualified support, and I hope that members will look to endorse the bill’s general principles. 15:55”
“Ultimately, it is for the Parliament, rather than the courts, to answer questions of value and the finer boundaries of criminal law and to reflect the views of society in doing so. I note the Scottish Government’s position on adding dog theft to the category of offences for which a victim statement could be made by the affected parties to the court under section 3 of the bill. Although I do not take issue with the Minister for Victims and Community Safety’s explanation in her letter of 29 September to the committee convener, it is disappointing that the Scottish Government has not found a clear path to allowing this innovation. I have no doubt that, for offences of this type, victim statements would be a positive step in highlighting and representing the harm that has been caused, ahead of sentencing decisions.”
“The gap that the dog leaves in someone’s home and the not knowing where they are or how they are being treated should be reflected in how we address those offences. The relatively new sentencing process guidelines from the Scottish Sentencing Council recognise a range of criteria for judges in choosing appropriate sentences. Harm is the most applicable, but also the most general. The Law Society of Scotland has taken a neutral view on the question, but points to sentimental value being part of the existing assessment of harm. That, too, is insufficient in recognising the true extent of harm in this case. Just as a dog is different from a stolen £20 note or a wristwatch, it is different from an old photograph or a piece of your grandmother’s jewellery.”
“When making that objection, we should keep in mind that overlapping offences are far from uncommon and form an essential and long-standing part of our justice system. We use them to draw distinctions between action and intent, to indicate that a different punishment is intended and to lay down a marker to criminals that the focus of the law is on them. As has been set out in much of the evidence presented on the bill, dogs are living, sentient beings. What is being done to them when they are stolen is categorically different from what is being done when a £20 note is stolen from somebody’s purse or a watch is stolen from a wrist. The impact on the human is quite different, too.”
“Despite his penchant for eating whatever has died or been washed up—or, indeed, been washed up dead—on their local beach, despite his appalling record on recall and despite his occasional, or perhaps incessant, barking, he is a very much loved part of the family, especially by the children. That is why dog abduction is such an abhorrent crime, which rightly sickens not only dog owners but wider society. Too often, it is combined with other sorts of criminality; abducted dogs can face horrifying cruelty and neglect. Maurice Golden’s bill proposes a significant change to how dog theft will be prosecuted. The chief objection to the bill appears to relate to the merit of creating distinct offences to cover conduct that is already criminal.”
“Not only is it always a highlight of the parliamentary calendar, but it serves to promote the rehoming of dogs in its care. I am particularly proud to say that not only did my Dogs Trust dog, Buster, medal in that competition, but he was rehomed the very next week. It is no great struggle to recognise the bond between people and their dogs. For many, they are part of the family. That was certainly the case with all our dogs, and I know the loss that I would have felt had any of them been stolen from us. I see that same bond in my friend’s rescue dog, Billy—or Bilbo Doggins, as he is affectionately known. He swapped the mean streets of Bulgaria for a more comfortable life beside the sea outside Edinburgh.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, and I congratulate my friend Maurice Golden on his dedication and commitment to highlighting this important issue, and on the work that he has done personally to advance it and keep it on the agenda. It is positive that the Scottish Government has given its qualified support to the bill and that it will hopefully find its place on the statute book before too long. I am sure that we can all relate to the emotive issue of dog theft. With the Scottish Government estimating a dog population of between 800,000 and 1 million, it is safe to say that there will be many dog owners in this chamber. I regret to inform members that I am currently not one of them, but I hope that that might change soon. I am always pleased to support events such as the Dogs Trust show here at Holyrood.”
“We are only too aware of the important role that rail links have played in economic transition, and the Highlands and Islands should be no exception in that regard. There is real potential for improvement and for a genuinely ambitious approach. There are many small gains that we can realise quickly, and many larger-scale projects that should be advanced at pace. It is clear that there is a great deal of good will across the chamber towards improvements, and I hope that the Scottish Government takes note of that. 13:08”
“Of course, there have been improvements in relatively recent times, such as the changes that have opened up the Highland main line such that it is now a significant freight carrier, including the upgrading of the passing loop at Aviemore. Those changes are welcome, but the main line is still well short of what it should be—an economic spine for our region. The motion recognises the work of the Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership. I add my recognition of and thanks to the partnership, which has done a great deal to realise the potential of the line and its surroundings. Its grass-roots approach should serve as a model for communities across the country. Rail will play a vital part in the economic approach to our region, and it has the potential to be transformative.”
“Providing a comfortable space with areas to work and reliable wi-fi potentially offers more value to passengers than shaving 10, 20 or 30 minutes off journey times. We should also think about repurposing existing rolling stock. Some time ago, when Serco was running the sleeper service, I spoke to it about the potential to reuse the old, replaced sleeper carriages to provide an overnight link between the central belt and Thurso. That could—if it was still feasible—provide a new, lower-cost link to the far north and to Orkney by using the network at a time when it is underused. However, I am not proposing an either/or choice. Electrification, dualling, improving rolling stock and reducing emissions are all important interventions. Ultimately, the choices that are made will come down to effective management and prioritisation.”
“However, as Ariane Burgess mentioned, it does not escape the notice of visitors that train travel often becomes a slog as you head northwards. The Victorian infrastructure may be sound, but it has largely escaped modernisation. I have been involved in campaigning on the dualling of the A9 road over the past two decades, and people have often talked to me about the dualling of the Highland main line, sometimes noting that the investment was going into road over rail. The truth is that our region needs investment in both, and that both are complementary. For example, in looking at freight, we must take a multimodal approach. Especially in the remote and rural parts of the region, road and rail must combine. If we turn our attention to the islands, we can add air and sea to the mix. We should consider our rolling stock.”
“The economic argument has real merit. The Highlands and Islands has—to resurrect a familiar phrase— northern powerhouse potential waiting to be unlocked. The Highlands has always been a region that has had to overcome the challenges of access. We should reflect on the incredible work and the driving ambition that gave us not only the Highland main line but the far north line, the west Highland line and the connection from Inverness to Aberdeen. Those enduring arteries were built in the 19th century, many of them by hand. Those thousands of hands lifted the Highlands out of isolation and, in many ways, built the base for the modern region and its economy that we see today. As others have said, previous generations have left us an incredible legacy.”
“I thank Ariane Burgess for securing the debate and, in particular, I welcome the framing of her motion and its focus on the role of rail in unlocking the economic potential of the Highlands. Maybe I should include the Islands in that, although I will not be calling at the moment for a rail bridge to Orkney—possibly to the Deputy Presiding Officer’s disappointment—or for a new tracked crossing to Skye, with or without tolls. The impact of rail services does not stop at the last set of buffers. It is felt in communities beyond the last mile of track. We should remember that the whole region could feel the benefit of improved rail infrastructure, whether that is about transporting freight or making it easier for visitors to get around. The benefits of connections do not start and stop at the station platform.”
“Jim Fairlie: Okay—I will try to get my answer somewhere in relation to the question that was originally asked. We will make publicly available the amount of money that is going to be delivered via the farming investment scheme. We will, I hope, publish that information as farmers get it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 3 has not been lodged. Domestic Food and Drink Markets 4.”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests as a partner in a farming business in receipt of farming payments and a member of NFU Scotland. It was reported in The Scottish Farmer that the Government’s farming future investment scheme has been heavily oversubscribed, with more than 3,000 farms—including our own—applying to the £14 million scheme. What consideration is the Scottish Government giving to NFUS calls to increase funding for the scheme in 2025-26, and when will the offer of grants and payments to those farms that accept the offers start being made? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Again, if we could relate all the supplementaries to the actual question in the Business Bulletin—that includes the minister’s responses—that would be really helpful.”
“I lodged almost identical amendments at stage 2 but did not press or move them, with the then minister Paul McLennan recognising that, although rough sleeping “is the least prevalent form of homelessness, it is the most damaging and the most visible.”—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 24 April 2025; c 34.] I recognise that rough sleepers often have among the most complex range of needs. If anything, however, that emphasises the importance of ensuring that support is accessible. There are many reasons why some rough sleepers refuse help. In many cases, it is because of problems with accommodation, the potential for violence or abuse, inappropriate care, or alcohol or substance misuse. My amendments aim to have those issues addressed, and it is why amendment 238 raises the need for an effective action plan.”
“My amendments 237 and 238 emphasise the importance of tackling rough sleeping, as distinct from other forms of homelessness. Amendment 237 would create a duty on the Scottish Government to work towards ending rough sleeping by the end of the decade and to report on progress by the end of 2027 and again by the end of 2028. Amendment 238 would introduce an additional requirement on the Scottish Government to prepare a specific rough sleeping action plan by the end of next year. The amendments recognise the huge cost to individuals in terms of their mental and physical health, the ability to access services and a whole range of other rough sleeping issues, including the immediacy of the needs of those individuals.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how many free personal care hours were assessed by local authorities to be needed, but were subsequently not delivered, in 2024-25. (S6O-04980)”
“That was a missed opportunity; it would have been good for the Parliament to have the chance to vote on that. In his amendments, Mark Griffin tackles the same problem. He has my support—I hope that he moves his amendments. Paul Sweeney’s amendment 115 would establish a system whereby, if someone were in a substandard property, they could ask their council to buy it and transfer it to a housing association. I am not clear on what the cost of all that would be or even whether councils or housing associations would want such properties. I suspect that they would not.”
“Graham Simpson: The idea behind amendment 228 was that we could keep a lifetime record of a property and the work that had been done to it. On reflection, the way that the amendment is worded is perhaps too onerous, so I will not move it. I will move quickly on to amendments 230 and 231, which deal with damp and mould. At stage 2, there was a lot of debate about Awaab’s law. I am grateful that the cabinet secretary has said that she wants to bring in Awaab’s law in Scotland. Amendments 230 and 231 would do that in a tougher way than the one that applies in England. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I attempted to lodge a manuscript amendment, to mirror what will be the situation in England when the UK Government lays regulations. Sadly, it was rejected.”
“I respect that there are improvements in some heating systems, but does Maggie Chapman not accept that, for many communities and homes across the Highlands and Islands region, in particular, such a secondary direct-emission system is a real life saver when bad weather hits? Maggie Chapman: Yes. As somebody who represents the north-east, I, too, am familiar with the consequences of bad weather. However, we need to future proof our legislation. Mechanisms that we can use in the short term do not require primary legislation. Putting that provision in the bill is problematic. All in all, there are important principles in many of the amendments in the group. Accommodation needs to meet standards, and we should do whatever we can to drive up those standards. My amendments in the group would do that. I move amendment 3.”
“We will take that forward when a legislative vehicle allows us to do so.”
“Listen to business. The Presiding Officer: If I might stop you for a second, minister. I have several requests for questions, and I will not be able to take any more if we have constant interruptions. Please continue, minister. Ivan McKee: As I have made very clear, the legislation allows authorities such as the City of Edinburgh Council that want to proceed on a percentage basis to continue to do so. It already allows local authorities considerable flexibility to bring forward other proposals. The changes that we are looking to make are to enable a tiered flat- rate system to be brought in, in addition to the existing system. That is our clear position. We have been clear for quite a period of time that we are interested in listening to the sector; we want to introduce flexibility and to enable local authorities to have that.”
“In collaboration with NHS Highland, my commitment as cabinet secretary to the people of Skye is that the investments that are being made and the additional recruitment that has been undertaken will offer a 24/7 out-of-hour service on a sustainable basis.”
“There were a number of inaccuracies in Mr Halcro Johnston’s question that I need to correct. First, NHS Highland has not said that the model is not working; it has said that it is challenging, which is different. He suggested that accessible 24-hour urgent care is not available, but that is not true—it is currently available, and I was able to see how that is working. On the Scottish Government’s interventions, I have already set out in my statement the work that we are doing to support NHS Highland, which has allowed the board to move forward with recruitment work and with the model of change that came about in August.”
“However, if he thinks that what he has announced today will work and will restore long-term sustainable 24-hour urgent care at Portree hospital, can he tell us when will that happen? Local people do not want more empty promises; they want a proper, sustainable plan to deliver 24- hour urgent care at Portree, and they want a long- term vision for their hospital. Today, Neil Gray has said that things will improve. He said the same thing to campaigners last month. Their response was: “That’s what NHS Highland said 7 years ago, and every year since.” Neil Gray: I had the opportunity to meet campaigners, and I heard their concerns very clearly. I can understand their frustrations, and, in my statement, I set out where those frustrations come from. As an islander, like Mr Halcro Johnston, I readily understand their perspective.”
“There was a short period of improved service, but people were still turned or directed away from Portree hospital before NHS Highland finally admitted to SOS-NHS Skye campaigners in June that its model was not working. We must all recognise that the people of north Skye have been badly served. Time and again, the Government and NHS Highland have not delivered what they promised, which is a sustainable 24-hour urgent care service at Portree that is accessible to local people. In today’s statement, Neil Gray has largely passed the buck to NHS Highland, as the Scottish Government has repeatedly done. Will he accept that there is nothing in his statement that outlines action that the Scottish Government is taking specifically to improve the situation in north Skye?”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement, but it is a statement that should not have had to have been made. Last year, when apologising to Eilidh Beaton for the frightening experience that she had to endure, John Swinney said that it should never have been allowed to happen, that it was “a matter of deep concern” to the Government that Sir Lewis Ritchie’s recommendations had not been delivered and that Neil Gray had told NHS Highland the previous day that Portree community hospital should be returned to use as a 24/7 emergency facility “at the earliest possible opportunity.”—[Official Report, 16 May 2024; c 10.] However, here we are again, because that did not happen.”
“We should celebrate the situation that we are in, with the business continuing to contribute to the local economy. The discussions with the business continue. It is seeking to open things up to other markets and to generate more business for and revenue from the plant as well as further investment, which we would all like to see going forward. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the statement. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business to allow front-bench teams to change positions, should they so wish. Exports”
“I am sure that the 2,500 new trees and the 1,000 acres of peatland restoration will be welcome. As Murdo Fraser has highlighted, Sanjeev Gupta promised 2,000 new jobs at Lochaber in 2016, but only 40 have been delivered. Will the minister outline in more detail the growth that is envisaged for Lochaber, as discussed with Jeff Kabel on 9 September? Did Jeff Kabel make any promises about potential new jobs? Ivan McKee: The important thing to recognise is that not only have we secured the jobs that would not otherwise have been in place, but the number of jobs is growing. All the payments have been made as required by the business over that period. Indeed, the Scottish Government has received as a consequence of that deal a significant amount of revenue—many millions—on top of the payments that have been made.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what percentage increase in redeterminations of pension age disability payment assessments there has been since January 2025. (S6O-04923)”
“I hope that the debate and the committee’s report will draw a line under the historical issues that have been raised and that members will join me in looking forward with enhanced scrutiny of WICS. The task that I put to WICS now is to rebuild public trust by governing itself appropriately, while delivering effective regulation for the people of Scotland. I will personally take a direct interest in ensuring that that happens.”
“Graham Simpson: The cabinet secretary may be coming to it, but several members have raised the question of whether we need a water industry commission, at least in its current form. Does she agree that that is a valid question to address? Gillian Martin: I can understand why that question has been asked, given what has happened. For want of a few individuals at the top who have perpetrated a culture that is unacceptable in a public body, I think that we need to give WICS a chance to re-establish itself, and I want to give it that chance, because the core role that it performs is widely respected. Obviously, I will listen to what members have said in the debate. Jamie Halcro Johnston: Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Gillian Martin: I am afraid that I do not have time; I have 20 seconds left, so I will close.”
“Good governance will enable WICS to focus on its core functions, which is what I want it to do. I want the new board and management team to prove to me that it is an informed organisation. WICS has been a highly respected regulator—it had the global consultancy work because it was asked for its opinion throughout the world. Its work has informed some of the conclusions in the Independent Water Commission’s recent review of the sector in England and Wales. I want to see it being a respected organisation again. A comment was made about whether it was not just small mistakes that were made. Buying expensive meals and allowing ridiculous expenses were not mistakes: that was part of a culture that had to change. Those were not errors; wilful decisions were taken.”
“As a Government, we have learned lessons about sponsorship, which I want to talk about. Our approach is now robust and systematic, with appropriate senior scrutiny that is supported by a team that is properly resourced and trained. The team will continue to monitor progress and ensure that long-term change is embedded. The reset of WICS continues with three new board members formally appointed last month, which takes the board to a full complement. Graham Simpson pointed out that its global consultancy work has been paused, and asked whether that was a driver of the culture, which is a legitimate question. I would have to be convinced that the activity has a positive effect on the performance of the regulator and WICS as a whole before it were to restart that work.”
“I will take the comments of Monica Lennon, Alex Rowley and Mark Ruskell into account as I work with the new team, because legitimate questions have been posed. Alex Rowley asked what the old guard were not doing or perhaps not scrutinising. As we recruit the new chair and I speak with the new chief executive, it is very important that we ask those very pointed questions. I also want to say how refreshing it is to hear a Labour member, Alex Rowley, call out the misinformation that Steve Reed has put out about Scottish Water. The nationalisation of Scottish Water should be a source of pride for all of us. We rightly have to scrutinise how that is done, but our water is of a very high quality. It is unfortunate that even today, in environment, food and rural affairs questions, Steve Reed repeated the same misinformation.”
“I am very angry that public servants—who are no longer working for WICS and are now long gone—allowed that culture to exist. Some have pointed to reasons why that might have happened, but I will be keeping a very close eye on the new leadership. A new chair will be appointed—they are recruiting right now. The various report’s recommendations and actions were taken. I have really tried with my directorate to do all that we can to avoid a repeat of any of the issues at WICS. Again, I thank Ronnie Hinds for taking up the post temporarily to oversee those reforms. Douglas Lumsden: Will the cabinet secretary give way? Gillian Martin: No—I have only six minutes. Now is the time to look forward.”
“They have, of course, been largely to do with WICS and the committee report, but I have been listening very carefully to all that has been put to me. I have heard valid criticism of WICS and the Scottish Government. I have also heard criticism that is not so valid. I asked members who said that there were still gaps in the Scottish Government’s response what they are, and if they are legitimate, I will look into them, but I do not think that they are. We have acted swiftly to address the concerns. I had great concerns about the sponsorship issue. I wanted to make sure that it was fit for purpose going forward. As a cabinet secretary, I do not ever want to be in the position of finding out the things that I found out about WICS when I took up the post. I was as shocked as anyone else and, to be honest, very angry.”
“He highlighted the case of a civil servant who said that there was “no material benefit” in retrospectively challenging the £77,000 spend on staff training at Harvard University. I am sure that that will worry members; it would certainly anger many members of the public. It is notable that the commission is at least partly a regulatory body. It is a problem that business and other organisations are expected to look to the commission for regulation when it has taken such a slapdash approach to its own rules and standards. As the convener rightly highlighted, there will clearly be an on-going issue of trust. That trust will have to be carefully rebuilt not only by the commission but by the Scottish Government. 16:47 Gillian Martin: I welcome all the contributions from members across the chamber today.”
“Tim Eagle spoke about the context of the water industry here in Scotland and the importance of proper regulation. The provision of water is, as he highlighted, of fundamental importance in regions like ours in the Highlands and Islands. He also touched on a quango culture in Scotland—that is, the abundance of public bodies of various types operating without the proper care and oversight of Government. Although today’s debate is only one example, members’ concerns—on this side of the chamber, anyway—about the governance of public bodies extend more widely. I will turn briefly to the convener’s speech. He rightly said that it was a matter of serious concern for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government both that this incident happened and that it should have been allowed to happen.”
“Douglas Lumsden’s speech focused on the importance of the oversight role and the clear evidence in the report that certain staff were behaving in a way that suggests that they saw few consequences for their actions. He also dealt with the departure of the previous chief executive, which, of course, had a considerable cost, and the positive response from the new chief executive, who will most likely face additional scrutiny as he attempts to turn things around at the commission. All in all, Douglas Lumsden pointed to the situation being a far from isolated example of taxpayers’ money being lost in Scotland’s public sector. In many ways, it seems that the Scottish Government is a little too comfortable with seeing people’s money wasted and siphoned off.”
“It is likely that there are issues that go beyond the commission, given that the report notes the Auditor General’s evidence that there is “wide variation in the quality of sponsorship of public bodies.”—[Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 8 February 2024; c 18.] There has been public concern about the use of quangos and whether true accountability is provided by having those organisations at arm’s length from Government. Regardless of what view we take on that debate, where autonomy is needed, it must be accompanied by high standards of governance, communication and conduct—something that has been sorely lacking. Although progress has been made, it is clear that there are still many issues to address. I will briefly turn to some of my colleagues’ contributions.”