Alex Cole-Hamilton
Scottish Liberal Democrats · Scotland
“I am sure that all members will join me in expressing solidarity with Scotland’s Muslim community after the brutal and unprovoked attacks on the streets of Edinburgh last weekend. That community’s response to those attacks has not been one of violence or revenge; it has been to make a plea for tolerance and understanding.”
“All told, more than 1,400 inmates have been let out of prison since the early release scheme began, and that is because our prisons are bursting at the seams. However, that is not a strategy and it will not protect the public.”
“Let that sink in, because the language of displacement and othering is the antithesis of the cohesion that Lord Offord speaks about so regularly. Liberals believe in reform—of course we do. The Whig Government in 1832— Amanda Bland: Will the member take an intervention? Alex Cole-Hamilton: I will give way to Amanda Bland.”
“This was an opportunity for Reform to prove everybody wrong and to pepper the chamber this afternoon with speeches that were measured in tone and full of bright ideas to fix the things that are wrong in Scotland. We have heard none of that today.”
“I welcome the minister’s remarks about the Edinburgh attacks. Does he recognise, as do members on these benches, that as well as expressing solidarity with the Muslim community of Scotland, we owe them a debt of gratitude that there was no call for activism and action on the streets of Scotland by the Muslim community?”
“That is why the Government is prioritising an economy with a strength that is felt by people, businesses and communities across Scotland. Scotland is a great place and, collectively, we are making it even greater.”
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“Although I am glad that, this week, the First Minister finally admitted to the crisis that is engulfing our health service, I make it clear that the real change that our NHS needs and that its hard-working staff and patients who are waiting in pain need—indeed, the real change that Scotland needs—is a change of Government. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. For the avoidance of confusion, I note that Labour Party members have opted for more, but shorter, speeches. 15:38”
“That will save hundreds of millions of pounds—there is no question about that—and that money is desperately needed to make care the profession of choice on the front line once again. Everyone is entitled to fast access to their GP and to a wider range of skilled local healthcare staff, which should increase access to mental health support and physiotherapy. That is why my party has fought for, and won, extra funding for both social care and local healthcare in the coming budget. Supporting primary care is one of the routes out of the crisis—there is no question about that. The Government must also finally listen to Liberal Democrat calls for a staff assembly that puts the lived experience and expertise of front-line staff at the forefront of designing a solution and a pathway forward. I finish with this.”
“Liberal Democrats believe that we need to make a serious about-turn if we are finally to alleviate this crisis—the state of permacrisis that we are warned about every week—and take steps in the right direction. We need to retain existing staff by making working for our NHS less of an ordeal. We want Government to get to grips with recruitment—something that successive health secretaries have singularly failed at, both in our NHS and in the social care sector, which underpins the NHS in our communities. We can no longer rely on agency staff to fill the gaps and to put out the fires. I am pleased that the Government is finally listening to the Lib Dems, who have been opposing the ill-fated national care service from day 1, and is no longer attempting its ministerial takeover of our social care sector.”
“Last month, an investigation revealed that mothers and babies at the Simpson maternity unit in Edinburgh came to harm in part due to short staffing. In total, 17 safety concerns were flagged, and the toll that the situation has taken on staff has been evident in the form of a 200 per cent increase in absence rates due to sickness. Across the NHS, we are seeing the same vicious cycle at play. We know from a survey that Unison Scotland conducted that stress and burn- out are also primary causes of sickness absence among social care staff. Again and again, survey respondents are saying that stress has been exacerbated by staff shortages and having to work long hours—it is the same story. We have to start undoing the damage that has been caused by the Government’s mismanagement of our health service for the entirety of its tenure.”
“A BMA survey that ran just before Christmas was utterly damning. Of the respondents to that survey, 70 per cent said that they believed that the health service “is operating on ... crisis mode all year round” and not just in the winter months; 84 per cent did not think that “the NHS is staffed adequately to cope with” winter pressures; and 86 per cent “had no ... confidence in the Scottish Government to put the NHS on a sustainable” long-term “footing.” The personal impact of that is huge—it is demonstrable. I know one person in Glasgow who worked as a midwife for 30 years and quit last year because of the utter mental and physical exhaustion and a chronic lack of safety on the ward as a result of inadequate staffing. That is happening again and again.”
“That is laid bare by the large increase in absence due to mental ill health and staff burn-out. At the heart of the debate are the on-going workforce issues, which have been well rehearsed already this afternoon, and in particular the SNP Government’s failure to properly plan ahead through workforce planning. Members do not need to take my word for it. In response to the First Minister’s speech on NHS recovery this week, the chair of BMA Scotland said: “there is now an urgent need for a plan to deliver the kind of reforms that are required to make the Scottish NHS sustainable for generations to come.” He went on: “we still lack the detail and comprehensive vision needed to make any plan a reality.” We still lack the vision. The Government has been in power for nearly two decades, and it has no vision as to how to make things right.”
“I have lost count of how many such debates we have had over the past few years, yet the frighteningly long waiting lists just are not getting shorter, and patient experience is not getting better. Our NHS is on its knees—it is in dire straits—and we simply cannot continue merely to talk about how bad things have become; we need meaningful action to make things better, both for the patients who rely on our health service and for our hard-working doctors, nurses and support staff, who are on the front lines and who, on a daily basis, are in increasingly difficult circumstances. None of this is their fault. In fact, they have to bear the brunt of it daily, and many are at breaking point. They are the first point of contact for frustration and for the patients who cannot be seen.”
“I am grateful to the Labour Party and Jackie Baillie for making time in the chamber for this important debate. As I am sure is the case for all members in the chamber, hardly a day goes by when I do not receive an email, phone call or visit to the constituency office from someone who has been waiting for months, often in pain, for a routine operation or procedure, weeks for an important diagnosis or days just to speak to someone on the phone at their GP surgery. That is part of our day job, but it is also part of our daily and personal life. Before Christmas, my father had a significant health event in October. He went for scans, but it was three weeks before those were properly looked at, because no consultants were available to process his readings. He is in mortal danger and is still waiting for a procedure that will make him well.”
“As finance secretary, John Swinney cut £70 million from social care while people were stuck in hospitals because they were unable to get care packages. As finance secretary, he cut £65 million from primary care services, making it more difficult for people to get a GP appointment. As Deputy First Minister, he was at the heart of Government and was responsible for overseeing delivery when delayed discharge soared, A and E waits went up and the Scottish Government failed to meet the 62-day cancer target in every year since 2012.”
“The SNP has the money and the power but it has simply chosen not to use them. It knows that staff are crying out for support, yet those staff are being ignored—so much so that the First Minister could not be bothered to invite Unison to his health meeting last week. He is happy to use health and social care staff as his human shield, but he is not happy to sit down with them to understand the challenges that they face. I mentioned the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. He is supposed to be responsible for health and social care at the top table of Government, but he has been distracted by limogate and sidelined by his boss. However, to be frank, I am not sure that the First Minister is any more competent.”
“Marie Curie tells us about the lack of palliative care staff and even a lack of training for generalist staff about end-of-life care. I turn to mental health. Scottish Action for Mental Health reports a significant increase in demand for services for adults and children, and we also know about that from our constituency casework. The SNP promised access to a mental health worker for every general practice. A thousand new people were to be recruited, but the budget was cut in 2023. That is another pledge that was jettisoned by the SNP. We all know that the SNP Government received record funding from the United Kingdom Labour Government in the latest budget, yet it has chosen not to invest in a proper workforce plan. To be clear, I note that that is a political choice that the Government has made.”
“We also know there are not enough nurses in the NHS to meet demand and provide safe care. High vacancy levels persist, and the latest data shows that 2,380 nursing and midwifery jobs are lying vacant. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health produced a report last year called “Worried and Waiting”. It includes a number of recommendations to deal with critical workforce pressures, including a call for a specific strategy for the child health workforce. It also highlights rota gaps, which are not good for patient safety. Has any of that been addressed? Macmillan Cancer Support warns about a “cancer care gap” as the numbers of people with cancer rise but that is not matched by an increase in the workforce.”
“Will Jackie Baillie give way? Jackie Baillie: I will do so briefly. Alex Cole-Hamilton: Does Jackie Baillie recognise that the problem in Lothian is particularly bad among GP locums? Jackie Baillie: I do indeed. That is the situation that I was describing. Alex Cole-Hamilton and I are of one mind on this. The BMA says that there are more than 1,000 consultant vacancies, which is enough to staff two large hospitals, but the Scottish Government reports only 397. That shows yet more understaffing, which does not help to tackle waiting lists. Since 2019, the NHS has spent more than £900 million on private agency nurses and locum consultants in a desperate attempt to plug the gaps. That is a sticking plaster instead of real solutions, and it comes at a cost that is greater than the cost of employing those staff directly in the NHS.”
“I am conscious that the cabinet secretary has covered a lot of this ground already. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the National Galleries, in light of reports that some of its flagship attractions may have to close. (S6O-04254)”
“I move, as an amendment to motion S6M- 16237, to insert at end: “; notes that Scottish Liberal Democrat priorities have been reflected in the first draft of the Budget through the inclusion of the reinstatement of a winter heating payment for pensioners, extra funding for social care, additional funding for local healthcare to make it easier to see a GP or NHS dentist, funding for new specialist support across the country for people with long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome and other similar conditions, the right for family carers to earn more without having support withdrawn, business rates relief for the hospitality sector, funding to build more affordable homes, enhanced support for local authorities operating ferry services, and the resumption of the work required to replace the Belford Hospital in NHS Highland and the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in NHS Lothian; calls for further investment in drug and neonatal services, hospices, support for the young people with complex and additional needs attending Corseford College, and colleges, so that they can deliver the skills that the economy and public services need, and further calls for local authorities to receive a fair share of the money for additional employer national insurance contributions when it is received by the Scottish Government.” 15:48”
“The Scottish Liberal Democrats have been vociferous critics of the SNP for many years, but sometimes we have to sit down and talk if we want to get things done. The budget that the Parliament will pass in the coming weeks is not a referendum on the performance of a Government, but a means of achieving change and fixing problems in our society. We are doing our job by working to improve the budget. There is a long list of policies and projects that we have won for our constituents and for Scotland as a whole, so we will support the budget in its transit through the Parliament.”
“On the pipeline of capital projects, we have persuaded the Scottish Government to look much more closely at replacing the Gilbert Bain hospital in Lerwick, Kilmaron special school in Cupar and the Newburgh railway station in Fife. The significant uplift in ferries funding will enable Orkney Islands Council to finalise work on the business case that it requires ahead of new vessels being procured. Meanwhile, the ferries task force will continue to work at pace to prepare the procurement process. The details that I have set out today are on top of what we secured before the budget was published in December. I do not have time to go through all that now, but I am sure that Willie Rennie will talk about it in his closing speech.”
“The Scottish Liberal Democrats were not willing to stand by and see young people with complex disabilities lose access to learning, so, in our talks with the Scottish Government, we have secured support of £700,000 for those young people, with the prospect of at least the same amount being provided next year. A review is already under way to explore how the funding will best be spent and, whatever happens, my party is determined that nobody should be left behind. Our agreement also means that there is another £1 million for hospices. There is an agreement to focus ScotWind revenues on growing the economy, creating jobs, tackling climate change and driving forward reform.”
“The requirement to do much more to fix our care sector could not be clearer. Members will have seen the widespread coverage last week of Corseford College and the worry among all those who use it. We have heard the families talk about everything that the college does and about how, without opportunities such as it offers, students would be left at home feeling isolated. They would miss out on vital opportunities for learning and social interaction, because mainstream colleges are not in a position to deliver what the young people there need and to meet their quite significant learning needs.”
“The new investment in colleges that we have secured will create a new care skills partnership to increase the number of new entrants to the care sector and to widen access to caring careers. That is absolutely vital if we are to answer the challenge of delayed discharge in our hospitals, which causes an interruption in flow throughout the whole health service. We know about the challenges that the care sector faces. The Accounts Commission has shown that unmet need is rising, vacancies are at a record high and a quarter of staff leave their jobs within the first three months. Recently, record numbers of people have been stuck in hospital because there are just not the required community care packages or care places to receive them— they are well enough to go home, but too frail to do so without wraparound support.”
“It desperately needs world- leading services, and the announcement today is one step closer to that goal. There is £3.5 million for colleges to help them to deliver the skills that our economy and our public services need. What difference will that make? It is about creating a pipeline of a skilled workforce for offshore wind. It can kick-start regional training hubs throughout the college sector. There will be a special focus on Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Forth Valley and the Highlands and Islands—the communities where our renewables revolution is set to begin. We know the importance of seizing the big opportunities in renewable power in paving the way for economic growth, and we know about the need to take special care of the communities and regions that must be at the heart of the just transition.”
“They are, essentially, buckets that are filled with body-temperature water, which simulate the womb to comfort babies who are going through withdrawal because they have been born addicted to drugs. Since 2017, research by my party has shown that 1,500 babies have been born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and show signs of drug addiction through uncontrollable trembling, hyperactivity and distressed crying. I am pleased that, today, we can announce further investment in drugs and neonatal services totalling £2.6 million, with a special focus on creating new services to help babies who spend the first days of their lives withdrawing from drugs. That will mean new residential beds for mothers and their babies, and new intensive perinatal services. Scotland has been in the grip of a drugs emergency for years.”
“I will focus now on the extra steps that we have persuaded the Scottish Government to take, which are over and above the commitments that we secured in our first round of talks, as intimated to the Parliament, on the draft budget that was placed before the Parliament in early December. I declare an interest at this point. Before being elected to Parliament, I worked for eight years for the children’s charity Aberlour, which is in large part a beneficiary of today’s announcements. Before politics, I worked with Aberlour as a youth worker. A fortnight ago, I told the Parliament about the time when I was introduced to a medical device known as a Tummy Tub.”
“Yesterday, I met the First Minister and his officials and intimated that there now stands an agreement between our two parties on the passage of the budget. In a Parliament of minorities, it is incumbent on all of us to act responsibly and to seek common ground wherever we can. After several rounds of productive negotiation and consultation with stakeholders, we have arrived at the position where, today, I have publicly committed the support of the Scottish Liberal Democrats for the Scottish budget in its transit through the Parliament. All in all, Scottish Liberal Democrat priorities will now be backed by hundreds of millions of pounds of Government investment. They would not have been included without our involvement. We have done good work today.”
“I move amendment S6M-16237, to leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert: “notes that the performance of public services has declined despite significant funding increases and the hard work of those on the frontline; believes that this decline is due to a failure of leadership from the Scottish National Party administration; is concerned by the significant rise in senior-level civil servants and the failure to deliver meaningful public sector reform; acknowledges that, despite the decline in public services’ performance, rises in Scottish income tax will see the public pay £1.7 billion more in taxation in 2025-26, and calls on the Scottish Government to start delivering value for money for taxpayers by cutting income tax to 19% for those earning up to £43,662, providing full non-domestic rates relief for pubs and businesses across Scotland and increasing the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax zero-rate threshold to £250,000, to reduce the cost of buying a home.” 15:28”
“The SNP Government—by instinct and habit—is high tax, big state and low growth. Nonetheless, in all likelihood, the budget will be passed by the Parliament next month, in part because Anas Sarwar’s spineless Scottish Labour has already caved in to John Swinney, without any concessions or consideration of the consequences. Now, today, the Liberal Democrats will fall in alongside the Greens and support the budget as part of the cosy left-wing consensus that prevails in the Parliament. Scottish Conservatives are clear that we will not support the budget, because it is bad for public services, for taxpayers and for Scottish business.”
“It is clear that this Government has lost control of elements of the economy and that it has failed to secure the labour market. Nonetheless, it is not too late for the SNP Government to see common sense: to get serious about growth and delivering value for money for taxpayers, and to get serious about cutting tax, because we want Scots workers and businesses to have more control over their own money. We would boost growth by cutting income tax to 19 per cent for those who are earning under £43,000. We would provide 100 per cent rates relief for pubs and hospitality businesses. We would reduce the cost of buying a home by increasing the land and buildings transaction tax threshold. In truth, this Government is not interested in growth. That is why we were not invited back to the table for the third round of budget negotiations.”
“It was this Government that chose to employ more highly paid, top-ranking civil servants, and chose to pay them more than those in the rest of the UK are paid, yet public service performance continues to decline. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Craig Hoy: I do not think that I have time, I am afraid. However, as the Scottish Fiscal Commission notes, despite the Government saying that it will raise a further £1.7 billion in taxation this coming year, a significantly lower sum will make its way through to our public services. As the SFC notes, that is an economic gap. The Scottish Government is clear on that figure—although it was challenged by an SNP member in committee today; unfortunately, she is not in the chamber just now.”
“Craig Hoy: Those things could all have been achieved without rolling over on the question of independence, as Alex Cole-Hamilton has done. If Alex Cole-Hamilton wants to delve deeper on the point, I note that a further written answer said: “The Scottish Government has set out its commitment to giving people information about independence. A range of civil servants across the Scottish Government provide input to developing and communicating this information.”— [Written Answers, 24 January 2025; S6W-33285.] The spending continues. I accept that this Government faces pressures resulting from Labour’s broken promise on national insurance increases. However, the challenges that Labour has created are made much worse by the decisions that the SNP Government has taken.”
“Does Craig Hoy recognise that there are aspects of Government expenditure pertaining to the constitution, on things such as legislative consent, that will still require funding irrespective? Does he recognise that there is not a single line in the budget, or a single penny, as he described it— indeed, as I described it—on independence? Had there been, we would have voted it down. Will Craig Hoy now tell members why he is going to turn his face against increased funding for hospices, and why he is going to stop the spending—which would not have happened without the Liberal Democrats—on services for babies who are born dependent on drugs? Why is he going to vote against those important aspects of the budget?”
“We need every penny available spent on our schools, on our GP surgeries, on the mental health crisis.” Alex Cole-Hamilton rose— Craig Hoy: For the avoidance of doubt, Martin Geissler asked Mr Cole-Hamilton the question again: would he support a budget that contained a penny on independence? He said that, if there was a penny spent on independence, “I would vote it down.” I give way to Mr Cole-Hamilton. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Alex Cole- Hamilton. Craig Hoy: Will he apologise for misleading Scots, just as he did in the Colinton by-election? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Is the member going to give way? I call Alex Cole-Hamilton. Alex Cole-Hamilton: I am grateful to Craig Hoy for finally giving way.”
“Will Craig Hoy give way? Craig Hoy: I will give way in a moment. Let me first quote the member’s words and see whether he has a reason for saying them. It is clear that the budget contains spending on the constitution and independence. If it is helpful to the Parliament, before I take Alex Cole-Hamilton’s intervention, I have here what he said to the BBC only a few weeks ago. He said: “I don’t see a circumstance where any Liberal Democrat could vote for a budget that is clearly spending money on the constitution ... I think that would be a massive misuse of public funds no matter how small ...”
“I reiterate what I said earlier about the necessity and the effectiveness of the red alert. It is important that we review our overall response, and the red alert is, of course, part of that. We will seek to do that in partnership with others across the UK, particularly around widening the scope. Mr Cole-Hamilton’s point about domestic violence and people having a phone for emergency use and for their safety is well made. It has certainly featured in discussions before, but I will get back to him on the detail of that.”
“I, too, thank the emergency services and express my condolences to the families of the bereaved. As we heard, many members in the chamber received the loud telephone alarm, which was received across the central belt to good effect. In fact, its use seems to have gone much better than the national test, which reached a much smaller percentage of people. How is the Government reviewing the success of the national alert that was sent to mobile phones? How will it ensure that everyone receives the alert in future, including those who do not have a smartphone or compatible technology? What provision is the Government making for those who wish to opt out of the alert, particularly victims of domestic violence who may need to conceal a secret second phone? Angela Constance: Those are very important points.”
“Amendment 5 agreed to. Amendment 6 moved—[Maurice Golden]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 6 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app froze. I would have voted yes. 17:00 The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Cole-Hamilton. Your vote will be recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Gillian Mackay] Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 100, Against 9, Abstentions 0.”
“The independent review of adult social care, which was carried out by Professor Derek Feeley, recommended that we establish a national care service that is underpinned by a human rights- based approach and gives a voice to people with lived experience at every level. A national care service is not opposed by those with lived experience; it is the opposite. They pressed the Scottish Government to push forward. I hope that the pause and further clarity on what we are trying to achieve through primary legislation will enable those parties that have been opposed to change from the conception to come round the table and contribute to shaping the change that we need in”
“Care in our country is broken, but Scottish National Party ministers have spent four years and £30 million on the wrong solutions. That is enough to pay the salaries of 1,200 care workers for an entire year. What a waste. Every year wasted is a year that the minister could have been getting on with fixing our broken care system. Will she apologise to everyone who is stuck in hospital because community care is not available to receive them home, to the care workers who cannot offer the care and support that they signed up for and want to offer because there simply is not enough time, and to the legions of unpaid family carers who do not have the wraparound support that they need? Maree Todd: Thousands of people who use social care and community health services across Scotland have told us that things need to change.”
“Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: The amendment is agreed to, therefore the amendments in the name of Sarah Boyack and Liam McArthur fall. The Presiding Officer: The question is, that motion S6M-16171, in the name of Douglas Lumsden, on ensuring that communities are at the heart of the electricity consenting process, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app froze. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Cole- Hamilton. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) 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) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Abstentions Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Gillian Mackay] Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-16171.3, in the name of Alasdair Allan, is: For 63, Against 55, Abstentions 7.”
“All of that is reviewed regularly as part of a four-nations planning and preparedness exercise. The Scottish Government has recently commissioned a review of the current and future arrangements for face-fit testing of FFP3 masks in health and social care settings, and we will consider the findings of that review once they are available. To reassure the member and others, I point out that NHS National Services Scotland, which manages the storage and distribution of PPE items on behalf of the Scottish Government, is working continually to improve all arrangements and to ensure that the appropriate PPE items are available at the point and time of need.”
“I am sure that members are reassured to learn that the Government will maintain an adequate stockpile of PPE. Will the Deputy First Minister reassure members that that stockpile will be refreshed so that no staff are opening out-of- date face masks and gowns in the event of another pandemic, and that we will use the time between pandemics—we must think of it in those terms—to ensure that there is an adequate mix of masks to fit all face types, genders and body types, so that we do not have a situation again in which a predominantly female workforce is unable to use face masks that are designed for men? Kate Forbes: We continue to hold a national stockpile of PPE items, and we regularly update the items that are held in the stockpile to reflect the learnings from the Covid pandemic.”
“The review is in good hands and I encourage organisations and freelancers to tell her about their interactions with the body and what they need in the future. We must always strive to ensure that those organisations, festivals and events that provide so much lifeblood to our towns and cities, are properly funded. We do not debate this topic enough, but I welcome the Government’s motion, which we will support, and I thank it for the time that it has afforded to the subject. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. 15:41”
“Those things stimulated in me a lifelong love affair with literature, poetry and the arts more generally. It feels as though there has always been something of a rift between artists and the body that oversees them, which is Creative Scotland. There was a very public falling-out in 2012, and again in 2018, before the Government’s recent funding choices put the body in a very difficult position. Many artists will tell you that Creative Scotland is not always an easy body to deal with. However, like it or not, it is in effect the primary incubator for new artistic talent and cultural ventures in this country. It therefore needs to be up to scratch: capable of operating in the interests of the sector that it serves and open to making changes—adaptive and reasoning. I therefore absolutely wish Dame Sue Bruce well with her review.”
“Neil Bibby mentioned the news about the place of Burns in the curriculum, and we have also heard about Shakespeare and the lack of drama and music. Those things are now called extracurricular, but they are actually core to the curriculum of learning. Does the member agree that that seedbed of culture is under threat because of this Government’s neglect? Alex Cole-Hamilton: Stephen Kerr’s point is exceptionally well made. Within each of us, there is a fuse that is linked to a cultural explosion that needs to be lit at some point in our lives and, more often than not, that happens during schooling. I remember when I was first interested in theatre and the words of Shakespeare, and the war poetry that we learned in first and second year of high school.”
“It is hard for companies to pay the rent and hire the people they need for the productions that they wish to stage if there is a shadow hanging over the key funding programmes that represent the lifeblood of our cultural offering and our culture sector in Scotland. I hope that the Scottish Government will reflect on its actions and that the cabinet secretary will address that in his closing remarks. Stephen Kerr: Will the member take an intervention? Alex Cole-Hamilton: I will happily take an intervention from Stephen Kerr. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please be brief, Mr Kerr. Stephen Kerr: Does Alex Cole-Hamilton agree that our culture is also threatened by its lack of presence in our schools?”
“Culture and the arts sector have undoubtedly been dealt a bad hand by factors beyond anyone’s control, but also, through the sin of omission, by the SNP Government. First, there was the pandemic, during which too many found themselves excluded from Government support programmes. That was followed by the cost of living crisis and the energy crisis, and the sector then had to put up with the Scottish Government messing it around. Money was repeatedly promised and then taken away, leaving people feeling uncertain and betrayed and unable to plan. We saw companies and artists having to change their plans to make time for lengthy, last- minute funding applications.”
“As the executive director of the international festival, Francesca Hegyi, told me, the survival of the festivals is not inevitable, and it is often the smaller arts groups that sustain them, so we must sustain those groups. In recent years, they, like many others in the sector, have had to fight not just for attention but for funding. I was by no means alone in the Parliament in supporting the open letter that was sent to the Scottish Government last summer that appealed for the open fund to be reinstated. Although I agree with much of the Government’s motion, I find it slightly galling that it does not acknowledge the Government’s role in the wider uncertainty that the sector has had to contend with over the past few years. There is a spectre of revisionism within its lines.”
“Millions of visitors descend on the capital each year, generating vital economic benefit, and many businesses depend on that vibrancy and the cultural injection that we get each year. The festivals are often seen as the jewel in the crown of Scotland’s cultural offering, with many renowned theatre groups, musical acts, dance troupes and comedians coming from all over the world to take part. However, the beauty of the festivals has always been the lesser-known talents and the smaller groups that make up such a large part of the programme and the careers that it has launched— not least that of the renowned comedian Tony Slattery, who very sadly died today.”
“Despite how often we talk about the sector’s importance, however, it often plays second fiddle to other pressing concerns. Many aspects of public life do not get the time or the attention that they deserve in the debates that take place in the chamber, but it is important that we afford time to consider culture. Given the sector’s contribution to our country, our society and its economy, we simply do not give it the airtime that it needs. As an MSP for Edinburgh, I have previously talked in the chamber about the Edinburgh international festival, the fringe and the other festivals that make our capital one of the most vibrant cities on the planet in the month of August.”