Oil and Gas Licences
I thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity for each party to make some remarks about D day.
Eighty years ago today, British soldiers joined those from America, Canada and other nations to board planes, ships and landing craft to begin the liberation of Europe. The men who were parachuted into Normandy or who landed at Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha or Utah beaches on 6 June headed into danger and uncertainty. They were met with mines, barbed wire and the guns of the German defenders. A total of 4,414 of the men who were involved in operation Neptune alone would lose their lives, but their sacrifice, and the brave efforts of all those individuals on that historic day, played a key part in the downfall of Nazism and in ensuring freedom and democracy for western Europe.
On this day, the 80th anniversary, and as the veterans of that day become fewer and fewer and the event passes from memory to history, our need to remember their heroism becomes ever more important. Today, and always, we will remember them. [Applause.]
Does the Deputy First Minister agree that granting new oil and gas licences for the North Sea is essential not only for our energy security but to protect tens of thousands of jobs in Scotland?
I start by echoing Douglas Ross’s comments. Today is a day for reflection on the sacrifice and the bravery of all those who served during the second world war, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives for us in pursuit of a better world. The youthful faces that we have seen in the photographs in the television coverage this morning stay with us—they certainly reminded me of my loved ones.
Were it not for the courageous actions of those brave men and women, we would not enjoy the freedoms that we now take for granted, including the freedom to debate and disagree this very afternoon. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. As we mark the 80th anniversary of D day today, we will never forget those who have laid down their lives, and those who continue to do so, in the service of their country, and we will never take our freedoms for granted. [Applause.]
We in the Scottish National Party are absolutely crystal clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s oil and gas sector that recognises the declining nature of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments. The difference between my party and the Conservatives is that we will never abandon our workers, we will never leave a legacy of inequality and we will never destroy communities, as the Tories did in the previous transition.
Any further extraction must be consistent with our climate obligations, and we must approach licensing on a rigorously evidence-led case-by-case basis, with robust climate compatibility and energy security being key considerations.
Douglas Ross might not care very much for doing the hard work to understand the evidence for decisions, as he confessed earlier this week regarding Liz Truss’s budget, but we are evidence led and will ensure that our decisions on North Sea oil and gas are consistent with the evidence.
The evidence is very clear. The SNP’s plans to be against any new oil and gas licences will result in tens of thousands of jobs being lost in the North Sea and the north-east. That is the evidence; that is very clear.
This week, the Deputy First Minister said that the SNP has “never said no to” new oil and gas licences. However, of course, it opposed the Rosebank field and Cambo. Let us hear what one of her Government colleagues has said. Màiri McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, said clearly that the Scottish Government does
“not agree with the UK Government issuing new oil and gas licences.”—[Official Report, 22 November 2022; c 12.]
How can the SNP even pretend to support the oil and gas sector and the jobs that are crucial to it when its own energy secretary says that?
It is very difficult to believe the Tories on oil and gas when we know that Douglas Ross’s party has been exploiting Scotland’s oil and gas to fill its budget holes for decades. What has Scotland got to show for it? It has austerity, Brexit and the cost of living crisis. We have never proposed a policy of no further North Sea licensing at all. We have said quite clearly that it has to be compatible with our climate change obligations and that any licensing process must be subject to a robust climate compatibility checkpoint.
Douglas Ross wants to talk about evidence. The scientific evidence is clear: there is an urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels globally if the Paris agreement climate goals are to be met. Our focus is on meeting our energy needs, reducing emissions and, ultimately, delivering affordable energy.
The Deputy First Minister does not want to listen to the Conservatives on this, but I was simply quoting her Cabinet colleague. The SNP Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy says that the Scottish Government does not agree with the UK Government issuing new oil and gas licences. That is not me saying that; it is the SNP’s energy secretary.
If the Deputy First Minister is trying to distance herself from those comments, there are more. Humza Yousaf, who was the SNP leader until just last month, said:
“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do to grant 100 new ... licences.”
The SNP leader before that, Nicola Sturgeon, said:
“I do not think that we can continue to give the go-ahead to new oilfields.”—[Official Report, 16 November 2021; c 68.]
Several times this week, I asked John Swinney directly whether the SNP backed new oil and gas licences. He would not give a straight answer, so here is an opportunity for the Deputy First Minister. Does the Scottish Government agree that new oil and gas licences for the North Sea should be granted—yes or no?
On the contrary, I have been very clear on our approach. Our approach is that we will continue to support the workers and the industry in line with our climate change obligations. The industry believes in that transition, but the facts speak for themselves in relation to what we are doing. Last month alone, we saw progress on two significant projects that will drive forward our energy transition and that underline our position as an energy powerhouse: Sumitomo’s groundbreaking £350 million high-voltage direct-current cable factory and the investment through Haventus in the redevelopment of Ardersier port. That is because this Government believes in a just transition—a transition that does not leave workers behind and does not turn off the taps overnight, but is very conscious of our climate change obligations.
This week, we have heard a lot of figures that have been cooked up by the Tories. The bottom line for us is that we are led by the evidence, and we will always back the north-east and Scottish workers.
People might not have realised, listening to that answer, that I had simply asked the Deputy First Minister whether the SNP agrees with the granting of new oil and gas licences—yes or no. We got nothing—no answer whatsoever—on that specific question.
Let me be clear: the Scottish Conservatives support new oil and gas licences, because new developments will protect jobs in the north-east of Scotland. They will also support a just transition to net zero. They will keep bills down, they will prevent us from having to import costly oil from foreign countries and they will secure Scotland’s energy future. Its members are trying to pretend otherwise, but the SNP is against new oil and gas licences, regardless of the impact on the workers affected.
Speaking about evidence, I go back to the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, which said in a report that the position not to grant new oil and gas licences would put 100,000 jobs at risk. Why is the SNP ignoring it?
Douglas Ross might find that the same report had some criticisms of the Conservatives, too.
Douglas Ross talks about supporting the north-east. I have been very clear about our position on new licences. If Douglas Ross wants to back the north-east, there are some big questions for him this very day—a day when he has betrayed a Conservative candidate in the north-east, whom the Conservatives trusted to be a minister in the United Kingdom Government, who is currently recovering from ill health, who was planning to stand for election and who was supported by local members. [Interruption.]
Members!
I am old enough to remember when Douglas Ross said that he was not going to stand again for Westminster because he wanted to focus on Holyrood in 2026.
Our position is clear: we will back the north-east, we will back workers and we intend to achieve our climate change aims.
Funding and Expenditure
I share the sentiments of the Deputy First Minister and Douglas Ross on this day, the 80th anniversary of D day. It is right that we commemorate all the Scottish, British and Commonwealth soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and liberty in Europe. We will remember them.
On Sunday, it was revealed that the Scottish National Party will effectively hand back up to £500 million of funding that should have been spent on crucial economic and anti-poverty projects across Scotland. That is simply a scandal, and it happened when Kate Forbes was finance secretary. Indeed, £158 million had already been handed back because of the SNP’s failure to meet annual expenditure targets, a further £136 million was not spent by the deadline of the end of 2023 and a further £280 million is still to be claimed. That has all been confirmed today by the independent experts at the Scottish Parliament.
That is just the latest example of SNP financial incompetence. Will the Deputy First Minister tell me how the SNP has made such a mess of that?
In the very same report by the Scottish Parliament information centre that the member is quoting from, evidence could not be found for the £450 million claim. We said that very clearly earlier this week, and the SPICe report also indicates that that £450 million is not a figure that its researchers recognise.
The points about this story are clear. First, final expenditure figures will not be known until the programme formally closes in 2025. To have spent all the money a year in advance would itself raise questions. Secondly, we do not expect the final figures to be markedly different from those elsewhere in the United Kingdom or from those of previous programmes. Our commitment is to spend as much of the money as possible. The irony of the question is that the Labour Party has no intention of ever returning Scotland to Europe, therefore depriving us of European funding indefinitely.
It is interesting that the clawback in Scotland is going to be greater than anywhere else in the UK. The scale of return in Scotland is likely to be 28 per cent; in Wales, it is 9 per cent; in England, it is 6 per cent; and, in Northern Ireland, it is 2 per cent. I tell Kate Forbes as gently as possible that I used to oversee European Union structural funds, so I know how the claims work, and I know the life-changing impact that the money can have. I do not buy her excuses for one second, because it comes down to the financial incompetence of the SNP Government, at a time when people are crying out for help during a cost of living crisis and when our public services are stripped to the bone. [Interruption.]
Members!
It unforgivable that the SNP is wasting taxpayers’ money. The scale of the incompetence goes even further. New analysis published by the Scottish Labour Party today reveals that the SNP—
Members: Oh!
Wait for it. That analysis reveals that the SNP has wasted £5 billion since it came to office. [Interruption.]
Members!
That includes agency spend costing the national heath service more than £1.6 billion, delayed discharge costing more than £1.3 billion and ferries now £330 million over budget—the list goes on.
Question, Ms Baillie.
Given the real challenges in the country, can the Deputy First Minister explain to the people of Scotland why the SNP is wasting their money, because that is utterly indefensible?
What is indefensible is that the party that is pretending to offer change is short-changing Scotland by adopting Conservative budget rules. We know that, under the Conservatives’ budget, there was a proposed £19 billion cut to UK public services. To quote another Labour spokesperson:
“all roads ... lead back to Westminster”.
There are profoundly difficult choices ahead if the Labour Party continues with its plans of adopting Tory rules.
Rachel Reeves has said that there is no more money. She has made a virtue of that. When we look at the money coming to the NHS alone, we see that it is less than what the Conservatives were promising.
When it comes to the Scottish Government’s position on the budget, we look at the EU structural funds and the projects that have benefited from them. From the Highlands to the Lowlands, there has been significant benefit. We will continue to maximise the funding that is available to ensure that we tackle child poverty, grow the economy and meet net zero.
That was a desperate response from the Deputy First Minister. She had no answer to the £5 billion of waste generated under her watch, and she knows that she is misleading the chamber, because there will be no return to austerity under Labour. [Interruption.]
Members!
Her attack is straight out of the Tory playbook. Is she not aware that the people of Scotland can see right through that very desperate spin from the SNP? People are tired of the chaos. They are tired of the sleaze. They are tired of SNP politicians not treating Scottish taxpayers’ money with respect. Failing to use millions of pounds is not treating the taxpayer with respect. Wasting £5 billion of public money is not treating the taxpayer with respect. Defending Michael Matheson and his £11,000 iPad bill is not treating the taxpayer with respect. People across Scotland are sick of the SNP putting party before country—[Interruption.]—and they are sick of the financial incompetence that they end up paying for.
A question, Ms Baillie.
Last year, Kate Forbes attacked Humza Yousaf and said that continuity would not cut it, but she seems to have failed to learn her own lesson, because all that we have heard today is more of the same. [Interruption.]
Members!
Is it any wonder that the people of Scotland are crying out for change from 14 years of Tory chaos and 17 years of SNP incompetence?
Thank you, Ms Baillie.
The people of Scotland are crying out for change—and they are not going to get it with Labour, that is for sure.
Let me start with a point of consensus. I, too, think that the public want to be treated with respect and that they are tired of spin. Labour has spent this week accusing the Conservatives of spinning numbers. That is precisely why there is an air of hypocrisy right now in terms of the figures that Jackie Baillie has come to the chamber with. At the end of the day, Labour has to answer a question from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which has said that Labour is effectively signing up to “sharp spending cuts”. Labour needs to have an answer to that, and I have not heard one yet.
I am aware of several on-going sedentary contributions from Labour members. I would be grateful if they could desist.
At the end of the day, we are proud of our record. Our most recent budget, using progressive taxation, has seen the Scottish child payment increase and the best-performing accident and emergency service in this country, it has delivered for business by slashing or abolishing rates for businesses and it has made Scotland the top destination outside London for foreign direct investment. That is a record to be proud of. However, it would be a lot easier to deliver those game-changing policies if we did not have Tory austerity on repeat.
Cabinet (Meetings)
As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-day, I have found myself reflecting on a particular evening during the 2016 election campaign, when I knocked on a door not too far from here. The door was answered by a 96-year-old gentleman, who invited me in to admire his collection of bagpipes. Not only that, but he taught me my first ever bagpipe lesson. What blew me away was that those were the pipes that he had used to bring the troops ashore at Sword beach in Normandy on D-day 80 years ago. I reflect on his memory. Sadly, he has since passed away, as have all too many veterans. This may be the last time that we commemorate such an anniversary alongside people who were actually there. We reflect on their sacrifice on the altar of freedom, for the cause of democracy and against the tyranny of Nazism, and we will remember them.
To ask the Deputy First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. (S6F-03197)
The Cabinet will next meet on Tuesday.
In the early hours of 5 July 2015, John Yuill and Lamara Bell were returning from a camping trip when their car left the road on the M9. The police were alerted to the crash but did not turn up for three days. All the while, Lamara was still alive, trapped, calling for help. She may have survived if help had arrived sooner. In the weeks beforehand, my party had been warning about the chaos in the call centre at Bilston Glen, which was caused by the rushed centralisation of the police by the Scottish National Party Government. John Swinney was Deputy First Minister at the time.
The fatal accident inquiry system is so broken that it has taken nine years to report on the deaths of John and Lamara, with final conclusions published only last week. Will the Deputy First Minister accept that her Government has failed on two counts? The first is the botched centralisation that contributed to the tragedy in the first place, and the second is the intolerable wait for answers that the families have had to endure.
I start by expressing my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Lamara Bell and John Yuill. When the situation happened, the former justice secretary, in his statement to Parliament following the court ruling, was quite clear about giving our deepest apologies. The former chief constable has also apologised unreservedly to the families, and I repeat that this afternoon.
On Alex Cole-Hamilton’s points, it is important that we start by looking at the lessons that have been learned. All the recommendations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland’s independent review into Police Scotland’s contact, command and control division have now been implemented. I note that the fatal accident inquiry found that lessons have been learned and that the public should have confidence in Police Scotland’s ability to respond to the calls made.
Alex Cole-Hamilton also made a point about the fatal accident inquiry. Obviously, the conduct of investigations that lead to fatal accident inquiries is a matter for the Lord Advocate and her staff, acting independently of Government. However, I understand that the issue has been raised with the Solicitor General, who has indicated that she is willing to come back to Parliament to answer questions more fully.
Short-term Let Licensing
To ask the Deputy First Minister whether the Scottish Government will review the impact of the short-term let licensing legislation, in light of the upcoming summer tourist season. (S6F-03216)
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests in relation to close family members running a bed and breakfast.
The short-term let licensing scheme is aimed at ensuring that everyone coming to Scotland can be assured of safe, high-quality accommodation. That is especially important as we approach a busy summer tourist season. We recognise the growth of the short-term let sector and its importance to Scottish tourism. As a result, hosts have invested in the future of their businesses and are providing assurances to guests on safety and quality.
We are already undertaking planned monitoring of the legislation, and we recently lodged a statutory amendment order that makes technical changes as a result of feedback. If Parliament approves that amendment order, it will further support business activity and clarify exemptions. We will update Parliament in the summer on the scheme’s implementation, informed by our on-going engagement with stakeholders.
During the debate on the legislation, I raised concerns about its reach, as it includes, for example, yurts, tree houses and even lighthouses. I also raised concerns about local pressures for accommodation at times of popular tourist events, such as, in my constituency, the Melrose sevens, the Borders book festival in Melrose and common ridings across the Borders. I understand that flexibility to local authorities was part of the solution. I understand from what the Deputy First Minister said that the Government is monitoring the issue. Can she advise Parliament whether that flexibility is working?
Christine Grahame makes an important point, particularly about the significant tourist events that are happening locally. I can confirm that, if approved, the latest statutory amendment would provide additional flexibility around the periods for which local authorities are able to administer temporary exemptions to the licences. I hope that that would be of use when it comes to such events, which, as Ms Grahame said, are hugely important. Many authorities have chosen to offer such exemptions already. The Minister for Housing, Paul McLennan, will shortly update Parliament on implementation, which will cover local delivery. We continue to monitor the implementation of the licensing scheme and take on board any feedback from stakeholders.
Presiding Officer,
“We can all agree that the rollout of this scheme has certainly not been without its challenges over the last few years.”
Those are not my words but those of the Deputy First Minister to her constituents and businesses in the Highlands. Tourism leaders have been clear that irreversible damage is being caused by the legislation, but that seems to be falling on deaf ears in the Scottish Government. We need to see changes, and we need to see them now. The Minister for Housing has not gone far enough, which simply demonstrates how badly the legislation was drafted and implemented in the first place. I ask the Deputy First Minister to act on the issue today, by having ministers suspend the legislation until a full review can take place and Parliament can fix the problems that the Government has created.
The fact that Miles Briggs was able to quote me suggests that I am actively engaged in the issues and have taken a lot of interest in the matter locally in my Highland constituency. We are very responsive to feedback, and we will continue to engage with stakeholders. Only two days ago, I had a meeting with the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers to hear about its experience in full. I will continue to work with the Minister for Housing, who has been exemplary in his engagement, to ensure that we take any feedback on board.
General Practice Surgeries
To ask the Deputy First Minister how the Scottish Government will prevent further GP practice closures, in light of reports that the number of surgeries has declined in every NHS board since 2015. (S6F-03209)
General practitioners are essential to the delivery of high-quality, sustainable general practice service, and we remain fully committed to increasing the number of GPs in Scotland by 800 by 2027. To support general practice, we have significantly expanded the primary care multidisciplinary team workforce, with more than 4,700 staff now working in such services. We are supporting the development of those teams through investment of about £190 million in the primary care improvement fund. The latest data from Public Health Scotland reflects a trend towards fewer but larger practices that incorporate multidisciplinary teams so as to provide a wider range of services.
The Scottish Government has said that it is led by evidence. The evidence is that GP surgeries in rural Scotland are closing at more than twice the rate of those in many central belt health boards. In NHS Grampian, GPs have been damning in their assessment of primary care under the Scottish Government. Here are just some recent quotes from GPs to their representative body in that area. One practice said:
“We had to switch off our phones yesterday for the first time, as we have reached our safe limit ... we felt we had no option. Feels unmanageable just now.”
Another said:
“The current situation cannot continue; staff are completely exhausted, and morale is very low.”
Another GP said:
“There has to be an easier way to make a living than this!”
I see that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is talking to the Deputy First Minister and giving her feedback. I am glad of that, because we cannot afford to lose more surgeries. GPs and patients across rural communities are watching and listening today.
Can we have a question, please, Ms White?
What answer can the Deputy First Minister give them now? They are at breaking point.
The question that Tess White asked is important. I understand in detail the challenges that our rural GPs face, but it is precisely because of the challenges in recruitment that we have invested in the pioneering Scottish graduate entry medicine programme. The first cohort is coming through ScotGEM just now.
We recognise that there are distinct challenges when it comes to rural and island areas, which is reflected in the budget that has been committed: £3 million for the national centre for remote and rural health and care, which was launched in October and is being delivered by NHS Education for Scotland. Tess White will also know that we incentivise GPs to take up rural positions through the £10,000 golden hello scheme, and are also investing £1 million in bursaries for GP trainees.
There is agreement on the pressures facing our rural GPs. The point is that we are taking action right now to try to support our rural GPs as far as possible because we recognise their importance.
The Tories have presided over the closure of 450 surgeries, more than 1,000 pharmacies—a third of the total—longer waiting lists and strikes by junior doctors and nurses, with 40 promised new hospitals unbuilt over the past decade in England.
Does the Deputy First Minister agree that the evidence is clear that Scotland’s NHS, with all its challenges, is in better shape for staff and patients under the Scottish National Party than it ever would be under the Tories?
Kenny Gibson is right to talk about the wider context, because the situation that the Scottish NHS faces has to be seen in the wider context of the challenges around visas and austerity. Despite that, we are delivering more than £19.5 billion of funding for health and social care to give our NHS a real-terms uplift and support significant investment on the front line.
We are committed to the founding principles of the NHS, unlike some other parties in here, and we also want to mitigate austerity.
I was contacted this week by Prestonpans Group Practice, the GP surgery in Prestonpans, East Lothian, which has concerns about funding, staffing and patient care. It faces a withdrawal of funding of 10 per cent from cuts to the East Lothian health and social care partnership, as well as increased estate fees. That will have an impact on patients.
Will the Deputy First Minister, or the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, meet me to discuss the concerns that were raised by that group and the Lothian Local Medical Committee and, indeed, how we can improve the situation across the south of Scotland?
I have no hesitation in agreeing for the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to meet Martin Whitfield and his constituents.
National Park Nominations
To ask the Deputy First Minister by what date the Scottish Government will decide which of the national park nominations will be taken forward to the next stage. (S6F-03205)
The deadline for nominations for areas to be considered for designation as a new national park was 29 February 2024. Nominations have been received from Galloway, Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay forests. An appraisal process commenced in March 2024, and concluded last week. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, is now considering the outcome of that process and will make recommendations shortly.
I live in a national park, and I see every day how it hugely benefits businesses, communities and nature. From speaking to local businesses in the stunning Tay forest area, it is clear that they are looking for certainty about the designation of Scotland’s third national park. However, the clock is ticking, particularly for the statutory process to complete by 2026.
Will Kate Forbes personally ensure that this Government leaves a lasting and tangible green legacy for our rural communities by designating at least one new national park ahead of the next Holyrood election?
Mark Ruskell will know that I do not quite live in a national park, but I represent one. I see the benefits, particularly in and around the Cairngorms national park area.
On the process, Cabinet will take a decision on next steps over the summer. The criteria that have been finalised for evaluating the national parks are clear; they relate to outstanding national importance, the size, character and coherence of the area, and meeting the special needs of the area. It may be that not all the proposals meet the criteria, but that decision will be taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.
We move to general and constituency supplementaries.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Jobs)
In light of the reports about CMAL being merged into a national ferries body, what assurances can the Deputy First Minister provide that CMAL jobs will remain in Port Glasgow town centre?
We recognise that our ferry network not only provides a vital lifeline service but also employs people in areas that are under pressure. Stuart McMillan has been a stalwart in representing his area when it comes to jobs that are related to the ferry network. I am sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport will keep him and others in Parliament informed of any decisions that are made.
Caledonian System (Reoffending Rates)
A parliamentary question that I submitted has revealed that the SNP Government holds no information on repeat offences for its flagship domestic abuse rehabilitation programme, which is known as the Caledonian system. If the Government does not hold information on reoffending rates, how can it possibly judge how successful the programme is?
All such initiatives and programmes are fully evaluated. It is important for us to make sure that they have the confidence of victims. That is a key consideration when it comes to the data that is held. If the member is keen to understand some of the thinking behind the decisions that have been made, I am sure that Angela Constance would be more than happy to meet her.
Child Poverty
On Tuesday, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice stood where the Deputy First Minister is and delivered the annual update on progress to tackle child poverty. We know that levels of child poverty in Scotland have been stagnant for 17 years and that, on many measures, they have increased.
The cabinet secretary said:
“our action is making a difference.”—[Official Report, 4 June 2024; c 11.]
At the same time as that statement, the Poverty and Inequality Commission released its annual scrutiny report, which, in relation to the Government’s actions, said:
“Limited progress has been made ... over the last year ... Progress in other areas is slow or not evident at all”
and
“without immediate and significant action, the Scottish Government will not meet the 2030 targets.”
The cabinet secretary told me that the Government is committed to those targets. Does the Deputy First Minister agree with the commission’s analysis of her Government’s actions, and will the Government meet those targets?
The Government is very proud of the fact that tackling child poverty is one of its national missions. We take it seriously; it is one of the top priorities of the First Minister. The cabinet secretary set out the action that we are taking, which has resulted in just short of 100,000 children who would have been in poverty not being in poverty. The evidence is clear, internationally: the Scottish child payment is game changing. It is the only one of its kind in Europe. We want to go as far as possible in lifting children out of poverty.
Economic Growth
While Westminster trashes the United Kingdom with Brexit, the Scottish National Party Government is prioritising boosting economic growth. The latest Bank of Scotland business barometer report shows that business optimism in Scotland in May was up by 15 per cent, to 57 per cent, which is the joint highest in the UK. That is welcome. Will the Deputy First Minister say more about the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to make Scotland the best place in the UK in which to do business?
That is absolutely our aim and ambition. Scotland is open for business. We are committed to working right across the economy to maximise the huge economic opportunities that lie ahead, not least in the incredible renewable energy sector. We want to ensure that our economy remains one of the best performing in the UK—as it is right now—and we will do that by working in partnership with business, industry and trade unions.
Scotland’s gross domestic product per capita has grown faster than the UK’s since 2007, and a record number of foreign direct investment projects were secured in Scotland in 2022, maintaining our position as the top-performing area of the UK, outside of London, for the eighth year running.
Public Bodies (Sharing of Information on Vulnerable Individuals)
On 28 May 2020, in Inverness, Dwayne MacLeay and Gary MacKay were killed, and Kimberley Nicholson was violently stabbed. The person who carried out the attack had had contact with Police Scotland, NHS Highland, the Highland Council and the Home Office, each of which appears to have followed its own procedures without liaising with the others. We cannot turn the clock back, but will the Deputy First Minister agree to meeting me and the families to try to find ways to ensure that information about vulnerable individuals is shared between public bodies, so that no similar event can ever occur again?
The member makes important points about engaging with the families and constantly looking at ways in which public bodies can work together. Without wanting to agree on Angela Constance’s behalf to more meetings than I have agreed to, I think that she would be more than happy to meet Edward Mountain and the families.
Flash Glucose Monitors (NHS Lothian)
Only 38 per cent of type 1 diabetics in NHS Lothian have access to a flash glucose monitor, compared with 51.8 per cent across Scotland. The divide is even more stark for children, as only a quarter of paediatric patients in NHS Lothian have access to an FGM, compared with 35.5 per cent across Scotland. That technology is life changing for those who receive it, but type 1 diabetics in the Lothians are being short changed. What is the Deputy First Minister’s Government doing to increase access to flash glucose monitors across the Lothians?
The member is right to say that that treatment can be transformational. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has announced £8.8 million to support the work that we are doing around diabetes and has made the commitment that all children with type 1 diabetes will get the support that they need.
Road Safety (Bearsden and Milngavie)
I associate the Scottish Greens with colleagues’ comments in commemoration of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Normandy 80 years ago to liberate Europe from fascism. We will remember them.
Following the tragic death of a cyclist in March and multiple other serious incidents along the Drymen Road and Duntocher Road corridor in Bearsden, a community campaign called safe streets Bearsden has formed to call on East Dunbartonshire Council and other public bodies to take urgent action to protect pedestrians and cyclists. The campaign has highlighted that a number of schools in the area simply do not have safe ways for many of their pupils to walk, wheel or cycle in each day.
Does the Deputy First Minister agree with me and safe streets Bearsden that action must be taken without delay to address the serious safety concerns along the roads and to make Bearsden and Milngavie safer places to walk, wheel and cycle?
We are absolutely committed to making our streets safer, particularly for young people and around schools. Ross Greer makes an absolutely critically important point. He referenced the fact that local authorities need to be involved because they are on the front line when it comes to delivering safer local streets.
Clearly, funding has been made available in this year’s budget, and we are committed to making sustainable travel a more attractive option. I am sure that we will continue to work with Ross Greer, in partnership with the local authority, to deliver what the community is keen to see.
Labour and Conservative Spending Plans (Public Services)
The Deputy First Minister mentioned earlier the warnings by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that Labour and Tory spending plans will mean sharp cuts for public services. Has the Scottish Government considered the impact of those plans on the Scottish Government’s budget and, consequently, the vital devolved Scottish public services, not least our national health service?
When it comes to the funding that Labour is talking about making available to Scotland’s NHS, it beggars belief that it is actually lower than the consequentials that we received from the Conservative Government. Our priorities will always be to protect Scotland’s public services and to mitigate austerity, but there is only so much that we can do. If the IFS is saying that Labour and Tory spending plans would mean sharp spending cuts, it really needs to get an answer, not least when Rachel Reeves is saying that there will be no more money.
Portree Community Hospital (24/7 Urgent Care)
It seemed as though things might finally be progressing on Skye, with NHS Highland’s draft plan to restore 24/7 urgent care at Portree community hospital being submitted to ministers on 24 May. However, despite repeated requests, local campaigners have still not received a copy of the plan. They were told that it would be explained to them at a meeting that was supposed to take place yesterday, but that was cancelled by NHS Highland with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Will the Deputy First Minister commit to ensuring that the Scottish Government shares the plan with local campaigners immediately? Will she ensure that the priority of the local community—that 24/7 urgent care is restored at Portree community hospital as soon as possible—is also the priority for NHS Highland and the Scottish Government?
I absolutely agree with the member that restoring 24/7 urgent care at Portree community hospital remains the Government’s aim. NHS Highland has been crystal clear when it comes to the Government’s expectations that that is what needs to be delivered.
Significant work has happened. NHS Highland submitted its action plan towards the end of May and it was made very clear to the community that the meeting has been postponed rather than cancelled. I would like to see that meeting happen as quickly as possible to unpack the work that has been done and to give the community confidence that we intend to deliver on that recommendation.
Island Sports
Last weekend, Orkney’s young athletes—hockey players, swimmers, footballers and netballers—successfully retained the Stuart cup in the junior intercounty competition against their Shetland counterparts.
Will the Deputy First Minister join me in congratulating both the Orkney and Shetland athletes on the quality of the competition and the spirit in which it was played and will she also restate the Scottish Government’s on-going support for the International Island Games Association games, which will take place in Orkney in 2025?
I have no hesitation in joining Liam McArthur in congratulating the Orkney and Shetland athletes. He sits next to Beatrice Wishart and I am sure that there was no bias whatsoever in his question.
The international island games are wonderful. They really put the spotlight on our island communities and give great opportunities to young athletes from those communities, so I wish them well and commend what they have achieved.
That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Mark Ruskell. There will be a short suspension to allow those who are leaving the chamber and the public gallery to do so before that item begins.
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