Good morning. The first item of business is general questions.
Bat Conservation
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support bat conservation. (S6O-03348)
All bat species that are found in Scotland are European protected species and we are committed to their protection and conservation. Through legislation, bats receive the highest level of species protection available.
We know that access to a suitable roost is vital, which is why any action that might disturb or damage a bat roost requires a licence from NatureScot. Another key issue that bats face is the loss of suitable habitats. Our commitment to biodiversity regeneration, for example, through the agricultural reform programme, will help improve the availability of foraging and prey for bats with the enhancement of farmland habitats.
I have recently been contacted by a number of constituents employed by NatureScot as part of a group of 27 bat workers, all of whom I understand are to face redundancy. What consideration has been given to the impact that the redundancy of NatureScot’s 27 bat workers, with their considerable experience and expertise, might have on bat conservation in Scotland?
I understand those concerns. However, to clarify, I understand that we are not talking about the loss of 27 full-time bat workers. Although the workers are employed by NatureScot, I understand that the work is demand driven and that, in a year, the collective hours of those workers amount to around 140 days, or half those of a full-time member of staff.
Although NatureScot is looking to maximise efficiencies—which it does while addressing the needs of bats on the one hand and householders on the other—it is engaging with workers, as well as the Bat Conservation Trust, to maintain support for conservation, albeit in a different form than is currently provided, and all in advance of the next bat season. I can ensure that Keith Brown is kept up to date on the matter.
Speed Limit (20mph)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to deliver a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025 on all appropriate roads in built-up areas. (S6O-03349)
The Scottish Government is committed to implementing 20mph speed limits on appropriate roads by the end of 2025. If someone is hit by a car in a built-up area at 20mph, they are seven times more likely to survive than if they were hit at 30mph.
In the 36-month period after the implementation of the limit, the City of Edinburgh Council has seen a 31 per cent reduction in casualty rates on the 20mph roads. All councils have now submitted their road assessments, identifying the appropriate roads for a speed limit of 20mph—and it is notable that councils are driving that work. A delivery sub-group that consists of officials from Transport Scotland, local authorities and wider road safety partners will oversee implementation and produce a detailed programme of delivery for meeting the 2025 deadline. The programme will contain the actual costs of completing this important road safety initiative.
I would also highlight Highland Council as a successful early adopter of the speed reductions, and communities that do not yet have 20mph speed limits have been asking for them.
I thank the cabinet secretary for the constructive working that we have had on that and many other issues since she came back into Government last year.
From the Borders to the Highlands, communities have welcomed 20mph speed limits, which reduce dangerous speeds, make places feel safer and friendlier and, ultimately, as the cabinet secretary has said, save lives. I welcome the progress that every single council in Scotland is making on those 20mph plans. Is there funding for councils to deliver a co-ordinated national programme to ensure that no community is left behind and that no child in future has to live on a residential street with a dangerous speed limit?
The Scottish Government has allocated a record £36 million to road safety in order to reduce casualties and risks on our roads, and it is delivering against our priorities in the road safety framework. Local road authorities were asked to identify the number of roads that would be suitable for a 20mph speed limit and to provide the approximate costs of implementation in their respective areas. Highland Council, an early adopter of the strategy, is currently 62 per cent below the original estimated budget, but I would just say that any speculation based on rough estimates rather than detailed plans would be premature. Once we have obtained detailed costs from local authorities through the delivery sub-group, we will consider what proportion of the overall road safety budget is required this financial year to deliver a co-ordinated programme through to 2025.
I hope that Mark Ruskell gets better soon, because he is obviously not too well.
Can the cabinet secretary confirm that this will be entirely a matter for local councils and that there will not be the same disastrous blanket roll-out of 20mph limits that we have seen in Wales and which has had economically disastrous consequences for that country? Has she done any economic analysis for Scotland in the event that such an approach were to be adopted?
If the Conservative member had kept up with developments—and having read some of his comments in the papers, I understand that he probably has not—he would know that the difference between us and Wales is that the Welsh Labour Government introduced a blanket 20mph reduction and is hastily introducing retrospective exemptions by council. The Scottish Government, on the other hand, has had up-front exemptions for councils, and those exemptions have been identified and led by councils, with a steady and agreed roll-out of 20mph speed reductions.
There have been positive studies from Wales on the impact of the speed limits. As for the economic development and business impact, high streets have felt the benefit of people being able to shop, walk and enjoy their town centres at leisure. That is certainly the feedback that we are receiving. The member might also want to visit some communities in the Highlands, including Rosemarkie, which campaigned for two decades to get the 20mph limit introduced.
Connectivity (Arran and Cumbrae)
To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve connectivity on the islands of Arran and Cumbrae ahead of the busy summer tourist season. (S6O-03350)
I understand that yesterday’s news from CalMac Ferries that the expected return date for the MV Caledonian Isles is now August will be frustrating for the community, and I continue to urge CalMac to work closely with both communities to make best use of available vessels and to provide as much capacity as possible throughout this period of disruption.
I welcome and support the recent statements from Sheila Gilmore on Arran and Angus Campbell of the Cumbrae ferry committee. Both islands remain open for business; there is passenger capacity and there are public transport options for both islands. I appreciate the patience of passengers on other routes that have been disrupted as a consequence of the temporary vessel deployment to help support the islands that the member has identified.
It goes without saying that our islands are open for business, but the word “frustration” underestimates the strength of feeling on our islands. They are staring down the barrel of a summer of more chaos on their ferry network. The MV Loch Shira, which services Cumbrae, is out of action, which is causing a lot of consternation on that island. The MV Caledonian Isles will not be around this summer, and the Glen Sannox has been delayed. That simply leaves the MV Isle of Arran, which is a 40-year-old vessel that is prone to breaking down. Is it any wonder that our islanders are nervous about the forthcoming summer season? Perhaps I can give the cabinet secretary an opportunity to apologise in advance for the chaos that her Government is causing.
Jamie Greene would know, if he had listened to islanders, that they think that it is not necessarily taken as read that the message is that our islands are open for business. It is incumbent on all parties to reiterate that our islands are open for business. As for deployment to support the two islands that the member has mentioned, I said in my original answer that there is capacity and that passengers are able to travel.
This is a challenge, as we undoubtedly know. However, it is also important that we highlight the six new vessels that will be delivered by 2026 to support not just the islands that the member referred to, including Arran, but Islay and Little Minch. That will have an impact across the period. I have been up front in saying that this will be a difficult time, particularly with the dry docking, but let us get behind our islands and say with a united voice that they are open for business.
We know that repairs to the Caley Isles are more extensive than were previously anticipated, but how can anyone have any confidence in CalMac’s repair timescales, which went from March to June and, now, August? How can island businesses plan ahead with such constantly moving goalposts? I am delighted that the minister has reminded people that Arran is open for business, but what practical steps will the Government take to get the message over to the wider public, who only see bad news on television, hear it on the radio or read it in the newspapers?
I am acutely aware of the impact that disruptions can have on people and businesses. However, as I have stated, there is capacity, and vessels are being deployed to support those vital areas. The complexity of the Caley Isles vessel design means that repairs must be carried out in a co-ordinated and controlled manner, which requires a highly complex repair effort. I have made it clear to CalMac that it would be helpful for it to be up front and realistic about timescales, as that will help provide confidence about planning.
The island remains open for business, and services will continue with the MV Isle of Arran and MV Alfred. Transport Scotland is urgently considering a request from the Isle of Arran ferry committee and CalMac for increased funding to enable full passenger capacity on the MV Alfred for the period that the MV Caledonian Isles is out of service. I will continue to stress to CalMac the need to clearly communicate the fact that the island remains open for business.
Housing (Scotland) Bill
To ask the Scottish Government what role the Housing (Scotland) Bill will play in achieving a more sustainable private rented sector. (S6O-03351)
The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of rented sector reforms that will provide additional rights and protections for tenants that aim to improve their experience of renting a home. A fairer and well-regulated rented sector is good for tenants and responsible landlords. The measures that we have introduced in the bill will support tenants while considering the needs of landlords and will help to drive and deliver a thriving sector that delivers good-quality, affordable options for those who rely on it for a home.
Will the minister outline how the policies in the Housing (Scotland) Bill can benefit tenants by securing them an affordable, quality home and, at the same time, benefit landlords who seek to reinvest in their property?
A thriving and fair rented sector allows landlords to provide good-quality homes at a reasonable cost for tenants, which is vital for meeting Scotland’s housing needs. I will be taking forward the housing bill and will continue to discuss it with the sector and other stakeholders.
Action Plan to Address Depopulation
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what activity it will undertake regarding its action plan to address depopulation. (S6O-03352)
The publication of our addressing depopulation action plan represents the first phase of a strategic long-term approach to supporting communities that are experiencing population decline, including a range of new commitments aimed at supporting local leadership in responding to these challenges.
We have committed to establishing an addressing depopulation delivery group, working closely with key regional, local and community partners. The group will monitor and evaluate the delivery of the action plan and ensure that valuable lessons and learning are captured, which can be applied more broadly across Scotland to deliver a sustainable solution to the challenges.
The action plan’s addressing depopulation fund amounts to just £180,000, which is to be split between three local authorities over two years. Given the acute shortage of professionals—doctors, nurses, carers, teachers and more—along with the huge numbers of young people who are moving away from rural areas, is it not the reality that the fund is barely a sticking plaster for those communities that are suffering prolonged loss of local services and an exodus of people?
Initially, the fund will make available £180,000, to be split between a prospective three local authorities, as Tim Eagle has said. It will be operational across financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26, and it is intended that the interventions that are taken forward will generate learning that will be more broadly applicable to communities across Scotland.
The minister will be aware that Uist is being classified as a repopulation zone, which will provide temporary accommodation and long-term help to find employment and a permanent home for people moving to the area. The council, the public sector, the private sector and communities are involved in that, and they highlight that housing is the biggest issue. What is the Scottish Government doing to provide homes to both retain and attract populations to our rural and island communities?
I visited Uist a number of months ago, when I spoke to communities about not just housing but broader issues. We have announced our “Rural & Islands Housing Action Plan”. There are opportunities in relation to renewables, which might bring additional homes to the area. We are engaging with the likes of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks on that.
I continue to engage with the local authority on the issue, and I will be happy to engage with the member further on that if she wishes me to do so.
Let us keep questions and responses concise.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking in response to reports of potential staff redundancies at the Thermo Fisher Scientific site in Paisley. (S6O-03353)
I was concerned to learn of the proposed job losses at the Thermo Fisher Scientific site in Inchinnan. My immediate thoughts are with the employees affected by the announcement, who will undoubtedly be very anxious about their jobs and their futures. I wrote to the company to outline my concerns a number of weeks ago, and I spoke to it directly this morning to discuss the situation and how it might redeploy staff, where possible.
Scottish Enterprise has been engaging with the company, and the Scottish Government is on hand to provide support to staff who face redundancy through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations—partnership action for continuing employment. PACE has already engaged with the company.
I thank the minister for the work that she has done to support Thermo Fisher staff.
Workers at the site have spoken to me about their concern that the real reason for the potential job losses is offshoring. Thermo Fisher plans to move the jobs overseas to cut costs and maximise profits. Although this Parliament has limited powers over employment, there are steps that the Government can take to drive up conditions for workers. The Scottish Greens delivered a raft of new conditions on the money that the Scottish Government spends, which ensure, for example, that more Scottish workers get paid a real living wage.
Given that Thermo Fisher has received £150 million-worth of contracts from the Government in the past five years, will the Scottish Government apply conditions to future contracts to ensure that companies that receive huge sums of public money keep those jobs here, in Scotland?
I would like to update Mr Greer and the Parliament on some of the things that came out of this morning’s conversation, but first I will address his point about contracts.
Public contracts are awarded to companies in compliance with procurement legislation as well as international agreements such as the World Trade Organization’s agreement on Government procurement. Contract terms and conditions are focused on the delivery of the contract and are proportionate and relevant to the contract’s subject matter. The fact that procurement rules require equal treatment, transparency and proportionality in public procurement processes precludes the exclusion of companies that conduct their businesses lawfully.
In the meeting that I had this morning, I heard that 20 employees have already been redeployed within the company and that a number of the affected employees have already found jobs outwith Thermo Fisher. All the remaining employees have accepted voluntary redundancy packages from the firm. In addition, the firm has made a commitment to prioritise them for current in-house vacancies. It has around 65 vacancies in Inchinnan and around 30 across the United Kingdom, with remote working being allowed in some instances. It has also contracted a training services company to train the affected workers for recruitment.
“Beyond 2030”
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its plans to achieve net zero by 2045, what its response is to the Electricity System Operator’s report “Beyond 2030”. (S6O-03354)
The Electricity System Operator’s “Beyond 2030” report recommends that significant upgrades to electricity networks are needed across Great Britain, which would bring forward billions of pounds of investment in networks in Scotland.
Expansion of the electricity grid will be crucial in enabling us to deliver energy security, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce domestic fuel costs and maximise the economic opportunities of Scotland’s abundant renewable resources. It is absolutely imperative that communities have the opportunity to engage in the process at an early stage, and developers must take every opportunity to work with those communities well ahead of submitting any applications for consent.
I think that we all accept that the grid needs upgrading, but we cannot allow the north-east of Scotland to be desecrated to achieve that. Many of my constituents in Turriff and New Deer are alarmed at the scale of industrialisation that is taking place on their doorstep. Can the minister confirm that the devolved Government will use the planning powers that lie in its hands to stop the overdevelopment of those areas?
Mr Lumsden mentioned Turriff and New Deer, whose residents are my constituents as well. I want to engage with them as much as possible to ensure that they have the opportunity to engage with the transmission system operators and the Electricity System Operator about developments in their area, so that their voices are heard.
The Scottish Government and the Scottish ministers have no power to instruct transmission operators to opt for undergrounding cables, for example, and no influence on the applications that they submit. That is up to them. It is incumbent on them to engage with the affected communities and to bring them with them as they put forward their submissions.
Air adhart
First Minister’s Question Time