The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 759 contributions
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Jenni Minto
I have the privilege of representing Argyll and Bute, which includes lots of amazing islands. You mentioned the Kerrera road project, which has made a huge difference. The island communities are working together to find different solutions to their problems, whether they be with housing, renewables or community land and asset ownership. Many of those issues fall under different ministerial portfolios. How do you work with your colleagues to ensure that the specifics of the islands are included in all policy areas?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Jenni Minto
That is very helpful.
When I was on Islay at the weekend, I visited the Bowmore distillery. I spent a couple of hours with the distillery manager, who told me about the increasing time that he spends on greening the process. The distillery has looked at transportation, water usage and power consumption, and it is trying to improve the heating in the adjacent swimming pool. There are lots of projects going on. I know that other distilleries on the island are also following plans. Whisky is a really important industry for Scotland and contributes billions of pounds to the UK Treasury. What engagement has the Scottish Government had with the UK Government to ensure that places such as Islay get appropriate investment to support the important and immediate work that is needed to reduce carbon footprints?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 27 April 2022
Jenni Minto
Earlier, you talked about the five-year review that is coming up. How do you plan to get involved in that? What conversations have you had with NatureScot to date?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 27 April 2022
Jenni Minto
I represent Argyll and Bute, and I recognise the goose issue, as it is an issue on some of the islands in my constituency. You are correct to say that Islay produces whisky; it is also, over the winter, home to about 15,000 barnacle geese and Greenland white-fronted geese. Of course, it is also home to farmers and, importantly, crofters. We must consider the whole range of users.
I want to go off on a slight tangent. Driving around Argyll and Bute, I can see that there is a vast increase in the number of Canada geese. Given the increase that there has been in the number of greylag geese since the petition was first lodged, I am interested in how other things have changed around goose numbers—I am thinking specifically of Canada geese, which are not indigenous to Scotland.
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 21 April 2022
Jenni Minto
Pat Togher, do the health and social care partnerships across Scotland have a similar co-ordinated approach?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 21 April 2022
Jenni Minto
That is very helpful—thank you very much, Gayle. Do any of the local authority representatives have anything to add to that?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 21 April 2022
Jenni Minto
I was very interested to hear about the meeting of local authority chief executives. I am interested to know how you are learning from what you are each doing, and whether that has changed how you have been operating.
You are on my screen just now, Ms Ritchie, so I direct that question to you first.
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 21 April 2022
Jenni Minto
I will follow on from Dr Allan’s first question. I represent Argyll and Bute and have been out and about in the constituency in the past couple of weeks. We have heard a lot about individuals offering accommodation. I am interested in any work that you are doing with businesses. A number of hospitality businesses have written to me to say that they have accommodation and would love to welcome Ukrainians and that they can also offer them work. What have local authorities been doing to connect with businesses that can offer a warm welcome?
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 21 April 2022
Jenni Minto
Ms Chisholm, you have talked about working with third sector organisations, and I am sure that there was a lot of learning from the Covid recovery and resilience groups that were set up across Scotland. I would be interested if you could expand on that at all.
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Meeting date: 24 March 2022
Jenni Minto
In your opening statement, you touched on the experience that Scotland has gained from other crises. Like Clare Adamson’s constituency, my constituency of Argyll and Bute welcomed Syrian families. What have we learned from that, and how might that shape the way that we welcome Ukrainian families?