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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 3 April 2025
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Displaying 2616 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 5 December 2023

Mark Ruskell

Nuclear energy is costly and dangerous, and it will leave a legacy of toxic waste and higher bills for generations to come. The Tories’ epic failure to deliver Hinkley Point to time and budget shows just how unreliable and costly new nuclear is. In contrast, in Scotland, we are getting on with the job by building out new wind and solar energy at pace. Will the cabinet secretary join me in welcoming the new pledge from 118 countries at COP28 to triple their renewable energy capacity? Does he agree that locally sourced renewable energy is the real solution to ending our reliance on climate-wrecking fossil fuels?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Historic Environment Strategy

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

I have a couple of questions. The first is about fair work. It is good to see fair work principles embedded into the strategy, but I am interested in how you extend those fair work principles to businesses that you work with and organisations that are getting grant in aid.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Historic Environment Strategy

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

Has there been any pushback on that?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Historic Environment Strategy

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

I will use Stirling castle as an example to ask about transport planning. It has a very small car park. It is tempting to drive into the centre of town and up to the castle, but there are other options. Would you be working with Stirling Council to plan the management of tourism, bearing in mind the historic nature of Stirling city centre?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Historic Environment Strategy

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

My final question is about how you are engaging with marginalised groups. You have your membership, cardholders and, I am sure, school visits and other visits to attractions, but there will be groups of people in Scotland who have not connected with the assets and who do not feel able to. There will be other groups such as new Scots, who might also struggle to engage. I am interested in how you are ensuring that the benefits of our national heritage and assets are felt by everybody in Scotland, including those who might not visit an asset for a whole range of reasons, including income.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Historic Environment Strategy

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

Last week we spoke quite a bit about climate change, which is obviously a key aspect of the strategy. You have already mentioned heat in buildings, fabric first approaches and so on. I want to pick up on another area: less on direct emissions and more on the emissions that come from visitors and heritage tourism. I am interested to know what work you are doing to address some of that, perhaps in partnership with local authorities, national park authorities or other bodies. We have heard that Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority wants to set up mobility hubs to encourage tourists to arrive in the park and take a sustainable transport option to go on to a visitor attraction. How are you embedding that partnership approach, working with councils and others to drill down on unnecessary emissions?

Meeting of the Parliament

General Question Time

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

I ask the minister about the importance of local political leadership on this issue. My understanding is that Stirling Council has had money from the community bus fund to develop new local rural services and that Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park is also committed to establishing new routes, working with the council, which will be included in the forthcoming park plan. It seems that all the ingredients are there to restore rural bus services, but what is lacking is the local political leadership to pull it all together and use the new powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Meeting of the Parliament

Restoring Nature to Tackle Climate Change

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

It is disappointing to hear Mr Kerr invoke the clearances. Is he honestly saying that rewilding projects that are brought forward by communities—many of which have applied successfully to the nature restoration fund—should be stopped? Is he saying that he does not support communities doing that rewilding work?

Meeting of the Parliament

Restoring Nature to Tackle Climate Change

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

I appreciate the member being generous with his time, but will he also reflect on the fact that there are farmers who have applied to the nature restoration fund for species reintroduction and riparian planting because it benefits their farms and the local community? Will he acknowledge that there are farmers who support this agenda and are benefiting financially from it?

Meeting of the Parliament

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 30 November 2023

Mark Ruskell

Today, world leaders are gathering for the 28th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP28—and the stakes could not be higher. The UN has warned that current climate pledges are “falling short” of the action that we need, and that we are on course for a brutal 3° of global heating this century. It is deeply concerning, therefore, to hear reports that the United Arab Emirates is attempting to strike fossil-fuel deals at COP, which will worsen climate injustice for people who are already living on the brink of disaster. Does the Deputy First Minister agree that at COP28, we need to see a just and credible plan for the end of fossil fuels, not secretive backroom deals?