Seòmar agus comataidhean

I am sure that the First Minister will be as excited as I am to see the Tour de France come to Scotland in 2027. It will be the first time in the event’s 124-year history that it has visited our cycling nation. What lessons were learned on the back of the UCI cycling world championships in 2023? It is important that the Tour should leave a lasting legacy, particularly for disadvantaged communities, once the peloton has moved on from Scotland.

I know that the case that has been submitted to Transport Scotland makes a compelling argument for the economic transformation not just of Newburgh but of Abernethy and the surrounding area. However, I feel that the cabinet secretary and officials will fully understand that economic opportunity only if they come to Newburgh and meet people and businesses to understand their vision for economic transformation for the area.

The cabinet secretary will be aware that Willie Rennie, Claire Baker, Murdo Fraser and I wrote to her this week to invite her to Newburgh. I reiterate that invitation and ask the cabinet secretary whether she will consider coming to Newburgh before a decision is made, which, on the basis of her first answer, appears will happen in May.

To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its assessment of the case for a new rail station at Newburgh. (S6O-04458)

I declare an interest as a former trustee of the Scottish parliamentary pension scheme.

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had with the Scottish parliamentary pension scheme trustees about investments in Tesla and any other companies that may conflict with the scheme’s statement of investment principles. (S6O-04477)

It is quite clear that Elon Musk has promoted extremism and misinformation. He is part of a Trump Administration that has shown utter contempt for human rights across the world. He is a toxic individual. That is just one of the reasons why the value of shares in Tesla is collapsing right now, which will impact on our pensions. Therefore, I welcome the news that Baillie Gifford, which runs our pension funds, has been reducing the amount of funds in Tesla. I would like to see total divestment from Elon Musk’s companies as well.

Will Maggie Chapman reflect on the fact that, this month, the SPPS is to conduct its triennial review? As an employer, the SPCB could and perhaps should encourage all members of the scheme to give feedback on such ethical issues in relation to the ethical investment policy, which is an important part of the governance of our collective pension funds.

Despite the bluster that we have had in the debate, it is clear that we are on the cusp of major positive improvements in our ferry services. That will be a positive legacy for communities, and I hope that, in the years ahead, the cabinet secretary will be able to reflect on her role in delivering that.

However, I say to the Government that this is the wrong time to increase ferry fares by 10 per cent, just as it is the wrong time to increase rail fares, given that we are in a cost of living crisis. As an occasional visitor to the islands, I would be content to pay an extra 10 per cent on a ferry fare, but for members of island communities who live and work on the islands and who need a daily ferry service for education, work, business or healthcare, a 10 per cent increase in fares will be very difficult to swallow.

Perhaps in the future, ferry fare increases will be more acceptable—once the benefits from the new vessels start to come through and once the new Clyde and Hebridean services contract comes through, and people can see the benefits. At the moment, however, those benefits are not there. Communities are being asked to feel the pain without any particular gain.

Ariane Burgess spoke passionately about the case work that she is doing in her region and the real everyday problems that people living on the islands have. Katy Clark talked about the long-term frustration of people living on Arran and what they have had to live with over the years. That is the reality. That is what the 10 per cent increase in fares will be seen against: the reality of what services are now, rather than what they will be in the future.

It is clear that a range of factors have got us into this situation. There is the ageing ferry fleet, and all the problems that there have been with procurement. That fleet has operated at full capacity, which means that, when a vessel has been out of action, problems have cascaded throughout the service. There has been a dramatic increase in usage—which is probably partly down to the road equivalent tariff—without the increased capacity to deal with it.

Then, there is the complex administrative set-up: the tripartite arrangement of Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac. It is really opaque and you could say that it has made some poor decisions. When the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee looked at the issue, we called out the

“‘pass the parcel’ culture”

that exists between the members of the tripartite arrangement. There needs to be action on governance.

The biggest area for action is the new ferries. I agree with the cabinet secretary that the replacement of a third of Scotland’s ferries, including through the four vessels that are being finished in Turkey under some quite difficult circumstances—I acknowledge Stuart McMillan’s point about that—in the next year and a half will make a huge difference. Those vessels will increase service quality, reduce the carbon footprint and improve air quality. Alongside the seven ferries that will come through the small vessel replacement programme—which, I understand, are replacing vessels that have a combined service age of 252 years—that means that the situation will feel very different for island communities in the future.

I join other members in being hugely disappointed that Ferguson’s shipyard has been unable to secure the contract. Willie Rennie is right: there are echoes of BiFab here. I have no doubt that the skills and dedication of the workers at the yard are there, but Edward Mountain is right that there are questions about the competence of the management. Stuart McMillan is right that the management and the board need to listen to the workforce about how they make that yard competitive going forward. Although I respect the fact that the cabinet secretary would find it very difficult to make a direct award to Ferguson Marine to build the ships, Paul Sweeney makes an important point about incorporating social value in to procurement practice.

Although the cabinet secretary is unable to make a direct award to Ferguson Marine, the Government is able to make a direct award to CalMac to run services for the next 10 years. It has the opportunity now to get that right in the next year.

I welcome this debate. However, communities need to see concrete changes coming through in service quality and the new vessels before fare increases take place. That is the context for the debate.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the work to end conversion practices in light of the resignation of the United Kingdom Minister for International Development and for Women and Equalities and the inevitable delays that that will bring to the joint work that is required under the chosen four-nations approach.

Apologies, Deputy Presiding Officer. That was a previous edit.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work to end conversion practices, including whether it anticipates any delay to its joint work with the United Kingdom Government on this as a result of recent ministerial changes. (S6O-04435)

I appreciate the sentiment of that response from the cabinet secretary, but the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland feels really let down and frustrated. We have had no new human rights bill, minimal progress on the non-binary action plan, gender recognition reform being blocked at Westminster and slow progress on the misogyny bill, and it now looks as if the proposed law to end conversion practices has stalled in this Parliament.

That inaction sits against a backdrop of rising prejudice, particularly against trans people, both in our society and in this building. For me, the recent debates have marked an absolute low point in the 25-year history of this Parliament.

I urge the cabinet secretary to listen to the LGBTQ+ community and give people the support that they need to live their lives with dignity and respect. Will she ensure that progress is made to end conversion practices by March 2026?

It is clear that the Tories are now declaring a war on wildlife. It is seagulls this week; it will be white-tailed eagles next week and beavers the week after that.

I am pleased that the minister recognises that herring gulls in particular have declined in population by almost half in the past 40 years, and that a lot of issues that have been described are a result of poor waste management issues in many of our towns. Will he listen to science-based organisations, including RSPB Scotland, and support the wider recovery of sea birds and the habitats that they need to thrive?