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 905 contributions
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Meeting date: 7 February 2024
David Torrance
I wonder whether the committee would consider keeping the petition open and writing to the Scottish Government to ask whether it intends to carry out work relating to the issues that are raised in the petition and on whether it will undertake work to raise awareness about public rights to access different types of land and the law of trespass in Scotland.
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Meeting date: 7 February 2024
David Torrance
The UK National Screening Committee is going to—
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
The number of applications to extend areas to sell alcohol was over several licensing boards, which shows that those shops are making greater profit from alcohol, because they would not change an area if sales—
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
I would argue against that. The small paper shop that I go to every day does not sell alcohol at all. It has been there for 20 years and is very successful.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
Okay. Thank you.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
Good morning. I know that all the witnesses have touched on this slightly, but I want to ensure that the evidence is on the record for the committee. What would you say to people who have concluded from the available evidence that minimum unit pricing is not working in targeting problem drinkers?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
Convener, my other questions have been answered.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
The previous witnesses and all the charities dealing with alcohol-related diseases and problems have called for an alcohol levy, as there was until 2015. I ask each of you to say whether you are in favour of the alcohol levy and for the money raised by it to be put back into the organisations that support people with alcohol addictions and their families and so on.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
I have just a quick supplementary question. I find it odd that from everybody who is represented here, nobody can tell me where the profit went.
Everybody who sells alcohol needs an operating plan. I spent the last few weeks going through Fife Council’s licensing papers and new applications. The majority of them, especially from small grocers, were for extensions for sales of alcohol. So, you tell me—if they were not making a profit, would they be extending the areas for selling alcohol? So, bigger retailers and smaller grocers are getting their profits. You could go through the licensing papers and check that in every local authority. I would bet that the number of people who are putting in for extensions to sell alcohol shows that they are making greater profit from it.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 6 February 2024
David Torrance
Is it not the case that you would expand the area to sell a particular good if you are making greater profit from it?