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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 27 December 2024
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Displaying 1041 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

You have finite resources, as we all have finite resources. You talked about the information gap. One of the things that I hear quite regularly is about folk not being able to access help and support from Scottish Enterprise or others. I think that it was Ms McGinley who talked earlier about bringing SNIB in on a roadshow; I think that she mentioned Scottish Enterprise. Could you, with partners including SNIB and others, regularly run roadshows over the next while in Aberdeen and the north-east to help companies to plug the information gap and help them to secure their futures? Often, one of the difficulties that is faced is that support is not quite there.

I will turn that on its head to give credit where credit is due. I know of a company that has had Scottish Enterprise support in recent times and has grown very quickly indeed. I will not mention it because I do not have its permission to do so. It has grown very quickly because it got sound advice, basically, but not a huge amount of financial support.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

My first question is for Mr McGuinness, who will have heard Mr Boland talk about the skills passport. I recognise that you do not have complete management over this, Mr McGuinness, but where are the blockages in getting that right for people?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

It would be very useful—I think that this is required, really—if you could write back to the committee. Perhaps OPITO could write to the committee as well, convener, or we can write to OPITO to find out what the blockages are, because I would be withdrawing the pizza, basically.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

And, as you said at the beginning, in order to have thriving communities, we must have jobs.

I want to move on to the issue of certainty, which is difficult when we are in a change phase. When Governments change tack at various points, such as we have seen with the UK Government’s climate change ambitions being diluted, what does that lack of certainty do to industry in particular? What does it do from the point of view of investment and confidence among industry members?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

Does anyone else want to come in on that?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

Convener, I would like to make one final point.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

What about you, Mr Boland?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

A number of you have talked about port infrastructure. That is extremely important as we move forward, but some of the proposed changes to ports are quite controversial. Aberdeen south harbour did not get by without a wee bit of controversy, but now the vast majority of people would agree that it was the right thing to do, not only for Aberdeen but for the whole of the north-east, as we move forward. We can already see business transferring to Aberdeen that would not have gone there before. How do we get around such projects, which are often controversial? How do we explain to communities the necessity for such changes in order for us to get to a stage at which we can not only survive but thrive? I do not know who wants to answer that. Business has a big part to play in communication with communities.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

Maybe the folk who will be meeting on 18 January will have taken cognisance of what has been said today.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (North-east and Moray)

Meeting date: 15 November 2023

Kevin Stewart

I turn to Suzanne Sosna to ask about how flexible companies are in terms of change. You talked about the fear of a year going by without contracts, but are there folk who are stuck and who are not looking at the future in the way that they should by diversifying? What are you and other agencies doing to get them to see the light on diversification?