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 1041 contributions
Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 11 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
So why is it not sold as that? I know that you are in front of a parliamentary committee, but why do you talk about gross value added and not about jobs and prosperity in the future? Those are the people’s priorities.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
With regard to taking a pragmatic approach, within the framework, if the bill is right, there is the possibility of introducing regulation to expand crofting tenure. Is that possible, Mr Thin?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Cabinet secretary, you mentioned earlier that your colleague Siobhian Brown is looking at access to justice. Today is international human rights day. The 2023 review said that human rights legislation, which could act as a mechanism to improve access to justice, was forthcoming and that it would include a right to a healthy environment. Now that the proposed human rights bill is not going to be introduced in the current parliamentary session, are there other ways in which improvements can be made to access to justice? Is that some of the work that Ms Brown is carrying out? How does the Government intend to continue to update the committee and the Parliament on that issue?
09:30Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
On the access to justice issue, is Siobhian Brown, who is working on it, taking advice from ESS and others about their knowledge of folk or groups who might have difficulty accessing justice through the courts?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Convener, I have not seen the evidence that was given to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, so could we ask the cabinet secretary to get an update, through her good offices, on where that stands? That would be of great interest to us all.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
I want to follow up a little on what the convener has just asked.
Earlier, Mr Thin, you said that you did not want to be evasive. I do not think that you have been at all evasive; you have explained it quite well. Gary Campbell pointed out the real difficulties in putting things in a bill—in primary legislation—in what is an ever-changing world.
I sometimes feel deeply unpopular in this place, because I would much rather have framework primary legislation, then regulation through secondary legislation, with stakeholder consultation, of course. Is that your position on large parts of the bill? In some regards, we have heard, as always, some pretty polarised positions, but the realities are, quite simply, that if we are too prescriptive and there are no flexibilities, it could all go for a Burton. Would that be fair to say?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
That is useful—thank you.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
A couple of witnesses have spoken about the possibility of extending the crofting counties beyond Argyll, Caithness, Inverness, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, Orkney and Shetland. Does the bill present an opportunity to expand the crofting counties and, if that were to happen, would that make a major difference to land tenure and land use in our country?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 10 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
I will turn to Ms Smith. I am the only north-east MSP who does not have a farm in their constituency, and I certainly do not have a croft. There is one commercial apiary and somebody who has 12 chickens. However, this issue is of great interest to me and I would really like to hear your opinion on the questions that I have asked.
Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 4 December 2024
Kevin Stewart
Kevin, do you want to respond to the question about private finance?