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 1026 contributions
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 11 June 2024
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Mr Trench, you spoke about how, as part of your research before providing the Government with your direction, you had looked at other European countries. Do you want to say a bit more about that?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 11 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
Were you disappointed that land value capture was not considered as part of this process?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
Can you say a bit more about what that balance looks like to you? I absolutely appreciate what you said earlier about making sure that people can have a second chance by going back into education and retraining. However, as we consider the Withers report and think about how it is to be taken forward, it would be helpful to know what the balance looks like. I appreciate that you cannot be absolutely definitive on that, but it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
So, would a balance be 50:50? Would it be 70:30? What would it be?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
I am being objective.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
I did a joint honours degree, actually.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
The most important thing that colleges do is—
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
Yes—just briefly. Dr Conlon, speaking objectively, in the future do we need to think more about the scenario of graduates with state-funded degrees from Scotland leaving this country and paying their taxes elsewhere? I am an internationalist: I want people to be able to go and work abroad and then come back here. If they leave to work in another state and will form part of that state’s workforce in the long term—particularly in the medical profession, for example—do we need to think about that collectively?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Good morning. Building on what has been discussed already, could you elaborate on the post-school reform agenda and how it can help colleges with some of the concerns around financial sustainability this year and, potentially, future years?
My other question relates to a point that was raised earlier. What should be the key considerations for the Scottish Government, the SFC and the institutions with regard to the idea of potentially increasing private sector involvement in the college sector?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 5 June 2024
Ben Macpherson
Why is it flawed?