Former Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife
As the minister knows from stage 2, I have concerns about whether people involved in the conversion of historic buildings will face specific unintended consequences as a result of the imposition of the building safety levy, mainly because projects of that nature are not usually speculative and they tend to be a more expensive way of producing new homes. However, importantly, the conversion of...
I understand that but, in relation to our engagement at stage 2 and particularly what the Parliament has said on other issues relating to historic buildings, I was interested to tease out with the minister where the specific issues might lie. The minister agreed that we should meet to discuss that, and we did so on 26 February. At the end of that meeting, he said that he or his officials...
My four amendments in the group—amendments 268, 269, 272 and 273—seek to build on the amendments that Mr Kerr has lodged, and all share the common purpose of seeking to ensure that the Parliament retains proper and democratic oversight of how guidance under the act operates in practice. I believe that that is a view shared by members across the chamber. As the debate over the...
I think that that is highly possible. Obviously, some of the guidance would be a matter for the medical practitioners, who would have an influence over whichever Government ministers were responsible for reviewing it. However, we must have a parliamentary process that scrutinises any changes that we make because Parliament is the sovereign body and, as Mr Kerr rightly set out in relation to...
Mr Greene makes an interesting point. I do not think that the act would be blocked because of the review having to be undertaken in successive periods. My amendments seek to ensure that, should the guidance change, there is proper parliamentary scrutiny of that. As I said when I dealt with Mr McArthur’s point, that is an unusual approach but, because the bill is so critical—let us be...
Is the First Minister as appalled as I am that the former patients of Sam Eljamel, who were allowed to attend, in person, the first and second sessions of the public inquiry, to hear what was being said in evidence, were told yesterday that that would no longer be the case for session 3 and that they would have to listen to the inquiry’s proceedings online? Does he agree that that decision...
Will the minister take an intervention?
The minister is making a case as to why we need a finance bill. It is so important that we can work across different portfolios and that all members in this Parliament can scrutinise that on a cross-party basis. Does the minister agree? The Finance and Public Administration Committee members are pretty unanimous on that.
