Jim Hume: Oh, hi there. [Laughter.] Thanks very much, Presiding Officer.
Jim Hume: Well, we have known each other for about nine years, and it is about time we got a bit less formal in this Parliament. I look forward to being part of a less formal Parliament after being returned in May. [Interruption.]
Jim Hume: I appreciate the minister’s point about the new tenancies that are created by the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, which we passed only yesterday. Will she say whether she has considered giving tenanted houses in the agriculture sector the protection that we accord to normal tenancies?
Jim Hume: We will not support the Conservative amendments in the group, but we will support the Government’s amendments 47 to 49, as what they propose is only fair. We have had representations from individuals who say that we should not support those amendments but, if we block up our halls of residence with people who are no longer students, we will have a serious lack of supply of accommodation in...
Jim Hume: I have some sympathy with Alex Johnstone’s amendment 107. Ken Macintosh mentioned large farms, but tenanted farms with what are commonly known as tied cottages could also be affected. I and many others know that there is quite a severe shortage of houses in rural areas. There are very strict planning rules, and it is very difficult to build houses for employment in areas. I fear that...
Jim Hume: I remind members of my registered interests in this debate. My colleagues and I are supportive of the bill. We want to see the more than 330,000 households who rent privately in Scotland having greater security over their tenancy—their home. We are also happy to see security provisions put in place for those families who choose to rent, and those who cannot afford to buy a property—which...
Jim Hume: Amendments 23 and 24 relate to the maximum period of tenure of a Scottish land commissioner. At stage 2, I lodged a similar amendment, which I withdrew on the basis that the minister would provide further clarification on appointment terms. Unfortunately, the position remains unclear in the bill. Section 8(3) provides that “Each member is to be appointed for such period, not exceeding 5...
Jim Hume: I seek some clarification from Alex Fergusson. I am not minded to support amendment 117. As Alex Fergusson said, the issue has emerged very late in the day for members of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee. I am always concerned about unintended consequences, which there might be in situations in which there is not a written 1991 act tenancy agreement but it is...
Jim Hume: New entrants and farmers wishing to progress are currently undefined in the new part 3A to be inserted into the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991, on the relinquishment and assignation procedure. Instead, the definitions are left to regulations. I do not intend to labour the point, but I highlight again that the way in which the definitions are framed will be crucial to the success or...
Jim Hume: I have quite a few amendments to cover, but I will be fairly brief. I thank Alex Fergusson for supporting my amendments 129 and 130. Unfortunately, the minister finds them mystifying, but I believe that they would help to boost the trust in letting land that is vital for new entrants and which we all desire. In return for Alex Fergusson’s support for my amendments, I am happy not to support...
Jim Hume: Liberal Democrats have long been advocates of land reform in Scotland, so it may be fitting to recognise the work of Ross Finnie, the Lib Dem minister who led on land reform and who, 13 years ago, before my involvement in the Parliament, introduced the first piece of land reform legislation, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which was supported by all the Parliament. Of course, we could go...
Jim Hume: I appreciate that intervention from Rob Gibson, and I think that he would also appreciate that, whoever is in Government, it is always best to get the amendments and the bill right at the beginning. We had a 139-page amended bill today, with 43 pages of amendments. Legislate in haste; repent at leisure. Who knows whether we could have made it a more ambitious piece of legislation if we had...
Jim Hume: It was the Liberals who introduced the groceries code adjudicator when in Government down south and who are calling for the groceries code adjudicator to have further powers right across the supply chain.
Jim Hume: As I mentioned back in December during the stage 1 debate, the Scottish Liberal Democrats welcome plans to help many people live healthier lives, with better guidance and better support, through better and bolder health initiatives. I was glad to see the Scottish Government’s response to the Health and Sport Committee’s stage 1 report ahead of the debate and the commitments set out for...
Jim Hume: Does the member also recognise my member’s bill—the Smoking Prohibition (Children in Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Bill—as part of the aims and goals that will help to reduce smoking in Scotland as a whole?
Jim Hume: I thank Jenny Marra for lodging her motion. It has been a wee while since we had the chance to talk about changes in our NHS. I truly appreciate the day-in, day-out work of the staff and I take this opportunity, as other members have done, to thank them for their hard work. The cabinet secretary will remember well that I have campaigned hard for community hospitals across my region, and have...
Jim Hume: No. I was going to say that some of those patients will have needed to go to where the expertise is for their operations. However, more than 800 patients have been told they cannot get treatment for capacity reasons. When a ship is taking on water, it is wiser to plug the holes than polish the door handles, but it appears that the SNP Government’s focus has been on polishing the surface of...
Jim Hume: More people might have been seen, but demand is greater and the percentage of NHS spend that goes to mental health services is lower than it has been for many years. Only a quarter of nurses and midwives, the largest staff group in the NHS, feel that there are enough staff to do the job properly. It is a serious issue and we cannot be complacent; we have to address a situation that risks...
Jim Hume: Will Richard Lyle take an intervention?
Jim Hume: I am glad that the First Minister mentioned not being complacent, because last week saw the worst A and E performance in Scotland since weekly statistics began, with one in 10 patients not being treated within four hours and only four health boards meeting their targets. Will the First Minister explain why that happened and will she promise to support our hard-working NHS staff?