Colin Beattie: Ensuring that businesses in Scotland can benefit from the opportunities of digitalisation will be central to delivering economic transformation. Can the cabinet secretary today provide an update on the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to support businesses, including those in my constituency of Midlothian North and Musselburgh, to access such opportunities?
Colin Beattie: It is welcome that the Scottish Government’s priority continues to be delivering a fairer and more progressive tax system. At a time when living costs are rising, people on lower incomes should not be paying more tax. Can the minister confirm that the majority of people in Scotland will continue to pay less income tax this year than they would if they lived elsewhere in the UK?
Colin Beattie: 1. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the new national litter and fly-tipping strategy for Scotland. (S6O-01174)
Colin Beattie: Fly-tipping and littering cause great frustration to the whole community. Midlothian Council states that fly-tipping alone costs it £60,000 a year, which is a huge amount of resource to spend on preventable behaviour. What further support can the Scottish Government give to help local authorities, the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and even private landowners to...
Colin Beattie: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to local authorities as part of its Covid recovery strategy to help them resume normal services and manage staff absences. (S6O-01189)
Colin Beattie: Some local authorities are really struggling with high absences due to Covid-19. What discussions has the Scottish Government had with COSLA and/or individual local authorities that are still heavily impacted by staff absences?
Colin Beattie: 4. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported labour shortages and significant cost increases on materials will have on social housing construction in Scotland. (S6O-01226)
Colin Beattie: Can the minister elaborate on what modern methods of construction are being considered by developers and the Scottish Government to meet our affordable housing targets?
Colin Beattie: 7. To ask the Scottish Government how it will raise awareness of the water safety action plan ahead of the summer to ensure that people stay safe in and around Scotland’s waters. (S6O-01258)
Colin Beattie: As the minister said, this is drowning awareness week 2022. It is one of the largest summer water safety campaigns across the United Kingdom, which is a great opportunity for organisations to educate the public to enjoy water safely. What impact has the £60,000 funding grant for Water Safety Scotland in March had on organisations that have an interest in water safety?
Colin Beattie: Clearly, we want vaccination centres to be as accessible as possible and to minimise—again, as far as possible—lengthy travel to get vaccinations, especially for people who are reliant on public transport. Will the number of venues for vaccination be kept under review?
Colin Beattie: 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the impact in Scotland to reports that the United Kingdom Government is considering a post-Brexit removal of workers’ rights. (S6O-01359)
Colin Beattie: In the Queen’s speech this year, the United Kingdom Government took the decision not to introduce an employment bill. Does the minister agree that, given the Westminster Tory Government’s poor track record when it comes to protecting workers’ rights, coupled with the emergence of a Liz Truss Government that is intent on stripping away protections and power from unions while undermining...
Colin Beattie: 5. To ask the Scottish Government how the needs of mobile home residents will be incorporated in the final version of the strategy, “A New Deal for Tenants”. (S6O-01432)
Colin Beattie: The draft new deal for tenants underlined that the Scottish Government intends to carry out a post-implementation review of the residential mobile homes site licensing scheme before the end of this session of Parliament. Although that is welcome news to my constituents who live in mobile and park homes, many of them worry that issues concerning enforcement of the licensing scheme are not...
Colin Beattie: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My system did not connect. I would have voted yes.
Colin Beattie: First, I would like to express my sincerest condolences to any family that has lost a loved one to suicide. Some great work is being undertaken in my constituency by organisations such as Chris’s House and local football teams such as Bonnyrigg Rose that seek to address mental health issues and suicide prevention. Unfortunately, suicide rates in Midlothian—particularly for males—remain...
Colin Beattie: 7. To ask the Scottish Government what the implications will be for its budget of recent changes in the United Kingdom Government’s fiscal policy. (S6O-01474)
Colin Beattie: The U-turns that have been made by the UK Government have caused great uncertainty for many Scots, with mortgage products being pulled and the pound crashing. That has only been made worse by the UK Government’s unwelcome delay to its budgetary plans, which the chancellor announced this week. People need certainty and stability. Does the Deputy First Minister agree with me that the only way...
Colin Beattie: 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any communication that it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. (S6O-01545)