Mike MacKenzie: The Scottish Government has informed us that action is already under way to improve the quality of conversations that are held with bereaved families.
Mike MacKenzie: As I said, the Scottish Government has informed us that action is already under way to improve the quality of conversations that are held with bereaved families, which could potentially reduce family refusal rates. That seems to me to be the nub of the matter and the reason why many health professionals in the area are cautious about the soft opt-out approach. They feel that introducing an...
Mike MacKenzie: No. I am sorry, but I am short of time. Problems are woven throughout the bill—the minister touched on that. There are very difficult and thorny issues, and it behoves us to take the time to consider and resolve them in a proper fashion that will not give rise to unintended consequences and potentially a reduction in organ donation rates. Can members imagine the tabloid headlines if there...
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member take an intervention?
Mike MacKenzie: During Mr Russell’s speech, it occurred to me that he is on Easdale almost more than I am these days, such is the effort that he puts into representing Argyll and Bute. I am often off on other islands—for example, Orkney—and I am very much looking forward to going to Shetland this weekend to experience again what Tavish Scott talked about. In looking back over my whole adult life as an...
Mike MacKenzie: Dr Simpson has described his proposals as a series of small measures. Does he accept that, through its fairly extensive work, the committee discovered that the view of a wide variety of stakeholder witnesses is that the problem with the various small measures that are proposed in the bill lies in the detail? The majority of the members of the committee felt that they could not ignore—
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member give way?
Mike MacKenzie: I am glad that the member said that to a large extent the matter is beyond the Scottish Government’s control, given that the Government has no control over energy prices. Does he agree that the United Kingdom Government’s curtailment of the energy company obligation and abandonment of the green deal also have a huge bearing on the problem?
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member take an intervention?
Mike MacKenzie: I am grateful to Mr Macintosh for taking an intervention. The SNP Government has spent over £500 million on fuel poverty measures since 2009. I am very interested to hear from Mr Macintosh how much Labour would have spent over that period, how much he suggests we spend within this budget and what he would cut in order to achieve the spending that is necessary to eradicate fuel poverty.
Mike MacKenzie: I have a great deal of respect for Mr Brown’s financial literacy. Can he lay out the Conservative’s plans for eradicating fuel poverty and tell me how much they will cost and what part of the Scottish budget he would cut to achieve their aims?
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member take an intervention?
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member take an intervention?
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member give way?
Mike MacKenzie: Will the member give way?
Mike MacKenzie: I am pleased to hear that Mr Eadie has been enjoying himself since 1988. I have been enjoying myself for much longer than that. Before I go on, I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests which notes that my wife owns two houses that she rents to tenants. They have lived there for many years and we think of them not as tenants but as neighbours and friends....
Mike MacKenzie: I am sorry, but I am really short of time. There were some who doubted our ability to deliver 30,000 affordable homes. It is testament to the competence and the credibility of this Government that I hear no one now doubting our ability to deliver 50,000 over the next session.
Mike MacKenzie: I am sorry, but I am short of time. The bill needs to strike a careful balance between the needs of tenants and the needs of landlords, and I believe that it does so. It gives landlords the right to terminate tenancies in legitimate circumstances and the right to make reasonable rent increases. It gives both landlords and tenants the ability to take cases to the proposed tribunal when that is...
Mike MacKenzie: I am winding up, Presiding Officer.
Mike MacKenzie: I believe that the twin aims of good investment and the provision of good homes are not mutually incompatible, and I support the general principles of the bill.
