Dean Lockhart: In her opening statement, the minister referred to EU regulations. A number of changes have recently been made to EU regulations in the area of incineration. Given the Scottish Government’s stated policy of keeping pace with EU laws, can the minister explain what differences currently exist in this area between regulations in Scotland and regulations at the EU level?
Dean Lockhart: 7. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times at accident and emergency departments. (S6O-01221)
Dean Lockhart: The most recent waiting times at Forth Valley royal hospital for accident and emergency and minor injuries show that more than 500 patients waited for more than eight hours and that 100 patients waited for more than 12 hours, despite staff working around the clock. The cabinet secretary has outlined additional finance, but what practical and urgent steps, including the recruitment of...
Dean Lockhart: The UK Climate Change Committee has expressed doubt about whether the Scottish Government’s 2030 climate targets can be met and it has called for much greater detail and transparency on policy delivery. One of the policies that will be critical in delivering the 2030 targets is the retrofitting and decarbonisation of heat in more than 1 million homes in Scotland. Will the Scottish...
Dean Lockhart: I am glad that we are having this debate on national parks, including a discussion of how important they are in bringing social and economic benefits across Scotland. After years of stalling on the issue, it is good to see the Scottish Government finally joining us in our long-standing position, and supporting the creation of at least one new national park. Members have noted the fascinating...
Dean Lockhart: 6. To ask the Scottish Government what impact any real-terms cuts to funding for further education are having on the college sector. (S6O-01171)
Dean Lockhart: Despite what the minister has just said, the reality is that, due to an 8 per cent real-terms cut to its funding, Forth Valley College has taken the decision to close its Raploch campus in Stirling, with the resulting loss of more than 40 jobs. That decision, which will no doubt be replicated across Scotland as a result of the severe funding cuts, proves once again that education and skills...
Dean Lockhart: Is that a real-terms cut?
Dean Lockhart: I welcome the opportunity to respond to the committee’s inquiry and begin by agreeing with one of the report’s central recommendations, “that the Scottish Government should prioritise its international engagement through both a thematic and geographic focus.” The report also highlighted increasing trade as being fundamental to the development of Scotland’s future international...
Dean Lockhart: As the member will know, 60 per cent of Scotland’s trade is with the rest of the UK and only 16 per cent is with Europe. I am okay with keeping pace, but if keeping pace with EU regulations means diverging from the rest of the UK, that would harm the Scottish economy. With that caveat, I think that keeping pace should be considered, but not to the detriment of Scotland’s trade with the...
Dean Lockhart: I am about to conclude. The reality is that we have failed to leverage the massive potential of the diaspora for decades. In 2019, there were only 650 members of the GlobalScot network. I know from personal experience that there are countless senior and very well connected Scots around the world whom the network has not tapped into, while those who are members are rarely, if ever, contacted...
Dean Lockhart: The minister rightly highlights the vital role that research by Scottish universities will play in developing blue carbon opportunities. She referred in her statement to £650,000 that will be allocated to support that research, which is all good stuff. However, that figure must be seen in the wider context of the funding cuts that Scottish universities have been subject to, which mean that...
Dean Lockhart: I am very pleased to contribute to the debate on behalf of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. The fourth national planning framework impacts on a number of policy areas that will be vital to meeting Scotland’s net zero ambitions. On behalf of the committee, I record our thanks to everyone who has supported parliamentary scrutiny of the draft framework—in particular, the Local...
Dean Lockhart: The challenge of tackling child poverty in Scotland is immense and incredibly important. Families and communities still reeling from the impact of the Covid pandemic are now being hit hard by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the resulting cost of living crisis. That will only add to the acute problems faced by the families and children who endure life in poverty. The problem has...
Dean Lockhart: On Ben Macpherson’s final point, in relation to the organisations that he mentioned, he is ultimately saying that more money should be available in the Scottish budget to tackle child poverty. I agree with that and, shortly, I will explain the real reason why that money is not available in the Scottish budget. The Scottish Government has received record funding from the UK Government. Last...
Dean Lockhart: I am afraid not. I have a lot to cover, and my time is short. I want to touch on the underlying causes of long-term poverty. It is absolutely right that we talk about the consequences of long-term poverty, but its long-term underlying causes include unemployment, low wages for unskilled workers and the education gap, and those underlying causes have not been properly addressed. Levels of job...
Dean Lockhart: I say to Mr Swinney that those are facts. He knows that they are facts. All those negative factors result in a long-term cycle of negative outcomes and multigenerational poverty. [ Interruption .] I say to Mr Swinney that I am talking about the underlying causes, which the SNP has had 15 years to deal with.
Dean Lockhart: I suggest that Mr Swinney should read our manifesto. The point of my comments is to address the distorted reality and narrative that we hear from the SNP that child poverty and all the other problems are the fault of someone else—that someone else is to blame—whereas the reality is that the Scottish Government has the powers at its disposal and the budget. I have highlighted that, but for...
Dean Lockhart: Mr Swinney mentioned austerity. Does he agree with the conclusion of the SNP’s very own Sustainable Growth Commission that spending on benefits would have to be reduced by 4 per cent of gross domestic product in an independent Scotland? That is its conclusion, not mine
Dean Lockhart: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what support it provided to Scene Stirling and other organisations as they prepared Stirling’s bid to be UK city of culture in 2025. (S6O-00845)