Ivan McKee: I apologise in advance, but, with only four minutes for my speech, I probably will not take any interventions. I confess that I read Labour’s document “Building a business case for Scotland”—I have a copy in front of me—with interest, because I was looking for ideas and we can always learn from others. It runs to about 30 pages, 10 of which are photographs. Many of them are of Anas...
Ivan McKee: I could go on and on, but I will make one brief conclusion. The tourism sector calling for a new tourism strategy will be news to the Scottish Tourism Alliance, which is working very thoroughly to “Scotland Outlook 2030”, Scotland’s national tourism strategy, which was put in place by my good friend, Mr Fergus Ewing.
Ivan McKee: I wonder whether Colin Smyth has the same concerns as I have about Labour’s plans to rationalise and simplify the agency landscape, because that can mean only one thing.
Ivan McKee: I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests in respect of my ownership of rental properties. No one doubts the minister’s commitment to decarbonising heat in buildings, but commitment and delivery are not necessarily the same thing. Developers in my constituency tell me that they are still permitted to build new houses with gas boilers and that they will...
Ivan McKee: My colleague Kenneth Gibson has already highlighted the important fact that significantly more working-age people move from England to Scotland every year than move in the opposite direction. As the minister has highlighted, they clearly value the additional public services that they receive here. I understand that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is collecting longitudinal data on the...
Ivan McKee: Scotland has been blessed with not one but two energy jackpots over our history. The oil and gas jackpot has transformed the north-east of Scotland over past decades, has made Aberdeen a global energy hub, has built Scottish businesses and has created jobs and wealth across our country. However, more than £300 billion of the revenues that have flowed into public coffers as a consequence have...
Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government is committed to a £500 million investment, as the member should know. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will give the member the latest data on exactly where we are with that, unlike the UK Government, which has not put its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting the just transition.
Ivan McKee: The transition needs to move as fast as it can while recognising that investment, which is running into many tens of billions and beyond, is needed from the energy sector. The sector knows that its future viability relies on making the transition as quickly as possible to secure first-mover advantages. The future of energy in Scotland is renewables—everyone recognises that. However, there...
Ivan McKee: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Likewise, I was bumped out of the system. I also would have voted yes.
Ivan McKee: In relation to the future of the yard, the cabinet secretary will recognise that it operates in a hugely competitive global commercial environment. Will the cabinet secretary tell us what work the Scottish Government has done to move things forward by seeking out potential industrial partners that could bring investment, technology and expertise in order to secure a long-term future for the yard?
Ivan McKee: Craig Hoy is getting a bit confused about whether he wants to get on or get off, or about what he wants. I welcome the paper, which is part of the “Building a New Scotland” series and lays out how an independent Scotland would thrive as one of the independent nations of the world. The paper is particularly important because it covers Scotland’s international relationships. Scotland...
Ivan McKee: I am glad that Craig Hoy already recognises Scotland as an independent country. The point is that, when we look at other countries—I was a trade minister for many years—we see that we can do nothing like as much as Norway, Denmark, Switzerland or even Singapore, which he mentioned. Singapore is a former colony and now an independent nation that is not much bigger than Scotland, and it is...
Ivan McKee: Yes, very briefly, if I have time.
Ivan McKee: I do not have time to go into the detail of that, but I absolutely agree with the member. It must be remembered that it was a cross-party finance committee that agreed to that deal, having seen the detail of it. Much of the information that is put out about that deal is very wide of the mark: the assets that exist more than cover any liabilities due to the Scottish Government as a...
Ivan McKee: I think that everyone agrees on the critical importance of social care. It is a requirement for more and more people in society, and that will continue, due to demographic changes. It has an impact on the wider health system and its lack can be a potential blockage in relation to delayed discharge and many other aspects of the wider system. So, it is critical that we get this correct, and I...
Ivan McKee: As Jackie Baillie identifies, the committee has been asking for that information for a while, and I am glad that it came out before the debate. To be fair, the Government’s commitment was that it would come out in advance of the debate, but we would obviously have liked more time for scrutiny, and I will come on to that as I continue my remarks. I look forward to the Scottish Government...
Ivan McKee: The debate is hugely important and it is critical to get it right, not just for our young people and learners more widely but for the wider economy and society. The Hayward report mentions the World Economic Forum, which identified that education systems globally are lagging behind disruption in the economy and society, which is being driven by technology and other factors. We live in an...
Ivan McKee: Last week, I met local community group Greater Easterhouse Supporting Hands—GESH—and heard about the great work that it is doing with offenders through community payback orders. It gives offenders who have been convicted of lower-level crimes the opportunity to contribute back to society in a positive way, to be supported back into employment where appropriate and to continue in...
Ivan McKee: It is a pleasure to speak in what is arguably the most important debate of the year. The budget is not just about getting the numbers to add up but, as the Deputy First Minister has so clearly outlined, sets out the Government’s hugely important values, approach and priorities. We must recognise and appreciate the UK Government’s fiscal context; the drag caused by Brexit, which is pulling...
Ivan McKee: If the member looks at the comparable data for the rest of the UK, he will find that the Scottish Government is doing a better job than the UK Government in all those regards. I will focus on how we strengthen that social contract and maximise the funds available to support front-line services. The Scottish Government absolutely recognises the importance of delivering an expanding tax base to...