Jamie Halcro Johnston: Trade is a vital component of any globalised economy. Our future economic success will depend in some considerable measure on our ability to export; it will also depend on our ability to import and attract foreign direct investment to Scotland. Scotland’s volume of trade has unfortunately lagged behind as a proportion of our GDP. Although there has been growth in recent years, the picture...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Sorry. I thought that I had seven minutes to speak.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Okay. Trade is an important component of our future economic development, and there is a real imperative to grow and to create an environment in which our trade links with the world can flourish. We have to start by looking locally and considering what the barriers are for businesses in expanding and what prevents them from reaching other markets.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Both of Scotland’s Governments must work together and they both must deliver for Scotland’s businesses.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Will Mr Mason take an intervention?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Thank you, Presiding Officer. We have had a number of debates, in recent months, looking at aspects of Scotland’s economy. We have looked at trade, specific sectors such as energy, and—all too briefly, unfortunately—entrepreneurship. However, those are only small parts of a far larger overall picture. In bringing this debate to the chamber, we wanted to consider the deeper structural...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am happy to look at where the Scottish Government has taken action and praise it, but it has had 12 years to get this right and we are still in the same situation. The problem is that business does not think that it is going to get better in the future, and that is what the Government should be hearing. There must be a real recognition that the labour market is changing and that there are...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I was just going to get louder and louder, Presiding Officer. The new institute would have the aim of supporting between 2,000 and 3,000 businesses every year to access new markets by moving their business on to a dedicated e-commerce platform. Gordon Lindhurst highlighted the need to boost productivity. He acknowledged that, despite the number of hours that Scottish workers are working being...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: 6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with farmers regarding the impact of the Orkney native wildlife project on the agricultural sector. (S5O-03345)
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I draw to members’ attention my entry in the register of members’ interests. The project’s work to control stoats is at a standstill, with many farmers still refusing access to their land because of their anger that their concerns about goose numbers are not being properly addressed. Farmers want a clear indication that the Government understands the problem, that it appreciates the...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Despite the picture that the minister and other SNP members have painted, whereby all seems to be rosy in the broadband garden, a Which? survey that was released earlier this year showed that parts of my Highlands and Islands region have among the worst broadband speeds in the country, with Orkney having the slowest speeds of any local authority area, Shetland being not far behind and Moray...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: It has now been two years since the Scottish Conservatives first called for the establishment of a circular economy education and skills academy, a move that could boost the skills base to tackle climate breakdown. Now that the First Minister has declared a climate emergency, does the minister agree that such an academy should be established as a priority?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: The Scottish Government statistics for 2017-18 show that the gap between the most and least affluent people going to university has increased in the last year, and the official statistics from last year’s exam results show that the attainment gap between school pupils from the poorest and richest areas has also increased. Can the cabinet secretary say whether he thinks that the back-door...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Moray Council has already endured millions of pounds’ worth of cuts to its budget, as local government funding has been squeezed by the Scottish Government. We have now heard from the Scottish National Party leader of Moray Council that it faces another £19.3 million of cuts by 2021, with future budgets “very challenging”. Therefore, local people in Moray now see more of their basic...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: 6. To ask the Scottish Government how ministers ensure that they engage with the public in all parts of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands. (S5O-03494)
Jamie Halcro Johnston: The cabinet secretary will have noticed the First Minister’s three visits to Shetland during the recent by-election campaign. That is as many trips as there have been official visits to Shetland by Scottish National Party First Ministers during their whole 12 years in government. That is why many local people in Shetland and other communities in my region feel that this Scottish Government...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: On behalf of Conservative members, I welcome Beatrice Wishart to Parliament. She gave a thoughtful maiden speech, some of which I agreed with and some of which I did not agree with. It is good to have another islander in Parliament who can work with us to support and promote the issues that are unique to island communities. The UK has for long been known as one of the major international...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am afraid that I am just finishing. Scotland is an open and welcoming country for people who want to come here from any part of the world to bring their talents and contribute to our society, but what seems to be overlooked by members in this chamber is that the UK is, too. We need only look at our history—as well as the many people in this country who can, in recent generations, trace...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I, again, emphasise what I said during last week’s immigration debate: Scotland and the wider UK owe a great deal to migration. Historically, this country has been one of openness and tolerance, with a global outlook. That is as true now as it has ever been. In international terms, the UK has a high level of immigration in relation to its population size. That is testament not only to our...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: As Alexander Stewart said, we will work with the Scottish Government in areas where we agree on action that will be of benefit to Scotland. However, I am trying to highlight the fact that working with the UK Government and engaging in consultation with it has seen results. It would be good if we saw that approach taken more widely across the chamber.