Mr John Fraser: Does my right hon. Friend accept that Europe is very lucky to have as leaders of its two strongest nations Social Democratic Heads of State who are able to reach such a degree of unanimity? Can he say whether Herr Brandt and he were able to reach unanimity on steps inside N.A.T.O. to restore democracy in Greece, which must be of great concern to both democratic leaders?
Murdo Fraser: In the stage 1 debate three weeks ago, I said that the finance secretary was a lucky man. He was lucky because he had more resources than any of his predecessors had—his budget will go up by £500 million in real terms as against the current year, and we know that the Scottish Government’s total budget is up even on the previous high of 2010-11. He was also lucky because he has—or...
David Linden: I am very lucky to count Celtic Park in my constituency and its 60,000-seater stadium. I commend to the Minister the report from the Fraser of Allander Institute about the economic contribution of Celtic football club and implore him, when he is having conversations with the Treasury, to be mindful of the fact that this is about not just sport but the impact on the local hospitality sector....
Graham Simpson: That was more of a speech than a question. In any case, its premise was entirely wrong, because, as the Fraser of Allander institute has pointed out—and as Derek Mackay’s figures show—there has been an increase this year in money coming from the UK Government. That is why my colleague Murdo Fraser has described Mr Mackay as a very lucky man. He is indeed, yet still he has chosen to cut...
Mr John Patten: ...experience of asking the House to give a Second Reading to a Bill that will probably command support in all parts of the Chamber. I very much hope that this may be such a Bill. We are also very lucky to have the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) leading for the Opposition, because he knows a great deal about the law in this sector. I wish him well in dealing with his speech with his...
Hon. Thomas Galbraith: If I may speak again by leave of the House, for the third time, it may be "third time lucky". I think that the difference between us comes from whether or not a tree is to be specified in the scheme. I say that it has to be specified, because it is permanent. The hon. Member wishes it to be treated like a bush or scrub and, therefore, not specified. I am afraid that I cannot resile from my...
Murdo Fraser: There we have it from the Liberal Democrats. The Greens are not hard left enough for Willie Rennie. He wants to go even further. Derek Mackay had so many advantages with this budget. He is a lucky man, first because he has had more money to play with than ever before. By his own admission, his budget for the coming year is up on the current year, in real terms, by some £501 million. He has...
Graham Simpson: First, I apologise for the non-appearance of my colleagues Murdo Fraser and Adam Tomkins, who were desperate to take part in the debate but were somehow unavailable. As a west of Scotland politician, I have always steered clear of mentioning football allegiances, but my wife tells me that it is time to come out. My dad, his dad and his dad’s dad before him were born and brought up in the...
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie: My Lords, I support this group of amendments. Last week, I was lucky—that is not necessarily the right word—to participate in a briefing organised by the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool, with the 5Rights Foundation on its recent research, which the noble Lord referred to. As the mother of a 13 year-old boy, I came away wondering why on earth you would not want to ensure safety by...
Mr Allan Stewart: ...would have an application on the table. It has been pointed out that there is a freeze on applications until 1993. I shall quote from the 1989 report of an independent Scottish institute, the Fraser of Allander Institute, which is not normally especially favourable to the Conservative cause. It said: the negotiations will take several years and Scotland would be lucky to join the European...
Nigel Evans: ...staff, some of whom come for only six or nine months, while others have been employed for more than 14 years and would be covered by unfair dismissal procedures. In the main, we have been extremely lucky in the people we have employed. However, we are a family business, not professionals, and the people we employ do not go through the stringent interview procedures that one might find in a...
Mr Emrys Hughes: ...this Minister— the influence of whom, by hereditary or acquired wealth,"— I would not say that about this Minister— by superior abilities,"— I would not say that about this Minister— or a lucky combination of circumstances, obtains a principal place in the administration of the affairs of government. Of course, an attempt was made to sack Burns. Happily, it did not succeed. But...
Mr Iain Sproat: ...destroyed or given to the legitimate holder of the copyright. He then legitimises what was once illicitly produced. The film industry is tremendously important. Many hon. Members will have been lucky enough to see "Chariots of Fire", which was a splendid but not isolated example of what the industry can do. It is a wonderful industry. I am determined to back it up as strongly as I can. I...
Mr John Fraser: As the bingo callers say, 13 is lucky for some, and I hope that Amendment No. 13 will lead to a spirit of amity, conciliation and expedition in our proceedings. In Committee, the Opposition and some of my hon. Friends wanted the reports of the Price Commission to be published quarterly. When the Bill was published we had proposed that they should be annual, but I promised to study what the...
Mr George Lambert: ...(Mr. Paget), I could not make up my mind whether he felt that the farmers were "featherbedded" or were not. No doubt his hon. Friend the Member for Wednesbury (Mr. S. N. Evans), if be is lucky enough to catch Mr. Speaker's eye, will carry on the argument. I feel that the hon. and learned Gentleman is quite wrong when he said that the farming community have never had any confidence in the...
Brian Monteith: ...worthwhile debate to be had on that topic, but I hope that it will not be rushed and that we will have adequate time to consider all the factors, particularly parents' concerns. My colleague Murdo Fraser will say more about how partnerships between the public sector and the independent sector, which includes private and charitable schools and voluntary sector organisations such as...
Neil Bibby: ...to spend “as they see fit”. As confirmed by our own Scottish Parliament information centre, that COSLA figure equates to a £304 million real-terms cut. The Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Fraser of Allander Institute also believe that the budget represents a real-terms cut. The issue with what the Deputy First Minister said earlier today is that it is no longer simply an issue of...
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha: ...in a long and technical Debate in which matters of great complexity were examined, with complete mastery of his subject. It was said by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) that these proposals were the result of pressure put upon the Minister. If that be so, I am sure that the pressure was congenial to him, for he has shown to-day, as throughout his...
Murdo Fraser: ...with reference to the economic needs of our country. Surely it makes sense to teach foreign languages. I do not mean just French; when I was at school everyone was taught French and, if they were lucky, some were taught German or Italian. Other than English of course, the languages of modern commerce are Spanish and Mandarin. Perhaps we should think about being a bit more adventurous in...
Jenny Gilruth: ...Party, which is seeking to provide selective education in England and to divide people according to ability. [ Interruption .] When the pupils at Levenmouth academy leave school, they might be lucky, as Ruth Davidson and I were—they might leave for the big smoke to study at university or college. But what about jobs? In recent years, my constituency has suffered disproportionately at the...