..., Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Stevenson, Collette, Stewart, Kaukab, Stewart, Kevin, Sturgeon, Nicola, Swinney, John, Thomson, Michelle, Todd, Maree, Torrance, David, Tweed, Evelyn, Whitham, Elena, Yousaf, Humza Against: Baillie, Jackie, Baker, Claire, Bibby, Neil, Boyack, Sarah, Briggs, Miles, Burnett, Alexander, Carlaw, Jackson, Carson, Finlay, Choudhury, Foysol, Clark, Katy, Dowey, Sharon,...
Humza Yousaf: I was listening to the committee’s evidence this morning, and I will read the rest of the evidence later today. Douglas Ross will be aware that the figure that was provided to the Public Audit Committee on 22 December last year from the chief executive officer of Ferguson Marine was made up of a number of different factors. The Scottish Government is now reviewing those projections based on...
Humza Yousaf: Anas Sarwar raises an important issue. We are looking at the cost overruns and what can be done to mitigate their effect. I think that we all agree that Barlinnie is not in the condition that any of us would like it to be in. We are exploring what can be done. Anas Sarwar does the debate a disservice when he talks about what he describes as more than £3 billion of waste. I have seen...
Humza Yousaf: Tuesday.
Humza Yousaf: F irst and foremost, my deepest sympathy, and, I suspect, the deepest sympathy of all members in the chamber, goes to those who have been affected by the loss of a loved one through alcohol. We remain absolutely determined to reduce alcohol-related harm. That is why we have introduced initiatives such as our world-leading minimum unit pricing. Recent research estimates that it has saved...
Humza Yousaf: Let me say first and foremost that it is abhorrent that women continue to face violence and rape. We will continue to take robust action to tackle sexual offending through Scotland’s equally safe strategy, which is focused on prevention, on improving support and on modernising the law. It is vitally important that anyone who faces sexual violence, and rape in particular, has the confidence...
Humza Yousaf: Published statistics are collated and quality-assured by Public Health Scotland. They are published as part of the full release of national statistics each quarter. National statistics status means that the official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value. The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated PHS stats as national statistics,...
Humza Yousaf: While it is clearly for local administrations to determine their own priorities, I am, like Clare Haughey, frankly appalled at the actions of the Labour-led authority in South Lanarkshire. I saw a protest taking place by young people who were suggesting that it is time for Joe Fagan, the leader of South Lanarkshire Council, to go. I have to say that I think that those young people have,...
Humza Yousaf: This is a very important issue, and Murdo Fraser is right, of course, to raise it here. I am very saddened to hear of the job losses at Tayside Aviation, and my thoughts are with the workers who have been affected, their families and the students. I appreciate that the position has put the students in great difficulty and I understand their concerns about money that they have paid for...
Humza Yousaf: I am concerned about the difficulty that Yes Recycling finds itself in. My thoughts are with the 60 staff members who work at the company and the facility in Glenrothes. This will be a very difficult time for the staff and, indeed, for their families. To give the member some reassurance, I note that Scottish Enterprise is engaging with the administrator and will provide all possible...
Humza Yousaf: Yes, I welcome the news of that very important investment. Decommissioning is integral to the pursuit of an orderly, managed transition to net zero, and it has the potential to create significant benefits and opportunities for people right across Scotland. Since 2017, through our decommissioning challenge fund, the Scottish Government has invested £12 million in supporting innovation and...
Humza Yousaf: I agree with Tess White on the importance of freedom of speech, especially in educational institutions such as our universities. They should be a safe space for debate and discussion, robust as that may be. I have not seen the film in question—“Adult Human Female”—and I do not know what the contents of it are. My understanding is that there was a protest against the film taking place...
Douglas Ross: ...to be able to question ... about the accounts.” We agree, and we believe that there are legitimate questions that the Scottish public deserve answers to. In the interest of transparency, will Humza Yousaf agree to make a statement to Parliament on the financial scandal that is engulfing the party of government in Scotland?
Anas Sarwar: 2. On Tuesday, Humza Yousaf tried to convince the country that he represented a fresh start. Sixteen years of command and control, financial mismanagement and a complete lack of transparency—that is not only how the Scottish National Party governs its party; it is how it governs the country. Just one example is the on-going ferry crisis—£200 million over budget, with no ferries in sight....
Humza Yousaf: Licensing of exploration and production of the offshore oil and gas sector remains reserved, regrettably, to the UK Government. The Scottish Government is clear that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations. It is not the solution to the energy price crisis, to meeting our energy security needs or, indeed, to ensuring a just transition for our oil...
Humza Yousaf: Resetting the relationship with business is a core priority for the Government. On Tuesday, I set out plans to agree a new deal for businesses and the introduction of a new group, to be co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, that will explore how Government can better support our businesses and communities using all the policy levers that we have at...
Humza Yousaf: Our initial consultation on highly protected marine areas closed on Monday, and it is only right that we take some time to carefully consider all the responses—there has been a substantial number of responses—before we set out our next steps, especially given the strength of views that have been expressed on the issue. Our seas must remain a source of prosperity for the nation, especially...
Humza Yousaf: As I already said in my response to Anas Sarwar’s question, I recognise the significant impact that delays and disruption have, regrettably, had on our island communities during the annual overhaul programme. We know that not only individuals but businesses in our island communities rely on those lifeline services. I am committed to investing in our ferry services and we will be delivering...
Humza Yousaf: I thank Beatrice Wishart for raising what is an incredibly important issue. The national audit of the cervical screening programme is under way. It is a result of an incident that was brought to our attention in 2021 where a small number of women were incorrectly excluded from the cervical screening programme after having subtotal hysterectomies. This final stage of the audit is...
Humza Yousaf: Absolutely. Lord Frost, an unelected Tory peer, gave the game away. He said the quiet bit out loud. He said what every Scottish Conservative really thinks. I will quote him. He said: “Not only must no more powers be devolved to Scotland, it’s time to reverse the process.” He also said: “Ministers should make it clear that, if re-elected, they will review and roll back some currently...
