Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, April 20, 2023

Official Report 1220KB pdf

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General Question Time

Good morning. Our first item of business is general question time. I make a plea to members that, in order to get in as many questions as possible, I would appreciate succinct questions, with answers to match.

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International Financial Services District Glasgow

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support the development and expansion of Glasgow’s international financial services district in the past year. (S6O-02124)

Glasgow’s international financial services district is driven by a partnership between the public and private sectors. Since its launch, more than £1 billion of investment has been secured, of which more than 90 per cent is from the private sector, bringing more than 15,500 jobs to the area so far.

In December 2022, Scottish Enterprise completed the purchase of a key development site to facilitate continued investment on the Broomielaw. Through an agreed master plan and the continuation of work in partnership with the private sector, that will expand the district west of the current boundary and will unlock even more opportunities for the district.

I thank the minister for that thorough answer. Barclays bank decided to invest in Glasgow in 2018, and JP Morgan agreed to expand and become tenants of the new office in Argyle Street in 2019, but there does not appear to have been much progress since then. In November last year, Avison Young reported that, of the 655,000 square feet of development under construction in Glasgow, only 55 per cent had been pre-let or pre-sold. There is a concern that Glasgow remains low in that regard compared with pre-Covid levels.

What is important is that prospective occupiers are looking for grade A office space, so will the minister outline how a pipeline of grade A office space is being ensured? What specific inward investment pitches have been made to investors over the past year? How many notes of interest have been submitted? If he cannot give me an answer today, I would appreciate a follow-up response, if possible.

I am happy to follow up on the member’s questions in writing after question time as, quite rightly, she seeks a lot of detail.

Since the launch of the financial district, more than 15,000 jobs have moved into it through new investment, expansion or diversified development. The district is playing a big role as a catalyst for the regeneration of the Broomielaw and the west city centre area. This year alone, there have been many new investments, which are bringing more new jobs to the area from a number of companies. I think that I am right in saying that several dozen fintech companies are now based in the city.

Glasgow is forging an impressive reputation as an international financial centre. I am keen to support that, as are my colleagues in the Scottish Government, and I will be happy to write to Pauline McNeill about the action that has been taken.

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Local Bus Networks

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting communities and local authorities to strengthen local bus networks across Scotland. (S6O-02125)

Local authorities have greater tools at their disposal, from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, to revitalise bus networks. Since June 2022, local authorities have been able to run their own local services, and, from 1 April, they can now request more information from operators via a new information-sharing process if they propose to vary or cancel services. Further legislation on partnerships and franchising will be introduced later this year.

Separately, through the bus partnership fund, £26 million of bus priority funding has been awarded to 11 partnerships, covering 28 Scottish local authorities, to tackle congestion and improve journey reliability.

I thank the minister for that answer about the package that is emerging. However, despite public subsidies, private bus operators are still slashing services in rural areas. Community groups such as the Glenfarg community transport group are stepping up to provide new services. That community group recently launched a new bus service on a recently axed route from Glenfarg to Kinross, which managed to carry about 200 passengers in its first week alone. Will the minister outline the Scottish Government’s plan to support communities to deliver the quality bus services that they deserve?

It is always heartening when communities get actively involved in improving their local services. I welcome the launch of bus service 55 in Glenfarg.

We brought forward a toolkit of flexible bus options in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local authorities such as Perth and Kinross Council to respond to transport challenges in their areas. Local authorities now have the power to run their own bus services. That sits alongside their existing ability to subsidise services. In 2021-22, local authorities spent £55 million on subsidising socially necessary services. Powers to develop bus service improvement partnerships and to establish local services franchising will follow.

As Mr Ruskell knows, because we have already had discussions about this, we are also introducing a community bus fund to support local transport authorities to explore the options in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and to improve public transport in their areas, as is happening in Glenfarg.

I have a number of requests from members to ask supplementary questions. I will be able to take only some of those, given the time constraints. I make a plea, again, for succinct questions and answers.

If the minister was serious about getting people on to buses, he would take action on bus fares, as he is doing on train fares. Why does he not replicate what England has, which is a fare cap on local bus journeys?

We will continue to look at not only rail fares but bus fares as we move forward. However, I point out to Mr Simpson that we do things somewhat differently here. In this country, we have a concessionary travel scheme that covers over-60s and under-22s. We are investing some £359.3 million in those schemes, which benefit people throughout Scotland. More than 2.3 million people throughout Scotland have access to free bus travel. That is certainly not the case south of the border.

I welcome the concessionary bus fares. How much do those subsidies—indeed, I would call them investments in the services—cost?

As I have just pointed out in response to Mr Simpson’s question, we are investing £359.3 million in concessionary travel and giving 2.3 million people access to free bus travel in Scotland. In March 2022, the Child Poverty Action Group reported that free bus travel for young people can save a total of £3,000 to the lifetime cost of a child in Scotland. That also tackles child poverty. With more than 3 million journeys every week, those schemes are helping people throughout our nation to cut costs for essential, everyday and leisure travel, and are making sustainable travel a more attractive option. All of that, of course, supports our net zero ambitions, too.

I can squeeze in Monica Lennon’s supplementary question if I can get a succinct answer from the minister.

Free bus travel is great but, in parts of Scotland, bus services have been taken away altogether, including in Hamilton, following the withdrawal of the X1 bus. Local people with free bus passes therefore have to use cars and taxis. That is bad for climate action and is exacerbating social and economic inequality.

Three weeks ago, I met 100 residents who want to see action from transport chiefs and joined-up support. They are not getting that from the Government or from others. Will the minister, whom I welcome to his new post, meet me and campaigners to see how we can find a way forward?

I am willing to meet almost anyone, as folk in the chamber are very well aware. However, in the first instance, those campaigners need to speak to the local authority, which is ultimately in charge of those services.

I say to Ms Lennon and other members that the Government will do what it can in terms of investing, such as in the concessionary travel scheme and in the bus partnership fund, to get this right but, ultimately, some things are down to local authorities and local decision making. I hope that local authorities—in this case, South Lanarkshire Council—will have listened to Ms Lennon’s question and will take action to support local bus services.

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Sentencing Guideline (Young People)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the guideline, “Sentencing young people”, issued by the Scottish Sentencing Council. (S6O-02126)

Responsibility for the development of sentencing guidelines lies with the independent Scottish Sentencing Council. Prior to introduction, all sentencing guidelines are approved by the High Court. The Sentencing Council has a statutory duty to periodically review the sentencing guidelines that it produces. As with the work of the council more generally, the independent nature of that process is fundamental.

As I have already made clear, as part of my new responsibilities, I intend to meet the chair of the council to discuss its important work, including how the council plans to keep its published guidelines under review.

Community service for child rape is obscene, and similar sentences are being passed across Scotland because of the sentencing quango created by the Scottish National Party Government, including for a 22-year-old hit-and-run driver who killed a child, a 22-year-old who scarred his teenage girlfriend for life, a 20-year-old who almost killed a police officer, and a 19-year-old sex offender who preyed on 28 underage girls. Yet victims’ voices are—quite literally—not being heard.

When the new cabinet secretary meets the chair of the Scottish Sentencing Council, will she ensure that the vacancy for a victims representative is filled immediately?

I can reassure Mr Findlay that the recruitment of a victims representative for the Sentencing Council is well under way. There was an earlier recruitment round, which was unsuccessful; I can assure him that the recruitment process is now at an advanced stage.

Mr Findlay will be well aware that, as justice secretary, it would be entirely inappropriate for me to comment about individual offenders or indeed about individual sentences, bearing in mind that this Parliament—in an act that all parties supported—passed the judiciary and courts legislation which sets out that we all, as ministers and members of the Scottish Parliament, have to uphold the independence of the Scottish judiciary.

It may well be of some use to Mr Findlay if I inform him that, with respect to some of the most serious offences, such as rape, 98 per cent of convictions for rape across all age groups result in a custodial sentence and that, with reference to young people, since the implementation of the sentencing guidelines, nearly 1,000 under-25s were incarcerated in 2022.

I can squeeze in two supplementaries if we have brief questions and succinct answers.

The cabinet secretary has gone into some detail about the independence of the Sentencing Council, and I understand that it consulted a range of stakeholders, including victims’ groups, when formulating the guidance. What action is the Scottish Government is taking to improve victims’ experiences of the justice system—in particular, to ensure that their voices are heard?

Improving victims’ experiences in the justice system is at the very heart of our vision for justice and will be progressed through the forthcoming criminal justice reform bill. We are working closely and directly with victims through the victims advisory board to embed their lived experience into our actions.

The victims task force brings together victims, victims’ organisations and criminal justice agencies to work collaboratively to deliver improvements. We are also committed to establishing a victims commissioner as an independent voice for victims as well as other pioneering initiatives to ensure that the needs of victims are met throughout their justice journey.

Can the cabinet secretary clarify what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Scottish Sentencing Council about the rights of victims and the extent to which the trauma of young survivors is being reflected in sentencing guidelines, and also that victim impact statements are being taken into account by the courts, particularly in serious cases such as rape cases?

The member is correct to reference the fact that in any sentencing decision or any set of independent guidelines, as well as having regard to rehabilitation, for example, the guidelines often make specific references to young offenders. The purpose of sentencing is about punishment, protection of the public and expressing disapproval of offending. The impact on victims is imperative in that, particularly given the young age of some victims. That is why as a Government we are committed to developments such as the bairns’ hoose, where we can ensure that young victims have access to justice, care and recovery.

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United Kingdom Economic Performance (Impact in Scotland)

To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of the recent analysis by the International Monetary Fund, which predicts that the United Kingdom economy’s performance in 2023 will be the worst among the G20 economies, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of this in Scotland. (S6O-02127)

The IMF’s forecast for the UK economy to be the worst performing in the G20 is a shocking indictment of the UK Government’s mismanagement of the economy, which undeniably has an impact on the Scottish economy. Global economic conditions are challenging, and the Scottish Government is doing everything possible within its limited powers to support households and businesses through the current cost crisis and to grow and transform the economy in a way that delivers fairer, greener prosperity. However, the UK Government’s mismanagement of the economy, alongside the economic damage of Brexit, risks harming our international competitiveness and holding back our ambitious programme of work.

The IMF’s analysis serves to underline the on-going detrimental impact that Westminster control continues to have on Scotland’s economy, and the people of Scotland are paying the price. Experts are now predicting that the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is costing millions of workers £1,300 a year in lost income. Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that the Tories and Labour at Westminster seem determined to press ahead with imposing their disastrous Brexit on Scotland, no matter the economic consequences? Does he agree that the best way to ensure that our economy and communities can flourish is by rejoining the EU as an independent country?

Briefly, cabinet secretary.

Absolutely. [Interruption.] Independence and rejoining the EU would give us the powers that we need to take advantage of the rich economic opportunities that we have, whereas we are currently being held back by UK inaction. The EU and US have invested in their economies, putting them in a competitive position to take advantage of the green industrial future. We need the powers that independence would give us to make sure that we can take advantage of our rich opportunities in Scotland.

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Apprenticeship Places

To ask the Scottish Government how many apprenticeship places it will commit to funding this financial year. (S6O-02128)

Modern apprenticeships are a vital resource for employers to invest in their workforce and for people to develop their skills. Investing in skills across people’s lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and success. My priority and that of the Government is for high quality apprenticeships that provide sustainable jobs and careers, supporting our transition to net zero. Skills Development Scotland has already issued contracts for the 39,000 modern apprentices who are currently in training. We are working closely and intensely with Skills Development Scotland to respond effectively to the expectations of learners and employers, and I expect it to finalise contracts for new modern apprenticeship starts imminently.

Here is what the Scottish Training Federation has said in the past hour:

“Three thousand apprentices due to start a Modern Apprenticeship this month have been left in limbo due to the current freeze on funding for new apprenticeship places. And around 1,000 employers who had planned to hire these apprentices have had to put their recruitment plans on hold.”

That is after it surveyed 1,000 employers who were planning to take on apprentices.

I know that the Scottish National Party is consumed by its internal wars, but why should thousands of young people be paying a price for the party’s incompetence and distraction? For months, the SNP has been denying that there is a freeze on apprenticeships. There is a freeze—there was a freeze last summer and there is one now.

Mr Kerr, could we have the question, please?

I welcome the minister to his new post. [Interruption.] I know how passionate he is about apprenticeships. Will he turn the page on the mess that his predecessor left him and fix it today?

Briefly please, minister.

Due to the very significant budget challenges that we face—which have much to do with the UK Government’s mismanagement of the economy—and the change of ministers, it was entirely reasonable to temporarily pause the issuing of contracts for new starts while we looked at the bigger picture. However, I am pleased to tell the chamber that we are about to green light that process. Despite the huge budgetary challenges that we face, I anticipate that the number involved will be in line with the number in 2022-23.