Seòmar agus comataidhean

I support any calls for improvements to roads and infrastructure in the north-east. I will make a point on that later in my speech.

I whole-heartedly welcome the growth in my constituency, but we must recognise that the existing infrastructure is already congested with HGV, bus and car traffic. Introducing rail would go a long way towards providing much-needed and welcome relief.

I conclude by asking the Scottish Government whether it will continue to support the Campaign for North East Rail’s work by continuing to consider funding for the project, including for a detailed options appraisal when analysis of the latest study is complete. We are putting a lot of pressure on the Scottish Government to help and support the project. That is right, and it is our job as constituency MSPs to do that.

However, the UK Government has a part to play, as well. If a fraction of the money that has been spent on high-speed rail south of the border were to be spent in the north-east corner, we would not have rail just to Peterhead and Fraserburgh—it could go to Banff and Buckie and beyond. We have the potential to make a boom time for the north-east and beyond. I hope that we all recognise and will take full advantage of that.

I thank Liam Kerr for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is not too long since we walked the Buchan line together in the north-east sunshine—yes, it does exist—with the then Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth.

At the meeting that I and my team and the Campaign for North East Rail were at, we had discussions relating to the just transition fund, and a member of my team suggested that the campaign apply for that funding. I put it on the record that the Scottish Government has been a great supporter of the Campaign for North East Rail in every conversation that I have brought to it in that regard. In particular, it has awarded the campaign £250,000 from the just transition fund for a feasibility study to explore the possibility of passenger and freight services running north of Dyce and on to Peterhead and Fraserburgh. We expect the findings of that feasibility study very soon.

In a survey that I carried out recently that received more than 1,000 responses, two in five respondents said that they rely on bus services so that they can attend national health service appointments. We know that bus journeys to Aberdeen royal infirmary take two or three times as long as car journeys. Connecting our coast is about more than transport: it is necessary for the health, safety and wellbeing of my constituents.

From carbon capture projects to wind farms, our north-east corner is playing a vital role in delivering Scotland’s transition to net zero, but that means that heavy goods vehicle numbers on the roads remain consistently high every hour of every day of the working week. The key difference between the Campaign for North East Rail’s study and previous studies is the key focus on rail-freight opportunities in the area. Reconnecting Fraserburgh and Peterhead to the railway would allow many HGV movements to be transferred to the railway, which would result in cleaner air, fewer emissions, safer roads and more economic growth opportunities.

Peterhead and Fraserburgh have been identified as regeneration priority areas, and unemployment there is higher than the national average. We have a chance to replicate the success that we have seen in other schemes, such as the Borders railway, and to bring real regeneration to some of the most deprived areas in Aberdeenshire.

Peterhead south harbour, which is operated by ASCO, is the largest offshore-support facility in Europe. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will join me in celebrating this week’s fantastic news that the world’s biggest offshore floating wind farm is set to be built just off the coast of Peterhead. That project will bring billions to Scotland’s economy. The Blue Toon and the Broch, as they are affectionately known—Peterhead and Fraserburgh—will be vital to the site, and heavy equipment, parts and specialised workers are expected to come to the area once the wind farm is up and running.

That is helpful.

Under the instrument, Scottish ministers will be able to serve a data transmission request notice. What is your understanding of what that means, and do you have any thoughts on that?

The launch of Scotland’s international culture strategy is very welcome, and it is important. I met the French ambassador recently in Aberdeen. Can the cabinet secretary say any more about the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to promote and develop Scotland’s international cultural connections and the opportunities that that can create for the sector, including in the north-east of Scotland?

Good morning, and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2024 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have no apologies.

Our first agenda item is consideration of a continued petition, PE1787, on the use of Makaton sign language in the legal system. I refer members to paper 1.

At our meeting in late February last year, committee members discussed how much further we could progress the petition, given its narrow scope. We ultimately kept the petition open to seek further information, as is outlined in paragraph 3 of the paper, and that information is summarised in paragraphs 5 and 6. The clerks recently received an update from Scottish Government officials, which is included in full as an annex to the paper and is summarised in paragraphs 8 to 10.

We are invited to consider whether to close the petition at this point. Although there is no specific set guidance on the use of Makaton in the legal system, a number of policies, duties and practices are in place that are designed to ensure that relevant authorities provide as much support as possible for people to communicate in a way that is most accessible to them.

As no member has indicated that they have any thoughts on those points, do we agree to close the petition?

Members indicated agreement.

We are therefore agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, on the basis that a number of measures are in place to make communication as accessible as possible. There might be further opportunities for the petitioner and others to highlight consideration of Makaton in future legislation, including the Scottish human rights bill.

I thank petitioner Sandra Docherty for lodging the petition and for helping to raise awareness of Makaton.

Rebecca Hoffman, you said you felt that the needs of the LGBT community were not picked up on in the previous strategy. My question is for all the witnesses. Do you feel that there are any gaps that were not addressed and that the new strategy will address?

That is important. The panel has mentioned some challenges that the new strategy might face. Aidan Mitchell, you spoke about the need for joined-up thinking across sectors. We are not just firefighting—we are getting to the crux of what is causing the problem in the first instance. Do you see any challenges in the strategy, and are there any weak points that you would like to point out?

Thank you, John. Would anyone else like to come in on what they would have hoped to have seen in the strategy, or anything that they think is missing?