Seòmar agus comataidhean

The saga of what we are now calling the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill is a microcosm of this SNP Government. It started with a vainglorious press release and the applause line for the leader’s speech—light on detail, certainly, and quickly unable to marshal any detail at all. Absent leadership and political incompetence led to financial chaos, all resulting in messy, watered-down law that will achieve none of the lofty ambitions that were declared at the outset. The Government then moves on and hopes that nobody will notice—rinse and repeat, year after year.

This legislation will not lead to a single extra carer being employed. It will do absolutely nothing to ease delayed discharge, and there is nothing in it to fix the crisis in social care in Scotland, despite the expenditure of tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and untold public resources being applied. From start to finish, the bill has been a total calamity.

A succession of ministers have been unable to answer basic questions about the legislation that they were meant to be steering. On 8 November 2022, the then minister responsible for the bill, Kevin Stewart, was aghast at COSLA’s estimate that the bill would cost more than £1.5 billion. He defiantly stated to the Finance and Public Administration Committee that

“COSLA has made assumptions that we do not recognise”.—[Official Report, Finance and Public Administration Committee, 8 November 2022; c 18.]

Lo and behold, on 23 January 2024, a little over a year later, Scottish Government officials told the Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee that the cost of the bill that Mr Stewart was talking about would have been £3.9 billion—a truly astronomical figure, which is more than double the figure that the minister did not recognise and equal to the entire annual transport budget. Critically, there is absolutely no way that the country could have afforded that. Of course, by that point, the legislation had rightly and mercifully been blown entirely off the SNP’s course towards bankruptcy. One of the principal reasons for that was that the Parliament’s finance committee had rejected the financial memorandum as utterly incoherent and entirely incompetent.

Just a fortnight ago, minister Maree Todd and her officials returned to the finance committee with updated financial information on the unrecognisable legislation that we are debating today—or, rather, the minister came with some of the information. The public are left cross-referencing the most recent document with the original financial memorandum from 2022 and the updated version from 2023, which are three large financial documents with different timescales. Some sections measure costs across five years, some across seven years and some across 10 years. That is comparing apples not just with oranges, but with broccoli and spuds as well. At the last moment, the committee received an update, but there was an error in the updated financial information that had been received—utterly shambolic.

Deciphering the true cost of the bill has been compared with assembling a jigsaw in the dark, which, frankly, is an unfair comparison. In this case, we are perhaps assembling five different jigsaws. The pieces are all different sizes and the people who made them are not even sure that they gave us all the pieces in the first place. From start to finish, there has been a total lack of transparency and myriad documents that are littered with errors, making it absolutely clear that neither civil servants nor—particularly—ministers had the first clue what they were doing.

That chaos, incompetence and direct negligence has come to typify every significant piece of legislation that has passed through the Parliament in this session: the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill and the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill. It is no wonder that Scotland’s budget is in such a mess and the SNP’s legislative agenda for this session is in tatters.

Ultimately, the legislation that will pass this evening will result in some very modest gains that have been wrung out of the process by stakeholders—and I am glad that some of those stakeholders are with us tonight. Scottish Labour amendments have strengthened Anne’s law, which will give care home residents the right to visits, and the right to breaks for carers. However, that did not need a process this long and at such expense to the Scottish taxpayer.

The bill will not deliver the lasting and positive legacy of fit-for-the-future, high-quality care that Nicola Sturgeon promised back in 2020. With her anti-Midas touch, this landmark legislation has turned to mud. Next year, Scots can call time on the incompetence, chaos and failure of the SNP by joining the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse in electing a Scottish Labour Government that will set a new direction for Scotland and get our health and social care system back on its feet.

The UK Labour Government has listened to and acted on industry concerns over activity in the North Sea basin, and I am very sure that it will continue to do so—in fact, it is vital that that happens.

What is the Scottish Government going to do about the skills shortages that are already undermining the prospect of employment in the north-east? Sarah Boyack highlighted a shortfall of 8,000 welders, and a question just a few minutes ago also related to the Government’s performance in that area. In the budget, there was a welcome announcement of a very small sum of money for an offshore wind skills programme in colleges, but progress has been grindingly slow—as in so many of these areas—in actually seeing the money on the ground. When will that money be available to colleges in the north-east?

Ask it.

I have met university staff and this is what one staff member said to me:

“The weight of not knowing, of being left in limbo, is taking a huge toll on mental health and morale. It is not just us. It is our families, too. The endless delays and broken promises from management and Government are leaving us all in despair. When will they do something?”

The Government’s target is 300 job losses, and the costings, I am told, have now been submitted and are with officials. Will the First Minister commit to Parliament today that the voluntary severance scheme will be in place and open by the end of next week?

Will the cabinet secretary guarantee that appointments and operations will not be cancelled to pay the costs of what his statement identifies as resource and, particularly, management problems, rather than just issues of demand?

The cabinet secretary makes much of the crucial appointment of a new chief executive. I point out that the previous chief executive lasted only 14 months before announcing his retirement. What confidence can Parliament have that a new chief executive will be able to get a grip of the situation, which appears to be rapidly deteriorating?

I thank Kevin Stewart for lodging the debate and Jackie Dunbar for standing in and transporting us to a time of grand adventure. I am not sure that my nerves would have coped with the story of the tea clipper race had it been related in Kevin Stewart’s theatrical élan, so perhaps we have all been saved by Jackie Dunbar’s intervention.

For nearly 50 years, the tall ships races have traversed ports across these islands and all over Europe. The races even involved a transatlantic voyage in 1984, reaching as far as Quebec. This is the third year—and the first time this century—that Aberdeen has been involved. With around 50 tall ships and 1,500 crew members arriving in Aberdeen for four days in July, the event will bring a carnival atmosphere to the city, with concerts, parades and even a display from the Red Arrows. I am sure that it is set to be a fantastic time in the granite city. There is an opportunity to board the great ships and learn more about their long history—some of the ships are as old as 125 years.

It will be a huge boost for businesses in the city, with tens of thousands of spectators expected to attend. That will be welcome for many hospitality and retail businesses, in particular, given the challenges that those sectors have faced in recent years following the pandemic and the Scottish National Party Government’s failure to pass on rates relief from the UK Labour Government.

Events such as this, the Commonwealth games and the Tour de France grand départ, which I know the minister has been involved with, are all good for Scotland and the people of Scotland. They have the potential to showcase our country at its best and to give a much-needed boost to our economy. Liam Kerr laid out well some of the many attractions in Aberdeen of which visitors are likely to be able to afford themselves. There is an opportunity for great cultural exchange and dialogue around such events and to see some of the world’s great sportsmen and women at the top of their game.

It is vitally important that, when such events are organised, logistics are in place to minimise negative disruption for local residents and to maximise enjoyment for all visitors. The use of park and ride facilities for the event has been welcomed by my constituents. Those will be at four locations across the city to help to reduce congestion in the city centre, which will be welcome.

The ships are to be berthed at the port of Aberdeen, which is so central to the economy of the city and the North East Scotland region, which I have the pleasure of representing. Aberdeen accounts for around 43 per cent of vessel traffic in Scotland; it is Scotland’s busiest port. Since being elected in 2021, I have worked closely with colleagues at the Port of Aberdeen port authority and its chief executive, Bob Sanguinetti. As a trust port, it is run by a board for the benefit of stakeholders. With all the profits being reinvested to safeguard and improve the port, it is a civic benefit to the city and the wider community.

The port has a significant role in the offshore energy industry—although a significant proportion of the port’s revenue comes from oil and gas, which will be the case for decades to come—and it is working towards its goal of becoming the UK’s first net zero port by 2040. It is one of the fundamental components of the north-east, providing thousands of jobs and essential logistics to keep our region’s industries going. The recent £420 million expansion to the south harbour will be transformative for the port’s future, with the potential to increase its gross value added contribution by 60 per cent and the number of jobs that it supports by 45 per cent, which could take the number of jobs up to 17,500.

Although tall ships are not typical vessels for the port of Aberdeen, I know that it will welcome them and the further boost to Aberdeen’s economy that the spectacle will bring.

I thank Kevin Stewart for lodging the debate and Jackie Dunbar for standing in and transporting us to a time of grand adventure. I am not sure that my nerves would have coped with the story of the tea clipper race had it been related in Kevin Stewart’s theatrical élan, so perhaps we have all been saved by Jackie Dunbar’s intervention.

For nearly 50 years, the tall ships races have traversed ports across these islands and all over Europe. The races even involved a transatlantic voyage in 1984, reaching as far as Quebec. This is the third year—and the first time this century—that Aberdeen has been involved. With around 50 tall ships and 1,500 crew members arriving in Aberdeen for four days in July, the event will bring a carnival atmosphere to the city, with concerts, parades and even a display from the Red Arrows. I am sure that it is set to be a fantastic time in the granite city. There is an opportunity to board the great ships and learn more about their long history—some of the ships are as old as 125 years.

It will be a huge boost for businesses in the city, with tens of thousands of spectators expected to attend. That will be welcome for many hospitality and retail businesses, in particular, given the challenges that those sectors have faced in recent years following the pandemic and the Scottish National Party Government’s failure to pass on rates relief from the UK Labour Government.

Events such as this, the Commonwealth games and the Tour de France grand départ, which I know the minister has been involved with, are all good for Scotland and the people of Scotland. They have the potential to showcase our country at its best and to give a much-needed boost to our economy. Liam Kerr laid out well some of the many attractions in Aberdeen of which visitors are likely to be able to afford themselves. There is an opportunity for great cultural exchange and dialogue around such events and to see some of the world’s great sportsmen and women at the top of their game.

It is vitally important that, when such events are organised, logistics are in place to minimise negative disruption for local residents and to maximise enjoyment for all visitors. The use of park and ride facilities for the event has been welcomed by my constituents. Those will be at four locations across the city to help to reduce congestion in the city centre, which will be welcome.

The ships are to be berthed at the port of Aberdeen, which is so central to the economy of the city and the North East Scotland region, which I have the pleasure of representing. Aberdeen accounts for around 43 per cent of vessel traffic in Scotland; it is Scotland’s busiest port. Since being elected in 2021, I have worked closely with colleagues at the Port of Aberdeen port authority and its chief executive, Bob Sanguinetti. As a trust port, it is run by a board for the benefit of stakeholders. With all the profits being reinvested to safeguard and improve the port, it is a civic benefit to the city and the wider community.

The port has a significant role in the offshore energy industry—although a significant proportion of the port’s revenue comes from oil and gas, which will be the case for decades to come—and it is working towards its goal of becoming the UK’s first net zero port by 2040. It is one of the fundamental components of the north-east, providing thousands of jobs and essential logistics to keep our region’s industries going. The recent £420 million expansion to the south harbour will be transformative for the port’s future, with the potential to increase its gross value added contribution by 60 per cent and the number of jobs that it supports by 45 per cent, which could take the number of jobs up to 17,500.

Although tall ships are not typical vessels for the port of Aberdeen, I know that it will welcome them and the further boost to Aberdeen’s economy that the spectacle will bring.

This morning, Healthcare Improvement Scotland published the report of its unannounced inspection of maternity services at Ninewells hospital in Dundee. The report contains shocking details, including delays to the induction of labour of up to three days, vital equipment such as fetal heartbeat monitors being damaged and not replaced, and a rapid fall in the number of experienced midwives. Despite hard-working staff providing “compassionate and responsive care”, the state of the service was so bad in January that the HIS made a second visit in February and said that it was

“not assured that sufficient progress or improvement had been made”.

The situation is hugely worrying for families and especially for expectant mothers across Dundee and Angus. What will the First Minister’s Government do to ensure that necessary improvements to maternity services happen?

No—my time is far too brief.

As Douglas Lumsden rightly pointed out, the SNP has dragged its feet on publishing an energy strategy. The draft strategy was published on 10 January 2023, more than two years ago—that is, three cabinet secretaries and three First Ministers ago. Industry, trade unions and workers desperately need clarity from the SNP Government about what it is trying to achieve.

I agree whole-heartedly with Douglas Lumsden that last week’s news from Harbour Energy is hugely concerning. I spoke to the management this morning about its workforce plans and the support that it can put in place. We also discussed the fast-moving global context surrounding the industry, with oil now trading at $62 a barrel and, according to some analysts’ projections, heading as low as $50 a barrel.

I am afraid that I do not have time.

We must ensure that the fiscal regime for the UK continental shelf sustains continued employment, profits and tax revenue. I will discuss those issues with UK Government colleagues over the coming days. Treasury minister James Murray chairs the North Sea fiscal forum, which was established by Labour in Opposition and was continued when we came into Government. He knows the challenges and tensions that exist, but he also knows the base imperatives about which the Scottish Labour MPs have left him in absolutely no doubt. We have to make sure that we have a fiscal regime that works.

I move amendment S6M-17525.1, to leave out from first “condemns” to end and insert:

“recognises the UK Government’s commitment to a sustainable long-term energy mix, including increased renewable sources, new modern nuclear generation as well as continued oil and gas production for decades to come; notes the loss of jobs at Grangemouth and recently announced job losses at Harbour Energy, which re-emphasise the need for a just transition plan including the immediate publication of the long-delayed Scottish energy strategy; commends the creation of Great British Energy as a publicly owned energy generation company, headquartered in Aberdeen, which will help to deliver energy security, build supply chains, create thousands of jobs across the country and reduce energy bills over the long term; welcomes the £200 million of funding committed to the Grangemouth transition as part of a clean energy future to power Scotland’s economy and communities, and calls on the Scottish National Party administration to drop its ideological opposition to nuclear power.”