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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 28 January 2026
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Displaying 882 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

That is a really powerful point—that statistic is shocking. If not Co-operative Development Scotland, what other organisation will do that work? We have lots of advocacy organisations, but what about an actual Government organisation that is there to deliver?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

The amendments in this group are really important. My amendments 104 and 105 would strengthen the guidance provisions by ensuring that ministers must provide clear guidance, not just on the statement and action plans in general, but on all the measures that they contain. Amendment 104 would add a requirement that guidance must cover the community wealth building statement, including every measure that is set out under section 1(3). That would ensure that public bodies have clarity on how each element of the statement should be interpreted and implemented. Amendment 105 would do the same for local action plans, requiring guidance on all measures included under section 5(5). That would help to ensure consistency across local authorities and support effective delivery on the ground.

There is a key issue here about making the legislation successful. Guidance from ministers will be critical in supporting local authorities and community wealth building, whether for community-owned projects, small businesses or bigger companies.

I support amendment 69 in the name of Lorna Slater. It highlights community-owned renewable energy and the skills and supply chains where we are not seeing the development that we want to. Passing that amendment would help us.

I also support the minister’s amendment 106, which is about strengthening guidance and ensuring that local authorities and specified public bodies get the right guidance and the right support to implement the legislation.

Paul Sweeney spoke articulately in support of his amendments. I see that there is also an amendment from Richard Leonard. It strengthens the impact of public sector organisations in delivering on this important legislation.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

What are the key economic challenges over the remainder of the spending review period? How will future budget decisions need to change to support sustainable growth? The committee has spent a lot of time talking about the just transition and the need to invest to protect jobs, but where are the big opportunities?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

I blanked that out; I could not hear it.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

It is useful to get that feedback, because the arrangement works in other countries.

The planned capital utilisation has reduced from £341 million to £153 million. There is money there, but we are not spending it, and we are not reinvesting it.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

Okay. I just think that it is a missed opportunity. We do not have anything in those projects, and other countries are going to get resources out of our natural environment.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Meeting date: 21 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

I am stopping at this point.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 20 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

What about the concerns expressed by the children’s commissioner and the SYP?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 20 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

This is a really important issue. Like the convener, I have to declare an interest in that I have a free bus pass for the over-60s. When it was introduced, I never thought that I would be using it. Having taken part in the parliamentary debates and seen evidence from constituents, I can see that there is antisocial behaviour out there. There are people who are conducting themselves in absolutely inappropriate ways, and it is putting drivers at risk, so this could not be more important.

It is important to discuss both the principle of removing people’s passes and the circumstances for doing so. I hope that we can come back to the issue, because Young Scot was not consulted, and there have been comments from the Scottish Youth Parliament and from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland. It is really important that safeguards are in place. I would like to discuss both those things at the same time.

I would also like to hear more about travel safety officers and how they will be targeted to support the safety of bus users. The fact that people are not using buses came through in evidence from young people; they worry about using the bus now, because other people conduct themselves totally inappropriately. Where is the resource for that and how will it be targeted?

09:45

How do we raise the profile of the legislation so that young people can see it? Should it be through TV, social media, adverts and schools but also more widely? As has been commented on, it is not just young people who might abuse their bus pass by not behaving appropriately; certain other groups of people might do so, too. Could there be something in guidance and in the code of conduct? It is really important that you consider all that.

My final question is about the disability issue. Will drivers be briefed about people with Tourette’s, for example? There are some really important issues in how the legislation is implemented. People want it to be implemented, but we must ensure that the process in relation to the code of conduct is fair when Transport Scotland is considering the removal of a bus pass. I hope that the minister listens to us and that the committee has spare time to enable us to get this right, because it is so important.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 20 January 2026

Sarah Boyack

There were a couple of questions on disabilities earlier, and I raised another example. Proper guidance is needed on all those issues to make people aware of them, so I would like to hear a commitment about that. As other members have said, the two issues go together: what we are discussing today and the context. That needs to be in the code of conduct, because young people have not been consulted—we have had that feedback. Getting the two right is critical.