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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 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 9 July 2025
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Displaying 1377 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

On that sense of collective challenge and purpose in the political discourse, Chris Stark made some powerful points on the BBC at the weekend. As this is your last time at the committee in your current role, I give you the chance to say anything further on the collective challenge in our discourse and how we need to work collaboratively—not just to all of us around the table but to every politician in this building, every researcher and press officer behind the scenes, every journalist, and every campaigner and researcher for the many stakeholders who are involved in those considerations. How do we get our collective discourse and position to a better place?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

Recently, I visited a very interesting project that Lar Housing Trust has undertaken, in which it has converted an existing tenement building and a new tenement building with a district heating system through two British companies—one of which is Scottish. Kensa is a UK level company and Sunamp is from here in Scotland. There is evidence of what can be done.

As a constituency MSP who represents a lot of people who live in tenement housing and as someone who lives in one myself, reform of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 is important, as is the current consultation. Those issues need to be seen in tandem if we want to convert existing housing stock.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

We will need to reform the 2004 act to enable or to compel shared owners to come together, and to potentially have building bonds that achieve financial—

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

Professor Bell, you talked earlier about agriculture and land use. Do you want to say anything more on that? Your assessment suggests that the contribution of several key actions in agriculture, forestry and peatlands is off track. What would Scotland need—and what would you need—from the next climate change plan to provide certainty that there will be delivery in those areas?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

Thank you.

I will first go back to the topic of having a five-yearly carbon budget approach, rather than annual targets. I appreciate that you have clarified that you will make proposals, having considered the Welsh situation. Do you want to add anything more at this stage about the challenges, practicalities and process for setting five-yearly carbon budgets and how you envisage that working through the Government and Parliament?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Climate Change Committee’s Review of Scottish Emissions Targets and Progress Report 2023

Meeting date: 23 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

Considering the politics, the fact that the Scottish Parliament has five-yearly parliamentary terms might be quite helpful in that regard.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (Strategic Plan 2024-28)

Meeting date: 17 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

Going back to schooling and the considerations around reform, I noted the part of the video that was about life skills and financial awareness. Will you seek to push those issues in the context of education reform and curriculum changes?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (Strategic Plan 2024-28)

Meeting date: 17 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

I presume that, in addition to higher and further education, you will take into account considerations to do with employers and the apprenticeship programmes.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (Strategic Plan 2024-28)

Meeting date: 17 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

The Government already has a lot to consider from the various reviews that have taken place in recent months and years. Do you feel that the doors are open, so to speak, for you to feed in your thoughts, as you have just mentioned?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (Strategic Plan 2024-28)

Meeting date: 17 April 2024

Ben Macpherson

The issue is that young people are contracted in law and they do not have the agency to move between clubs in a way that would be right and reasonable. That is what your concerns derive from, is it not?