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I am delighted to be able to close this debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives, and I will be supporting the amendment in the name of my colleague Stephen Kerr.

Once again, today’s debate could have been an opportunity to discuss how best Scotland can exist in today’s Europe. It was a chance to highlight opportunities for improved collaboration within the European Union and with our European neighbours as the trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union continues to develop.

However, one look at the Government’s motion makes it quite clear that the Scottish Government wanted to have a debate on other topics. Indeed, the Scottish Government is rerunning debates on single market membership, customs union membership and freedom of movement. The Government knows that that shopping list is a complete fantasy. However, that did not stop it taking the opportunity this afternoon to stand up and say its piece, so it is important that we do the same.

Instead of setting out a pragmatic and bold vision for how Scotland can exist alongside the European Union, the Scottish Government wants to reopen old wounds and repeat arguments as if it were 2019 again. As usual, the Scottish Government is spending yet more chamber time debating entirely reserved matters.

We should be talking today about what is happening in our education system. We could be talking about what is happening with delayed infrastructure projects, such as those on roads. We could be discussing other devolved matters. However, that is not what the Scottish Government wants—once again, it wants to focus on constitutional grievance.

Yesterday, we were talking about the economy of Scotland and how jobs are being lost in a sector that is vital to this country and our future economic stability.

The Scottish Government says that it is concerned about economic damage, while ignoring the fact that, if we had Scottish independence, we would have economic chaos. The centre for economic performance at the London School of Economics has said that

“disrupting trade with the rest of the UK could lower Scottish income per capita by at least 6 per cent.”

Given that Scotland exports three times more to the rest of the UK than to the European Union, that is not surprising; nor is it surprising that, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute, more than 500,000 jobs are linked to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom.

The Scottish Government wants to gloss over the problems of rejoining the European Union. It says that it would be quite an easy thing to achieve, but is glossing over many of the issues that it would face.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom Government concluded a comprehensive trade deal with India. That is a real opportunity. The deal is the result of several years of negotiation. Although the current UK Government was able to finalise the deal, it was the previous Conservative Government that laid the foundations on which that agreement could be reached.

I know how hard the Scottish whisky industry fought to ensure that that vital sector is central to the trade deal. When I met the Indian trade minister two years ago, he told me that he had never seen a country fight so hard for one particular industry. We have all been fighting for that industry, because we know that it will bring us prosperity and opportunity and will give us jobs in our communities.

The deal will reduce tariffs on Scottish whisky from 150 per cent to 75 per cent, and will further reduce them to 40 per cent within 10 years. It could increase whisky exports by at least £1 billion in the next five years, bringing money into our economy. We should be celebrating that.

The deal will also create countless jobs and opportunities across the sector. The Scotch Whisky Association has called the deal “transformational” and “a landmark moment”. That is very much the case.

The crucial thing here, though, is that that deal would not have been possible if the UK were still a part of the EU. I want more of that—I want trade deals in other areas. It is quite telling that the SNP Government was unable to celebrate the deal, despite the significant possibilities and prospects for Scotland that it brings.

There are also many future opportunities for Scotland, as the United Kingdom engages with faster-growing markets across Asia, Africa and the Americas. I hope that the Scottish Government can at least try to welcome some of the opportunities that lie ahead in those continents, because they are immense and will give businesses and individuals opportunities to prosper.

I turn to some of the speeches that we have heard this afternoon. The cabinet secretary spoke about a reset summit that is to take place in the next week or so, and about the challenges, hopes, aspirations and opportunities that it presents. However, we must think about the defence and security challenges. The cabinet secretary also spoke about the Prime Minister’s recent comments being “a new low for Labour.”

My colleague Stephen Kerr gave a passionate speech, as we would expect. He talked about the SNP once again wanting to break up the United Kingdom. The SNP wants to rejoin the EU, abandon processes and drop red lines. However, the biggest issue that Mr Kerr discussed was access to fishing rights and how that issue has been manipulated in the past few days. If what we are hearing is being considered behind closed doors is true, that would be a backward step for everybody.

Taking back control has been touched on. So far, 70 trade deals have been signed—those are opportunities that this country would not have had if we had still been a member of the EU. As I said, the trade deal with India will create real prosperity for the nation.

It has been mentioned that secret summits are under way in which the possibility of giving away fishing grounds is being considered. As we all know, the SNP—the Scottish nationalists—wish to split and take away many of those fishing grounds.

Neil Bibby talked about the politics of the issue. He, too, touched on the UK-EU reset that is about to take place. He spoke about the Scottish nationalists grandstanding and about how the SNP’s record on Europe has not always been as clear as it was presented today.

I pay tribute to Alex Cole-Hamilton for discussing the Ukraine war and for his recent visit to Ukraine to deliver ambulances from Scotland. That was very bold, and I pay tribute to him for that. He spoke about the freedoms that we enjoy in the United Kingdom, security issues, the fact that Scotland has a place in Europe—there is no doubt about that—and the proposed plans for a reset. He also talked about where we can work together.

Instead of our having a meaningful debate about Scotland’s future relationship with Europe, we have had the usual grievance and received lectures from many members in the chamber. We want Scotland to be part of an outward-looking United Kingdom in which we can collaborate closely with the EU while embracing the opportunities from free trade with the rest of the world. That is what we need, and that is we want to create. That is what we need, and that is what we want to capitalise on. That is what we need, and that is what we will stand up for.

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have written to the Scottish Government to highlight their concerns and to suggest constructive solutions for the review of the policy. Given the importance of self-catering to the Scottish tourism economy, to which it contributes almost £1 billion, does the cabinet secretary agree that the current unfortunate situation needs to be addressed rapidly, before long-term damage is done to the sector?

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has undertaken with stakeholders in response to reported concerns regarding the implementation of the revised non-domestic rates processes for self-catering operators. (S6O-04660)

Plans to build affordable homes for disabled residents in Clackmannan have been delayed while costs are recalculated. The council previously laid proposals to construct bungalows on a site in the town, but those proposals have now been reduced. Given the urgent requirements for more accessible housing in my region, what assurances can the Scottish Government give that it will do all that it can to maximise the availability for that much-needed development to progress?

Increasing visitor numbers at local galleries and museums depends on having innovative collections and material for people to view. Can the cabinet secretary outline what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that collections that are held in Edinburgh and Glasgow are shared with local galleries and museums in order to increase footfall?

There is a significant shortage of accessible housing in Mid Scotland and Fife, which impacts disabled individuals, particularly those who require wheelchair-accessible homes. Although some local authorities have committed to building more accessible homes, the current rates of construction are insufficient to meet the growing demand. What further action can be taken to achieve a resolution to this crisis?

I thank Emma Harper, my fellow co-convener of the cross-party group on lung health, for bringing her members’ business debate to the chamber. As the motion states, the theme of this year’s world asthma day, which takes place on Tuesday 6 May, is “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for ALL.” Asthma charities have long called for that. They encourage the use of preventer inhalers for everyone with asthma, emphasising their importance in preventing airway inflammation and reducing the risk of asthma attacks. They also promote alternative reliever inhalers, which appear to be safer and more effective options than the traditional blue ones.

If we take a look at the detail of the recommendations, it becomes apparent why they make such good sense. Asthma and Lung UK highlights the evidence that shows why prevention is important: it manages inflammation and reduces the risk of asthma attacks.

We have heard about the difficulties that individuals have to manage because of air quality. Asthma and Lung UK advocates for moving away from the common blue reliever inhalers in favour of anti-inflammatory reliever inhalers or maintenance and reliever therapy inhalers, which offer real benefits to individuals.

The importance of correct inhaler technique cannot be stressed enough; it is vital to ensure that the medication reaches the user’s airways correctly and provides the most benefit. We have heard from patients, consultants and healthcare professionals about the techniques that require to be supported.

There are support groups in my region of Mid-Scotland and Fife, such as Breathe Easy Clackmannanshire Community Group and the breathe easy groups in Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Leven and Kirkcaldy. All those groups support people who have asthma or COPD, and offer support, encouragement and coaching for people in using their inhalers, to make sure that they are effective, which is important.

It is also essential that access to treatments is discussed. The subject has been brought up time and again at our cross-party group meetings by patients and health professionals, and the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health has been present to discuss that. However, some individuals still struggle to obtain access to even the most basic of treatments in some parts of the region. We have heard about the FeNO test, which needs to be looked at and progressed. I look forward to hearing what is being consulted on.

I strongly agree with many of the recommendations. The Scottish Government must, as a basic duty of care, ensure that the pathways are available for everyone. We have touched on pathways, but not all areas of Scotland have the same pathways, as has been reported. It is vital that we deal with that.

In 2023, we saw the highest number of asthma deaths recorded in Scotland in more than 30 years. That is a major issue. We have talked about air quality, people’s living conditions and people’s attitudes, but there needs to be clarity on how we manage the issue across our regions. It is clear that the matter should be urgently tackled. I look forward to hearing from the minister about positive work that the Scottish Government has attempted to do when she sums up, but many areas require progress.

The cross-party group has been doing exceptional work, and I again pay tribute to my co-convener Emma Harper and Asthma and Lung UK, because we are challenging this on a regular basis. We continue to move things forward. It has been inspirational to meet and discuss the issue with clinicians, professionals and the individuals who suffer from these conditions, because they tell us about the real world that they live in day to day. It is vital that we take on board all their concerns.

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I will be supporting the amendment in the name of my colleague Murdo Fraser.

The Scottish Conservatives are always happy to champion the needs of Scotland’s industrial and manufacturing sectors, and these are undoubtedly challenging and turbulent times. Right across the United Kingdom, those industries face the stark reality of challenges, such as rising energy costs because of the on-going war in Ukraine, which continue to have a significant impact on prices for businesses across Scotland and the United Kingdom.

As Scottish industry faces turbulent times, it is also facing uncertain times. The announcement from Grangemouth today confirms that. The loss of jobs and of the refinery in that location will have a massive impact on Scotland and its economy. In addition, disturbances of international trade and distribution that are taking place because of tariffs have made conditions more difficult for Scotland’s exporters, even though Brexit has allowed the UK to avoid the worst of those tariffs.

As Murdo Fraser’s amendment highlights, decisions that have been taken by both of Scotland’s Governments have made the situation even more difficult and volatile, including decisions that were taken by the Labour UK Government in its autumn statement. Labour’s broken promise on national insurance contributions will inevitably have a huge knock-on effect in the form of difficulties for businesses in hiring and retaining staff.

I would also like to talk about the difficulties around decisions that are made within industry. The CEO of PP Control & Automation has warned that tax hikes will burden the manufacturing sector at a time when it is already dealing with high operational expenses and skill shortages. We have skill shortages in many sectors, and the national insurance contributions rise will only exacerbate them. The director of S&P Global has warned of the impact that it will have on manufacturing: it will ensure that jobs are lost

“at a rate not been seen since the pandemic months of mid-2020”.

The Labour Government has said that it wants to make growth a priority. If it does, its actions need to make that the reality. Instead, the reality is that its decision to raise taxes will make growth more difficult to achieve for industries across Scotland and the whole of the UK. The fact that the tax increase is happening at the same time as Labour’s new Employment Rights Bill is before Parliament will only make a bad situation worse.

It is evident that the reforms are already causing instability, falling confidence and further uncertainty for the businesses community across Scotland. It is also clear that aspects of the reforms will have a real impact in practice. The Law Society of Scotland has said that the new provisions around zero-hours contracts are

“overly complicated and lack clarity”.

That alone will cause real issues for individuals. Furthermore, Labour’s own impact assessments suggest that the reforms could cost businesses an extra £4.5 billion across the United Kingdom and will impact industry in every sector.

However, for businesses in Scotland, the biggest challenges have been created by the SNP. Perhaps the most obvious example is the high-tax agenda that the Scottish Government continues to follow. On that issue, leading economists have warned that the SNP’s approach to income tax is “not working” and that tax divergence from the rest of the UK risks shrinking the Scottish tax base. Higher Scottish taxes are making it more difficult for leading industries to attract and retain top talent, which is a difficulty in the heavy industry and manufacturing sectors. According to Scottish Government data, the average salary in the Scottish manufacturing sector is significantly different from the average in Scotland, which means that workers are far more likely to fall into the SNP’s higher tax rates and lower thresholds. Given the importance of the sector to the Scottish economy, the Scottish Government should be careful that its policies do not end up clipping the sector’s wings.

The motion is right to talk about the turbulent times that industries face right across Scotland. Although the Scottish Government can see the problem, it is not always offering real solutions. Scottish industry should not be dealing with the higher tax burden or with lower long-term growth, which has taken about £800 million out of the Scottish budget. Businesses need a sense of common purpose and commonsense policies that aim to grow the economy and empower business, so that all sectors can thrive. Instead of increasing the contributions that we receive from hard-working Scots, the SNP should listen to the calls to cut taxes and reduce the burden that people are having to endure.

It is time for both of Scotland’s Governments to invest in a competitive pro-business environment that empowers Scottish industries to survive and thrive for the future. We are truly capable of achieving that and will do so if that is offered.

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports of criminals using drones to infiltrate prisons. (S6O-04558)