Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report also shows that in-work poverty has increased in Scotland, with more than 60 per cent of people in poverty being in a household where one or more people are in work. Is the cabinet secretary at all concerned that higher income tax in Scotland is pushing households into poverty?

The Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s annual report found that there was poor progress on preventing veterans’ homelessness in 2023-24 and that there was incremental progress in 2025. What further work is the Scottish Government carrying out in conjunction with other public bodies to ensure that no veteran is forced to declare themselves homeless and that they can access benefits from Social Security Scotland?

I am happy to close on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives.

The bill has had a long and difficult journey to where we now find ourselves. It was 10 months ago that we started stage 1; stage 2 covered numerous weeks of meetings of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee; and stage 3 has taken up almost three full days of parliamentary business.

However, the legislation, despite all the time that we have spent on it, still does not represent the response to Scotland’s housing crisis that we so badly need. Despite all that time, we will not see one single home built as a result of the bill, and it also risks fracturing the lives of hundreds of thousands of privately rented households in Scotland.

Many stakeholders, including organisations such as Scottish Land & Estates and the Scottish Association of Landlords, have continued to warn that the rent control proposals in the bill will hurt supply in the private rented sector. Members on the Conservative benches have raised concerns about those proposals since the start of the process, and we have spoken about examples in countries such as Sweden and Germany, where rent controls did not lead to proper investment in housing. The SNP’s failed experiment with rent caps in 2022 has not stopped the Government trying to make those damaging measures permanent. As I said, stage 3 has been a long time coming, and yet the bill will not contribute anything.

In the debate, Meghan Gallacher said that improving the supply of houses should be a driving factor. That is not happening, but the bill will put in place permanent rent controls, which is misguided, as it will ensure that investment does not take place. Rent controls do not make homes. The bill will see fewer houses built and homelessness continue to grow. It is a missed opportunity. Councils will struggle to cope, and the bill will not do anything to help the housing emergency.

Willie Rennie spoke about stamina. We have had a huge amount of stamina in going through stage 2 and stage 3, but the outcome is disappointing. What we have achieved is a long way from building confidence in the sector. It is not what the sector needs—the balance is not there, and planning is still a barrier. What we needed was confidence, stability and security, and we have none of that.

Edward Mountain spoke about the way in which landlords have been demonised in the bill process, and the language that has been used. The needs of both residents and tenants and landlords need to be looked at in the long term to ensure that things will get better. In reality, the bill will not make things better—it will mean that there are still inequalities. Edward Mountain highlighted the finding that 33 per cent of landlords no longer want to continue in the business, and that is not the balance that we want to see.

In the debate, we have heard a narrative that pitches tenants against landlords. As I have said, that is not the narrative that we need to hear, but it is the inference from the proposals in the bill. Despite the Bute house agreement ending more than a year ago, the SNP appears to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the narrative that rent controls need to be in place.

It is time to talk about that narrative. We need to talk much more about the solutions that are needed. We need an attempt to increase the housing supply, and we have tried to move that forward. The bill was an opportunity to realise that and to deal with the housing emergency, but it has catastrophically failed to achieve what was set out. The bill is a missed opportunity, and it will risk making the housing crisis even worse—[Interruption.] For those reasons, Scottish Conservatives will certainly not support the bill at decision time—[Interruption.]

I am pleased to be able to contribute to this afternoon’s debate, and I thank Paul Sweeney for bringing it to the chamber.

It goes without saying that the £10 billion deal to supply five type 26 frigates from Norway should be welcomed whole-heartedly. The debate is an excellent opportunity to do so, and everyone who has spoken has welcomed it. However, it is also an opportunity to look at the success of the UK’s defence industry in Scotland.

The industry has gone from strength to strength, and that needs to be celebrated. The new deal will support around 2,000 jobs at BAE Systems shipyards in Glasgow, as well as around 2,000 jobs across the maritime supply chain. More than 100 businesses will benefit directly from the agreement, nearly half of which are small or medium-sized businesses. That is a real boost to the economy and a shot in the arm.

The new deal for the Clyde is a landmark moment for the Scottish shipbuilding industry. It is also a call to action for the Scottish and UK Governments. We now need to see them working hand in glove with industry in Scotland to ensure that that fantastic sector can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead. That includes supporting opportunities not only on the Clyde.

Babcock in Rosyth, which is in my region of Mid Scotland and Fife, is in the running to win a £1 billion deal to build ships for Denmark. It should be supported, too. The chief executive, David Lockwood, said that he is “confident but not complacent” about the bid. It would follow on from the previous deal to build five new type 31 warships for the Royal Navy, which was worth £1.25 billion.

Part of the investment in the Rosyth yard includes building a new assembly hall, which will allow two frigates to be parallel assembled. That is another huge investment. Such investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure will support organisations and structures in Rosyth and on the Clyde.

I thank the minister for prior sight of her statement. In it, she indicates that the Scottish Government has always taken seriously its responsibility to promote safe and connected communities, and that it will continue to support and fund organisations that are embedded in communities across Scotland and engage in ways that bring people together. Although the announcement of additional funding is welcome, local authorities are facing financial constraints as they deal with the influx of individuals.

What measures will the Scottish Government put in place to support local authorities; what discussion has it had with the UK Government about dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers; and what is its long-term approach to dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers, given the possible impact on local services?

The member makes a valid point. If we are to create that kind of environment, we must ensure that other yards can fulfil orders and provide capacity within the system.

As I said, that investment will support thousands of jobs and will lead to more opportunities. It will cost about £250 million to build a frigate—which is about the same as what it costs the SNP to build a car ferry.

Such investment does not just happen by itself or by chance. There is a real opportunity here to work with the UK Government. In the past, the Conservative UK Government was very much involved, through its national shipbuilding strategy. I pay tribute to what it did. That strategy, with its focus on creating new technology and new jobs, needs to continue. I hope that the current Labour UK Government will continue to support Babcock and other firms to ensure that that remains the case.

The SNP Government needs to take a more positive approach when it comes to the realities of the defence sector. As we know, it takes an ideological stance, and that can make waves within the sector. We do not want to see that, and we need to ensure that the Scottish Government is adopting a more positive approach.

The investments that have been made are putting Scotland firmly at the centre of the global defence industry, securing thousands of jobs for the future. We have arrived at this point through proactive, bold and ambitious investment by Governments that recognise the importance of the industry. The onus is now on both the Scottish and UK Governments to show the same recognition into the future. If that happens, this success will continue.

The minister claims to be focused on international trade, yet Scottish exports to the rest of the United Kingdom are worth three times more than exports to the EU and the rest of the world. Why is the Scottish National Party so obsessed with grandstanding abroad, instead of strengthening the most important trading relations, which are right here with the rest of the UK?

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether its current above-inflation public sector pay deals have appropriate contingencies in place, in light of the recent rise in the consumer price index and reported concerns regarding inflation. (S6O-04976)

Does the cabinet secretary accept that prioritising above-inflation pay rises can fuel further inflation while, at the same time, draining funds from vital areas such as social care and capital expenditure? Consistently going above pay policy makes unions more likely to push for even higher settlements. Is it not time that the Scottish Government was honest about trade-offs instead of pretending that there is a limitless supply of money from the taxpayer?

State funding has gone down by 5 per cent since 2021, at a cost of about £177 million. The rise in employer national insurance contributions has cost the sector £78 million. At a time when demand for support from the voluntary sector is rising, it is unsustainable to expect the voluntary sector to fund the shortfall.

Taking this essential sector for granted will be devastating for families and communities across Scotland. Will the Government commit to providing the funding that is necessary to support those charities, which are lifelines for families and communities across the whole of Scotland?