MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Parliamentary Year 5, No. 92, Session 5

Meeting of the Parliament (Virtual)

Thursday 4 February 2021

Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.

The meeting opened at 1.00 pm.

1. Portfolio Questions: Questions on Health and Sport and then on Communities and Local Government and then on Social Security and Older People were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers.

2. Ministerial Statement: The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity (Michael Matheson) made a statement and answered questions on Infrastructure Investment Plan and Capital Spending Review 2021-22 to 2025-26.

3. European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) () Bill: Andy Wightman moved S5M-23963—That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

After debate, the motion was agreed to (DT).

4. Decision Time: The Parliament took a decision on item 3 as noted above.

5. Plantation Slavery and Landownership in the West Highlands and Islands: Legacies and Lessons: The Parliament debated S5M-23310 in the name of Alasdair Allan—That the Parliament welcomes the publication by Community Land Scotland of an independent research report, Plantation slavery and landownership in the west Highlands and Islands: Legacies and Lessons, by Dr Iain Mackinnon of the University of Coventry and Dr Andrew Mackillop of the University of Glasgow as part of Community Land Scotland’s discussion paper series, Land and the Common Good;

notes the conclusion that the proceeds of slave ownership, slavery-derived wealth and slave compensation payments coincided with the purchase of Highlands and Islands estates or otherwise helped maintain existing estate holdings among many established landed families; welcomes the greater understanding that it believes the report brings of the impact of slavery on patterns of Scottish land ownership history; notes the evidence that specific estate purchases have direct links to slave-related income; regrets that land purchased from the proceeds of slavery rests on the misery of breaches to the human rights of dispossessed peoples; notes that slavery-derived wealth has contributed to historic patterns of land markets that have left legacies of monopoly land ownership, depopulation and an emphasis on extractive estate management that continue to operate today, and notes the calls for a discussion of an appropriate permanent memorial for these historic connections and their impact on peoples in Africa, the Caribbean and the Highlands and Islands.

6. Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion: The Parliament debated S5M-23806 in the name of Miles Briggs—That the Parliament finds it regrettable that the has reportedly said that it is not in a position to fund a new eye hospital in the foreseeable future; is concerned that the removal of £45 million of funding for the replacement Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in , which is over 50 years old, has implications for the care received by patients in Lothian; understands that waiting times for routine treatments, such as for glaucoma, can be extremely long; believes that NHS Lothian has been consistently underfunded by the NRAC funding model, and notes calls both for clarity from the health secretary regarding infrastructure funding in the NHS Lothian area and for that NHS board to be fairly funded when the budget is set out in January 2021.

The meeting closed at 5.43 pm.

David McGill Clerk of the Parliament 4 February 2021

Appendix (Note: this Appendix does not form part of the Minutes)

Committee Reports

The following reports were published on 4 February 2021—

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, 5th Report, 2021 (Session 5): Subordinate Legislation considered by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee on 2 February 2021 (SP Paper 926)

Covid-19 Committee, 3rd Report, 2021 (Session 5): Subordinate legislation considered by the Covid-19 Committee at its meeting on 4 February 2021 (SP Paper 928)

Subordinate Legislation

Affirmative Instruments

The following instrument was laid before the Parliament on 4 February 2021 and is subject to the affirmative procedure—

Sea Fishing (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 [draft] laid under paragraph 8F(5) of schedule 7 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Negative Instruments

The following instruments were laid before the Parliament on 4 February 2021 and are subject to the negative procedure—

Non-Domestic Rating (Valuation of Utilities) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2021 (SSI 2021/59) laid under Section 6A(2) of the Valuation and Rating (S) Act 1956

Personal Injuries (NHS Charges) (Amounts) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/60) laid under Section 195(8) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003

Published by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

All documents are available on For information on the contact the Scottish Parliament website at: Public Information on: www.parliament.scot/documents Telephone: 0131 348 5000 or 0800 092 7500 Email: [email protected] Live chat on parliament.scot You can write to us in any language or contact us using the Text Relay service or in British Sign Language through contactScotland-BSL.

© Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

The Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information.