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Meeting of the Parliament Meeting of the Parliament Wednesday 30 October 2019 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Wednesday 30 October 2019 CONTENTS Col. EUROPEAN UNION EXIT ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Statement—[Michael Russell]. The Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations (Michael Russell) ............. 1 PORTFOLIO QUESTION TIME ............................................................................................................................. 19 HEALTH AND SPORT ........................................................................................................................................ 19 “MHA monitoring report 2018-19” ............................................................................................................... 19 National Health Service Workforce Planning (European Union Exit) ......................................................... 20 Human Papillomavirus Vaccine .................................................................................................................. 22 Emergency Departments (Use of Physiotherapists) .................................................................................. 23 Breast Cancer Screening ........................................................................................................................... 23 Mesh Removal ............................................................................................................................................ 24 People with Dementia ................................................................................................................................. 25 St Brendan’s Hospital and Care Home (Replacement) .............................................................................. 26 COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ......................................................................................................... 27 Local Authority Procurement ...................................................................................................................... 27 Local Authority Procurement ...................................................................................................................... 27 Investing in Communities Fund (Rural Communities) ................................................................................ 28 Falling Masonry .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Accessible Housing Targets ....................................................................................................................... 30 Business Improvement Districts ................................................................................................................. 32 Non-domestic Rates (Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council) ............................................... 33 Park of Keir Development ........................................................................................................................... 34 Affordable Homes ....................................................................................................................................... 35 GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART FIRE ..................................................................................................................... 37 Motion debated—[Joan McAlpine]. Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 37 The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science (Richard Lochhead) ......................... 42 Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) ................................................................. 45 Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 47 Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) .............................................................................................................. 50 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 52 Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con) ................................................................................................................ 54 Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) .................................................................................................... 57 James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab) ..................................................................................................................... 58 Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) .................................................................................................... 60 Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con) ..................................................................................................................... 62 Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) .................................................................................... 64 Pauline McNeill ........................................................................................................................................... 66 Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ...................................................................................... 69 Richard Lochhead....................................................................................................................................... 71 Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ................................................................................................ 75 BUSINESS MOTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 79 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTIONS ................................................................................................................. 82 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]. DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 83 CHARITIES, SCOTLAND AND HOLYROOD ........................................................................................................... 84 Motion debated—[Margaret Mitchell]. Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................ 84 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 86 Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con) ............................................................................................................... 88 Elaine Smith (Central Scotland) (Lab) ........................................................................................................ 89 The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government (Aileen Campbell) ................................. 90 1 30 OCTOBER 2019 2 “We could not support any deal that creates a border of Scottish Parliament any kind in the Irish Sea and undermines the Union or leads to Northern Ireland having a different relationship with Wednesday 30 October 2019 the EU than the rest of the UK, beyond what currently exists.” Of course, they are now as much history as that [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at deal is. 13:30] The current Tory front-bench spokesperson on European Union Exit the constitution, Adam Tomkins, went even further—as ever. In October last year, he wrote in The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh): Good the Financial Times: afternoon. Our first item of business is a statement “From a Scottish Conservative and Unionist perspective, by Michael Russell on the impact on Scotland of what goes for Northern Ireland must go for Scotland also. the proposed new European Union exit deal. The In particular there can be no separate Brexit deal for each cabinet secretary will take questions following his of the nations that comprise the United Kingdom.” statement, so I encourage members who want to He went on to say that ask a question to press their request-to-speak buttons. “No unionist could ever endorse”— I repeat—“ever endorse”— 13:30 “any sort of differentiated deal”. The Cabinet Secretary for Government What a difference a year and a new Prime Business and Constitutional Relations Minister make. What a difference the very survival (Michael Russell): This statement will consider of the Tory party makes to its members. Twelve the impact on Scotland of the new EU withdrawal months on, the deal includes the clearest possible agreement and political declaration, which were “differentiated deal” for Northern Ireland, and it is a negotiated by Boris Johnson and are enshrined in deal that will put Scotland at a serious the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, disadvantage. the passage of which, at Westminster, was dramatically paused by the Prime Minister just I understand the Brexit weariness of the people over a week ago. of Scotland—I feel it, too. They did not want a referendum on the EU in the first place. By a large The Prime Minister, in true Trumpian fashion, majority,
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