Fergus Ewing)
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MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT Tuesday 19 August 2014 Session 4 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.scottish.parliament.uk or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Tuesday 19 August 2014 CONTENTS Col. TIME FOR REFLECTION ............................................................................................................................... 33557 BUSINESS MOTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 33559 Business motions moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]—and agreed to. TOPICAL QUESTION TIME ........................................................................................................................... 33561 North Sea Oil and Gas Revenues ........................................................................................................ 33561 Russian Ban on European Union Food Imports ................................................................................... 33564 Currency Union (Discussions) .............................................................................................................. 33567 FERGUSON SHIPBUILDERS ......................................................................................................................... 33569 Statement—[John Swinney]. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney) ............... 33569 NHS SCOTLAND ........................................................................................................................................ 33578 Statement—[Alex Neil]. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Alex Neil) ............................................................... 33578 REVENUE SCOTLAND AND TAX POWERS BILL: STAGE 3 .............................................................................. 33590 REVENUE SCOTLAND AND TAX POWERS BILL ............................................................................................. 33603 Motion moved—[John Swinney]. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney) ............... 33603 Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) .............................................................................................................. 33606 Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) ................................................................................................................ 33608 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 33610 Michael McMahon (Uddingston and Bellshill) (Lab) ............................................................................. 33612 Willie Rennie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD) .......................................................................................... 33614 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 33615 Gavin Brown ......................................................................................................................................... 33617 Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) .................................................................... 33618 John Swinney ....................................................................................................................................... 33620 DISABLED PERSONS’ PARKING BADGES (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 3 .......................................................... 33624 Motion moved—[Dennis Robertson]. Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) .................................................................................. 33624 The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown) ....................................................................... 33626 Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab).................................................................................................... 33628 Cameron Buchanan (Lothian) (Con) .................................................................................................... 33630 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) .................................................................. 33633 Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) ........................................................................................................ 33634 Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 33635 Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) ............................................................................................. 33637 Cameron Buchanan .............................................................................................................................. 33638 Mark Griffin ........................................................................................................................................... 33638 Keith Brown .......................................................................................................................................... 33640 Dennis Robertson ................................................................................................................................. 33644 DECISION TIME .......................................................................................................................................... 33647 INDEPENDENT RETAILERS .......................................................................................................................... 33648 Motion debated—[Gordon MacDonald]. Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) ............................................................................... 33648 Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Lab) ...................................................................................... 33651 Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) .................................................................................................... 33652 Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) ................................................................................................................ 33653 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 33655 The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism (Fergus Ewing) ....................................................... 33657 33557 19 AUGUST 2014 33558 As an organisation, we depend on God for Scottish Parliament guidance, wisdom and grace. Everything that we do is God centred, with volunteers demonstrating Tuesday 19 August 2014 how powerful that message is. [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at Depending on God is not a weakness; it is a 14:00] partnership, with an eternal dimension. We all demonstrate our faith differently, but giving freely Time for Reflection and lovingly to help another person in need is something that can change the life of the recipient; The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick): Good it may also challenge the observant watcher to go afternoon. The first item of business is time for and do likewise. reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Mr Maybe if we involved God more in our Chris Thomson, the regional manager of decisions, we would be able to help more people Samaritan’s Purse. to fulfil man’s greatest need, which is to be loved. Chris Thomson (Samaritan’s Purse): Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. This year has been a very exciting year for all of us in Scotland. I take the opportunity to thank you for all your efforts in promoting this great nation. I was asked recently, “Is God interested in us?” Well, human beings have certainly always wanted their own way, and maybe the question should be, “Do we depend on God any more?” We desire knowledge, which breeds independence. That started in Eden, with the decision over good and evil. Today, our desire of knowledge is vast. In the scientific realm, that has exploded into man’s pursuit of the origins of the universe. More and more these days, God is excluded from so many things. People do not see the need to involve God any more, because “man knows better”. But has man’s knowledge solved humanity’s basic problems? Poverty, injustice, war, cruelty, disease and love of money are all still with us. Over the years that I have been involved with Samaritan’s Purse, I have seen some remarkable things and met some wonderful, inspirational people who live in a close relationship with God and live out the message of the Good Samaritan. It is a very simple parable from the Bible. The basic message is to love, respect, care for and look after one another, no matter who they are. In the next few months, thousands of volunteers throughout the United Kingdom will be helping with the operation Christmas child shoebox appeal. We have been challenged this year to send more than 1 million gift-filled shoeboxes from the UK to children who need them. One great part of my job is to go round all the processing depots in Scotland and meet passionate, committed volunteers, who give up their time to ensure that each individual box that a child gets demonstrates a powerful, loving message from across the globe. 33559 19 AUGUST 2014 33560 Groups 9 to 13: 1 hour 10 minutes.—[Joe Business Motions FitzPatrick.] Motion agreed to. 14:03 The Presiding Officer (Tricia