Official Report for This Meeting

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Official Report for This Meeting Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) Wednesday 2 June 2021 Session 6 © 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 2 June 2021 CONTENTS Col. NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 2021 ....................................................................................................................... 1 Statement—[Shirley—Anne Somerville]. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Shirley-Anne Somerville) ................................................. 1 ECONOMIC RECOVERY ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Motion moved—[Kate Forbes]. Amendment moved—[Liz Smith]. Amendment moved—[Daniel Johnson]. Amendment moved—[Lorna Slater]. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (Kate Forbes) ........................................................ 14 Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) .................................................................................................... 20 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 24 Lorna Slater (Lothian) (Green) ................................................................................................................... 28 Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) ........................................................................................................... 30 Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 33 Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) ......................................................................................... 35 Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) .................................................................................................................. 37 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 40 Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) .............................................................................. 42 Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) ........................................................................................................ 45 Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 47 Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 49 Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) .................................................................................................... 51 Jenni Minto (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)........................................................................................................... 53 Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) ...................................................................................... 56 Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab) ........................................................................................................... 58 Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) .............................................................................................. 61 The Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise (Ivan McKee) ................................................. 64 BUSINESS MOTION ........................................................................................................................................... 69 Motion moved—[George Adam]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTIONS ................................................................................................................. 71 Motions moved—[George Adam]. The Minister for Parliamentary Business (George Adam) .......................................................................... 71 DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 73 1 2 JUNE 2021 2 The disruption that has been generated by the Scottish Parliament Covid-19 pandemic has caused this year’s national 5, higher and advanced higher exams to Wednesday 2 June 2021 be cancelled. The national qualifications 2021 group was established in October 2020, with [The Convener opened the meeting at 14:00] representatives of teachers, learners and parents working alongside local authorities, the Scottish National Qualifications 2021 Qualifications Authority and the Government to ensure that the hard work of learners can be fairly The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone): acknowledged. The group agreed and co- Good afternoon. I remind members that social produced the model for this year, using its distancing measures are in place in the chamber members’ insight and expertise. Education and across the Holyrood campus. Please observe partners continue to support the approach. those measures, including when you enter and Let me be clear about the assessment process exit the chamber, and please only use the aisles itself. At the heart of the model are teachers’ and and walkways to access your seats and when you lecturers’ professional judgments, which are based move around the chamber. on what learners have demonstrated that they The first item of business is a statement by have attained. Those judgments alone, based on Shirley-Anne Somerville on national qualifications learners’ work, will this year determine the grades 2021. The cabinet secretary will take questions at that young people receive. Those grades will be the end of her statement. There should therefore based not on historical data or on use of an be no interventions or interruptions. algorithm, but on what each individual learner has demonstrated that they know, understand and can do, through the work on which they have been 14:00 assessed in school or college. That is the key The Cabinet Secretary for Education and difference this year, compared with what Skills (Shirley-Anne Somerville): I welcome this happened last year. My key message to reassure opportunity to provide an update on the awarding learners is this: your grades will be judged by your of qualifications this year. teachers, based on your work. It is a privilege, as well as a huge responsibility, I am enormously grateful for the efforts of our to have returned to the portfolio at such a critical teachers, lecturers and others in schools and time for Scottish education. The exceptional level colleges who are implementing the model in order of collaboration in supporting our learners, to ensure fairness for all learners. To provide particularly during the pandemic, has been evidence of how the model is being implemented striking. I am determined that such constructive locally, Her Majesty’s inspectors of education engagement be maintained. today published a review of local authority quality- assurance processes. The key findings from the Ensuring that our young people are kept safe review provide independent evidence that the and are able to achieve fair and credible grades in model is working well in practice, with local spite of the most challenging of school years has authority officers, headteachers, teachers and been, and remains, this Government’s absolute SQA co-ordinators having collaborated to ensure priority. I take very seriously the anxiety and that young people’s efforts are appropriately concern that some young people, parents and recognised, and with local authorities having teachers have voiced about the approach that is supported schools to implement the model to being taken—an approach that I and key reflect their local contexts while working within a stakeholders across our system firmly believe to national framework. be the fairest possible for our young people, in the challenging circumstances that result from the Despite the best efforts, a very small number of pandemic. learners who completed courses have over recent weeks, in particular, experienced significant In responding to the concerns that I have heard, disruption that has meant that they have been my statement will restate key principles about the unable to complete their assessments. model, provide detail on the support that is Contingency arrangements, on which the national available to learners, set out how this year’s qualifications 2021 group is publishing details appeals process will work to support learners, today, are in place for later certification for that acknowledge work to safeguard opportunities for group. this year’s learners to progress to further and higher education, and provide an update I fully appreciate that there are people who concerning the Organisation for Economic Co- disagree with the model that has been put in operation and Development review of the place. However, to them I say that teachers, curriculum. learners, and parents and carers have been 3 2 JUNE 2021 4 listened to, and that the model is the result of that. procedural error within the SQA or the examining Awarding qualifications would always be centre, and appeals that are related to the Equality challenging under the current circumstances, but Act 2010, including on assessment arrangements. we believe that the model that we have is the Education stakeholders have been clear that fairest solution in the interests of young people. demonstrated
Recommended publications
  • Apprentice Strikes in Twentieth Century UK Engineering and Shipbuilding*
    Apprentice strikes in twentieth century UK engineering and shipbuilding* Paul Ryan Management Centre King’s College London November 2004 * Earlier versions of this paper were presented to the International Conference on the European History of Vocational Education and Training, University of Florence, the ESRC Seminar on Historical Developments, Aims and Values of VET, University of Westminster, and the annual conference of the British Universities Industrial Relations Association. I would like to thank Alan McKinlay and David Lyddon for their generous assistance, and Lucy Delap, Alan MacFarlane, Brian Peat, David Raffe, Alistair Reid and Keith Snell for comments and suggestions; the Engineering Employers’ Federation and the Department of Education and Skills for access to unpublished information; the staff of the Modern Records Centre, Warwick, the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, the Caird Library, Greenwich, and the Public Record Office, Kew, for assistance with archive materials; and the Nuffield Foundation and King’s College, Cambridge for financial support. 2 Abstract Between 1910 and 1970, apprentices in the engineering and shipbuilding industries launched nine strike movements, concentrated in Scotland and Lancashire. On average, the disputes lasted for more than five weeks, drawing in more than 15,000 young people for nearly two weeks apiece. Although the disputes were in essence unofficial, they complemented sector-wide negotiations by union officials. Two interpretations are considered: a political-social-cultural one, emphasising political motivation and youth socialisation, and an economics-industrial relations one, emphasising collective action and conflicting economic interests. Both interpretations prove relevant, with qualified priority to the economics-IR one. The apprentices’ actions influenced economic outcomes, including pay structures and training incentives, and thereby contributed to the decline of apprenticeship.
    [Show full text]
  • Academic & Professional Publishing
    Fall 2017 Academic & Professional Publishing Academic & Professional Publishing Fall 2017 IPG Academic and Professional Publishing is delighted to present our Fall 2017 catalog which includes hundreds of new titles for your examination� In this edition we will also be introducing a new publisher to our readership� We are pleased to present titles from Southeast Missouri State University Press� Founded in 2001, Southeast Missouri State University Press serves both as a first-rate publisher and as a working laboratory for students interested in learning the art and skills of literary publishing. The Press supports a Minor degree program in Small-press Publishing for undergraduate students in any major who wish to acquire the basic skills for independent-press publishing and editing. Recognition won by their books include the John H� Reid Short Fiction Award, the Creative Spirits Platinum Award for General Fiction, the James Jones First Novel Award, the Langum Award for Historical Fiction, the Missouri Governor’s Book Award, the United We Read selection, and the Kniffen Book Award for best U�S�/Canada cultural geography� Table of Contents New Trade Titles ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������1–85 Business & Economics ������������������������������������������������������������86–96 Science................................................................................. 97–105 Philosophy........................................................................106 & 107 Religion.............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Heroes of Peace Profiles of the Scottish Peace Campaigners Who Opposed the First World War
    Heroes of Peace Profiles of the Scottish peace campaigners who opposed the First World War a paper from the Introduction The coming year will see many attempts to interpret the First World War as a ‘just’ war with the emphasis on the heroic sacrifice of troops in the face of an evil enemy. No-one is questioning the bravery or the sacrifice although the introduction of conscription sixteen months after the start of the war meant that many of the men who fought did not do so from choice and once in the armed forces they had to obey orders or be shot. Even many of the volunteers in the early stages of the war signed up on the assumption that it would all be over in a few months with few casualties. We want to ensure that there is an alternative – and we believe more valid – interpretation of the events of a century ago made available to the public. This was a war in which around ten million young men were killed on the battlefield in four years, about 120,000 of them were Scottish. Proportionately Scotland suffered the highest number of war dead apart from Serbia and Turkey. It was described as the ‘war to end wars’ but instead it created the conditions for the rise of Hitler and the Second World War just twenty years later as a result of the very harsh terms imposed on Germany and the determination to humiliate the losing states. It also contributed to some of the current problems in the Middle East since, as part of the war settlement, Britain and France took ownership of large parts of the Ottoman Empire and divided up the territory with no reference to the identities and interests of the people.
    [Show full text]
  • Spice Briefing
    MSPs BY CONSTITUENCY AND REGION Scottish SESSION 1 Parliament This Fact Sheet provides a list of all Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) who served during the first parliamentary session, Fact sheet 12 May 1999-31 March 2003, arranged alphabetically by the constituency or region that they represented. Each person in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs – 1 constituency MSPs: Historical MSP and 7 regional MSPs. A region is a larger area which covers a Series number of constituencies. 30 March 2007 This Fact Sheet is divided into 2 parts. The first section, ‘MSPs by constituency’, lists the Scottish Parliament constituencies in alphabetical order with the MSP’s name, the party the MSP was elected to represent and the corresponding region. The second section, ‘MSPs by region’, lists the 8 political regions of Scotland in alphabetical order. It includes the name and party of the MSPs elected to represent each region. Abbreviations used: Con Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Green Scottish Green Party Lab Scottish Labour LD Scottish Liberal Democrats SNP Scottish National Party SSP Scottish Socialist Party 1 MSPs BY CONSTITUENCY: SESSION 1 Constituency MSP Region Aberdeen Central Lewis Macdonald (Lab) North East Scotland Aberdeen North Elaine Thomson (Lab) North East Scotland Aberdeen South Nicol Stephen (LD) North East Scotland Airdrie and Shotts Karen Whitefield (Lab) Central Scotland Angus Andrew Welsh (SNP) North East Scotland Argyll and Bute George Lyon (LD) Highlands & Islands Ayr John Scott (Con)1 South of Scotland Ayr Ian
    [Show full text]
  • We Can Be Heroes Just for One Day
    ASLEFJOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2019 The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen We can be heroes just for one day Standing by the wall I will be king & you, you will be queen And the guns shot above our heads For ever and ever And the shame was on the other side. We can beat them... The train drivers ’ Inside: Palestine; Pride; Michael Green; and Tolpuddle 2019 union since 1880 GS Mick Whelan ASLEFJOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2019 Chaos and confusion The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen E HAVE never been in the W game of having preferences in contractual negotiations for franchises, even having different standards of Mick: ‘It’s the old cap industrial relations and collar process’ within certain groups. Our issue is, and always has been, with the model. Never has this been clearer than now, when we might have expected 10 a period of calm after Mr Grayling going and Mr 12 Shapps taking over. Alas, that is not the case. Confusion reigns. News The number of questions we have had over what has been announced continues to grow. l Rail fares rise again; and steam train blues 4 Apparently, Southeastern is to be run again as l Railway Workers’ Centenary Service; and 5 the conditions aren’t right; Stagecoach and Arriva Off the Rails: Patrick Flanery; Bev Quist; can take legal action over being excluded. Then Kim Darroch; and Christopher Meyer First Trenitalia wins the former Virgin bid because it meets Williams – a report we have not yet had – Cyril Power’s Tube train pictures on show 6 l and contains element of the old cap and collar l Kevin Lindsay hails a victory in Scotland 7 process that means the franchisee cannot lose.
    [Show full text]
  • SLR I15 March April 03.Indd
    scottishleftreview comment Issue 15 March/April 2003 A journal of the left in Scotland brought about since the formation of the t is one of those questions that the partial-democrats Scottish Parliament in July 1999 Imock, but it has never been more crucial; what is your vote for? Too much of our political culture in Britain Contents (although this is changing in Scotland) still sees a vote Comment ...............................................................2 as a weapon of last resort. Democracy, for the partial- democrat, is about giving legitimacy to what was going Vote for us ..............................................................4 to happen anyway. If what was going to happen anyway becomes just too much for the public to stomach (or if Bill Butler, Linda Fabiani, Donald Gorrie, Tommy Sheridan, they just tire of the incumbents or, on a rare occasion, Robin Harper are actually enthusiastic about an alternative choice) then End of the affair .....................................................8 they can invoke their right of veto and bring in the next lot. Tommy Sheppard, Dorothy Grace Elder And then it is back to business as before. Three million uses for a second vote ..................11 Blair is the partial-democrat par excellence. There are David Miller two ways in which this is easily recognisable. The first, More parties, more choice?.................................14 and by far the most obvious, is the manner in which he Isobel Lindsay views international democracy. In Blair’s world view, the If voting changed anything...................................16 purpose of the United Nations is not to make a reasoned, debated, democratic decision but to give legitimacy to the Robin McAlpine actions of the powerful.
    [Show full text]
  • Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
    Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee Wednesday 19 February 2020 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 19 February 2020 CONTENTS Col. QUEENSFERRY CROSSING .................................................................................................................................. 1 BUDGET SCRUTINY 2020-21 ............................................................................................................................ 13 SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION............................................................................................................................. 35 Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) (Scotland) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/18) ............................................................................................................. 35 BUDGET SCRUTINY 2020-21 ............................................................................................................................ 38 RURAL ECONOMY AND CONNECTIVITY COMMITTEE 6th Meeting 2020, Session 5 CONVENER *Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) DEPUTY CONVENER *Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) COMMITTEE MEMBERS *Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Con) *John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) *Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) *Emma Harper (South Scotland)
    [Show full text]
  • BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 40/2014 Thursday 6 March 2014
    BUSINESS BULLETIN No. 40/2014 Thursday 6 March 2014 Summary of Today’s Business Meetings of Committees 10.00 am Equal Opportunities Committee Committee Room 1 10.15 am European and External Relations Committee Room 6 Committee 1.00 pm Justice Sub-Committee on Policing Committee Room 6 __________________________________________________________________ Meeting of the Parliament 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions 12.30 pm Members’ Business – S4M-09000 George Adam: Scotland’s First Year as a Fair Trade Nation 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Scottish Government Debate: Maximising the Opportunities for Scotland from District Heating and Decarbonising the Heat System followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time For full details of today’s business, see Section A. For full details of the future business, see sections B and C. ___________________________________________________________________ 1 Contents The sections which appear in today’s Business Bulletin are in bold Section A: Today’s Business - Meetings of Committees - Meeting of the Parliament Section B: Future Meetings of the Parliament Section C: Future Meetings of Committees Section D: Oral Questions - Questions selected for First Minister’s Questions - Questions selected for response by Ministers and junior Scottish Ministers at Question Time Section E: Written Questions – new questions for written answer Section F: Motions and Amendments Section G: Bills - New Bills introduced - New amendments to Bills - Members’ Bills proposals Section H: New Documents – new documents laid before the Parliament and committee reports published Section I: Petitions – new public petitions Section J: Progress of Legislation – progress of Bills and subordinate legislation Section K: Corrections to the Official Report 2 Business Bulletin: Thursday 6 March 2014 Section A – Today’s Business Meetings of Committees All meetings take place in the Scottish Parliament, unless otherwise specified.
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Government Events
    For Operational Guidance Only - Not for Publication Scottish Government Events Sunday 15 November Joe FitzPatrick: Announces additional funding for prevention of obesity in Early Years (00:01) (news release) Desk Contact: Kirsty Jenkins 0131 244 3054 Monday 16 November Roseanna Cunningham: Takes part in COP26 Cast panel discussion, run by University of Edinburgh Business School on COP and the wellbeing economy (19:30) Desk Contact: Alice Robertson 07500 030559 Roseanna Cunningham: Speaks at launch of WWF and Scottish Power's COP 26 Climate Collaboration Challenge (14:00) (Twitter) Desk Contact: Alice Robertson 07500 030 559 Fiona Hyslop: Congratulates two Scottish finalists in the Festival UK 2022 innovation competition (00:01) (quote in stakeholder news release, Twitter) Desk Contact: Louise Aitken 07769 357170 Maree Todd: Comments on start of Adoption Week Scotland (10:00) (quote in stakeholder news release, Twitter) Desk Contact: Lana Montgomery 07880 462019 Jeane Freeman: Announces £1 million fund for digital devices in care homes (14:00) (news release) (Twitter) Desk Contact: Matt Paterson 07468 766475 Tuesday 17 November John Swinney: Launches this year's Read, Write, Count book bags as part of Book Week Scotland (09:30) (Twitter) Desk Contact: Richard Clarke 07467 447253 Wednesday 18 November Mairi Gougeon: Launches Buy a Puppy Safely animal welfare campaign (00:01) (news release, Twitter) Desk Contact: Thomas Barker 0131 244 5181 Fergus Ewing: Welcomes a new guide by Scottish Forestry to help small landholders plant new woodlands
    [Show full text]
  • Meeting of the Parliament
    Meeting of the Parliament Tuesday 19 March 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 Tuesday 19 March 2019 CONTENTS Col. TIME FOR REFLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 BUSINESS MOTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Motion moved—[Graeme Dey]—and agreed to. TOPICAL QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................................... 4 Christchurch Terrorist Attack ........................................................................................................................ 4 Job Creation (Annan) ................................................................................................................................... 8 UNITED KINGDOM SPRING STATEMENT (IMPLICATIONS FOR ECONOMY AND PUBLIC SPENDING) .......................... 12 Statement—[Derek Mackay]. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work (Derek Mackay) ......................................... 12 MENTAL HEALTH AND INCAPACITY LEGISLATION (REVIEW)................................................................................ 23 Statement—[Clare Haughey]. The Minister
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 MSP Spreadsheet
    Constituency MSP Name Party Email Airdrie and Shotts Neil Gray SNP [email protected] Coatbridge and Chryston Fulton MacGregor SNP [email protected] Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Jamie Hepburn SNP [email protected] East Kilbride Collette Stevenson SNP [email protected] Falkirk East Michelle Thomson SNP [email protected] Falkirk West Michael Matheson SNP [email protected] Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Christina McKelvie SNP [email protected] Motherwell and Wishaw Clare Adamson SNP [email protected] Uddingston and Bellshill Stephanie Callaghan SNP [email protected] Regional Central Scotland Richard Leonard Labour [email protected] Central Scotland Monica Lennon Labour [email protected] Central Scotland Mark Griffin Labour [email protected] Central Scotland Stephen Kerr Conservative [email protected] Central Scotland Graham Simpson Conservative [email protected] Central Scotland Meghan Gallacher Conservative [email protected] Central Scotland Gillian Mackay Green [email protected] Constituency MSP Name Party Email Glasgow Anniesland Bill Kidd SNP [email protected] Glasgow Cathcart James Dornan SNP [email protected] Glasgow Kelvin Kaukab Stewart SNP [email protected] Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn Bob Doris SNP [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Official Report Is Accurate
    Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) Thursday 17 June 2021 Session 6 © 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 Thursday 17 June 2021 CONTENTS Col. FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ..................................................................................................................... 1 Drug Deaths .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Covid-19 (Personal Protective Equipment) .................................................................................................. 5 Climate Targets ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Covid-19 (Business Support) ...................................................................................................................... 11 Malicious Prosecutions (Inquiry) ................................................................................................................. 12 Psychiatric Hospitals (Discharge Delays) ................................................................................................... 13 Removal of Dental Charges ....................................................................................................................... 14 ScotRail Strike Action ................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]