Meeting of the Parliament Tuesday 7 November 2017 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 7 November 2017 CONTENTS Col. TIME FOR REFLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 TOPICAL QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................................... 3 Child Poverty ................................................................................................................................................ 3 APOLOGY (SAME-SEX SEXUAL ACTIVITY) ........................................................................................................... 7 Statement—[The First Minister]. The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) ............................................................................................................. 7 FORESTRY AND LAND MANAGEMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 1 ..................................................................... 16 Motion moved—[Fergus Ewing]. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity (Fergus Ewing) ........................................... 16 Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ....................................................................................... 19 Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Con) ............................................................................................. 22 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 24 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ........................................................................ 26 John Scott (Ayr) (Con) ................................................................................................................................ 29 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 31 Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................... 34 Richard Lyle (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 37 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................. 39 Gail Ross (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) .................................................................................. 42 Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (LD) ................................................................................................. 44 Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) ................................................................................ 46 Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) ................................................................................. 48 Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab) ........................................................................................................... 50 Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 53 Tom Mason (North East Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................... 56 David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................. 58 Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) ........................................................................................................ 60 Fergus Ewing .............................................................................................................................................. 62 FORESTRY AND LAND MANAGEMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL: FINANCIAL RESOLUTION .............................................. 67 Motion moved—[Derek Mackay]. BUSINESS MOTION ........................................................................................................................................... 68 Motion moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTION ................................................................................................................... 69 Motion moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]. DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 70 RESPECT FOR SHOPWORKERS WEEK ............................................................................................................... 71 Motion debated—[Daniel Johnson]. Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 71 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ........................................................................ 74 Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ...................................................................................... 75 Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 76 Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) .............................................................................. 78 Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) ........................................................................................................................ 80 The Minister for Employability and Training (Jamie Hepburn) ................................................................... 81 1 7 NOVEMBER 2017 2 Archbishop Romero was shot and killed while Scottish Parliament celebrating the mass. As he had given his energies during his life to serve his people, so he Tuesday 7 November 2017 gave his blood in their defence. In many ways, our politically turbulent times are [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at not so unlike Archbishop Romero’s. May the God 14:00] of peace help each of us to emulate the qualities for which Romero is rightly honoured: an authentic Time for Reflection solidarity with those we serve, a generous personal concern for those most in need and The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh): Our unflinching courage in speaking and acting for first item of business this afternoon is time for justice and the genuine welfare of all. Thank you. reflection. Our time for reflection leader is Dr Jonathan Reyes, executive director of the The Presiding Officer: Thank you very much. department of justice, peace and human Before we begin business this afternoon, I am development for the United States Conference of sure that all members will wish to join me in Catholic Bishops in Washington. thanking the emergency services and our own staff for their professionalism and assistance Dr Jonathan Reyes (United States today. I also thank all members for their patience Conference of Catholic Bishops): Presiding while the issue that we dealt with earlier was Officer, members of the Scottish Parliament: thank resolved. you for allowing to me to be with you this afternoon. The department that I manage for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is committed to what Pope Francis has called “integral human development”. The Catholic Church recognises that faith in God has consequences in all areas of life, including a profound commitment to help serve the development and flourishing of every person. I am in Scotland this week to give a series of lectures on one shining example of that kind of integral human concern: Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 to 1980. For much of the past century, the country of El Salvador, an impoverished and majority Catholic country, was politically turbulent, caught between two warring parties: a ruling militaristic Government dominated by a few wealthy families, and Marxist revolutionary forces. As is always true in cases of political violence, it is the people of the country who suffer the most. Romero’s enduring concern was the welfare, spiritual and material, of those suffering people. He was born into a family of modest means and his service was marked by a consistent interest in and care for the people in his charge. He made the effort to truly know them and to understand their concerns by personally visiting with them. He stood in authentic solidarity with them. Archbishop Romero was a man of peace who sought to find ways to reconcile warring factions. However, as the situation worsened and he saw that serious injustice was injuring his people, he spoke out. He called for an end to random killings and secret imprisonments, for more justice in governance and for peace between all parties. In so doing, he knew that he was risking his life. In his third year as Archbishop of San Salvador, 3 7 NOVEMBER 2017 4 Topical Question Time end child poverty is significant. As Governments, we should be seeking to reduce child poverty and create better outcomes for the lives of future generations. The Tories are doing the opposite of 14:03 that by presiding over the biggest rise in child Child Poverty poverty since modern records began in 1961. 1. Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) Ruth Maguire: The CPAG report reveals that (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government