MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT Wednesday 9 September 2015 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 Wednesday 9 September 2015 CONTENTS Col. PORTFOLIO QUESTION TIME ............................................................................................................................... 1 FINANCE, CONSTITUTION AND ECONOMY ............................................................................................................ 1 Draft Budget (Publication) ............................................................................................................................ 1 Havelock Europa (Potential Job Losses) ..................................................................................................... 2 Scottish Rate of Income Tax ........................................................................................................................ 3 European System of Accounts 2010 ............................................................................................................ 5 Welfare Powers (Devolution) ........................................................................................................................ 7 Business Rates (Review) ............................................................................................................................. 8 Private Finance (Public Projects) ................................................................................................................. 9 Tourism (Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley) ............................................................................................ 10 Higher Education (Tuition Fees) ................................................................................................................. 11 Scottish Futures Trust (Meetings) .............................................................................................................. 11 Draft Budget (Timetable) ............................................................................................................................ 12 Growth Fund (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)................................................................................. 13 Elgin High School Replacement ................................................................................................................. 14 Economy (Performance) ............................................................................................................................. 14 HMNB Clyde ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Social Responsibility Levy .......................................................................................................................... 16 Austerity Measures (Economic Impact in Glasgow) ................................................................................... 17 HOUSING AND WELLBEING ............................................................................................................................... 19 Motion moved—[Ken Macintosh]. Amendment moved—[Margaret Burgess]. Amendment moved—[Alex Johnstone]. Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) ............................................................................................................... 19 The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess) ........................................................................ 25 Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) ............................................................................................. 29 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 31 Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 34 Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) ......................................................................................... 37 Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) .......................................................................... 38 Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP) ........................................................................................................................ 41 Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD) ................................................................................................ 43 Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) ....................................................................................................... 46 Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab) ..................................................................... 48 Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) .................................................................................................. 50 Paul Martin (Glasgow Provan) (Lab) .......................................................................................................... 53 Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 56 Cameron Buchanan (Lothian) (Con) .......................................................................................................... 59 Margaret Burgess ....................................................................................................................................... 61 Michael McMahon (Uddingston and Bellshill) (Lab) ................................................................................... 65 REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974 (EXCLUSIONS AND EXCEPTIONS) (SCOTLAND) AMENDMENT ORDER 2015 [DRAFT]...................................................................................................................................... 70 Motion moved—[Angela Constance]. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Angela Constance) .................................... 70 Cara Hilton (Dunfermline) (Lab) ................................................................................................................. 72 Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ............................................................................................. 75 Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) ............................................................................................. 77 Angela Constance ...................................................................................................................................... 78 BUSINESS MOTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 81 Motions moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTION ................................................................................................................... 83 Motion moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN ............................................................................................................................... 84 DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 85 SEAL DEATHS AND POPULATION DECLINE ........................................................................................................ 92 Motion debated—[Rod Campbell]. Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 92 Cara Hilton (Dunfermline) (Lab) ................................................................................................................. 95 Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP) ............................................................................................................ 97 Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ......................................................................................... 98 Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green).......................................................................................................... 100 Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 101 The Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (Aileen McLeod) ............................... 102 1 9 SEPTEMBER 2015 2 Scottish Parliament “is not the ideal situation”. It is vital that there is sufficient time for proper Wednesday 9 September 2015 scrutiny of the draft budget proposals, particularly now that the Scottish Government will be able to set a Scottish rate of income tax for the first time. [The Deputy Presiding Officer opened the What reassurance and certainty can the cabinet meeting at 14:00] secretary provide to people who deliver our crucial public services such as schools, hospitals and Portfolio Question Time social care, who are being kept in the dark and are unable to plan their budgets for next year? Finance, Constitution and Economy John Swinney: I acknowledge that the situation is not ideal, but it is not a situation of my making. The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott): As I said, we depend on the UK Government’s Good afternoon. The first item of business is decisions for around 80 per cent of the Scottish portfolio questions. To get as