Meeting of the Parliament Wednesday 15 January 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 15 January 2020 CONTENTS Col. INDEPENDENT PRISON MONITORS ....................................................................................................................... 1 Motion debated——[Alexander Stewart]. Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ........................................................................................ 1 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) .......................................................................... 4 Maurice Corry (West Scotland) (Con) .......................................................................................................... 5 James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab) ....................................................................................................................... 7 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................... 8 Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) ......................................................................................................... 10 The Minister for Community Safety (Ash Denham) .................................................................................... 12 PORTFOLIO QUESTION TIME ............................................................................................................................. 15 RURAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Women in Agriculture ................................................................................................................................. 15 Forestry (Renfrewshire South) ................................................................................................................... 16 Budget (Rural Economy) ............................................................................................................................ 17 Forestry (Fire Hazard) ................................................................................................................................ 19 FAME Diesel (Impact on Farmers) ............................................................................................................. 20 Meat Products (US Regulatory Standards) ................................................................................................ 21 TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY .......................................................................................... 23 Borders Railway (Rolling Stock) ................................................................................................................. 23 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.......................................................................................................... 24 Haudagain Roundabout (Link Road Project) .............................................................................................. 25 Bellfield Interchange ................................................................................................................................... 27 Rail Services (South Scotland) ................................................................................................................... 27 Reaching 100 per cent Broadband Programme ......................................................................................... 28 Road Infrastructure Projects (Environmental Issues) ................................................................................. 29 ScotRail Franchise (Potential Buyers) ........................................................................................................ 30 SECONDARY EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 32 Motion moved—[Liz Smith]. Amendment moved—[John Swinney]. Amendment moved—[Iain Gray]. Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) .................................................................................................... 32 The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) ...................... 37 Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) .................................................................................................................... 42 Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) ......................................................................................................... 45 Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) ................................................................................................... 48 Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) ...................................................................................... 50 Alison Harris (Central Scotland) (Con) ....................................................................................................... 52 Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) .......................................................................................... 55 Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................... 57 Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 60 Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) .............................................................................................. 63 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 65 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 68 Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP) ..................................................................................................... 70 Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) ........................................................................................................ 72 Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) ................................................................................ 74 Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 77 John Swinney ............................................................................................................................................. 79 Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con) ......................................................................................................... 82 BUSINESS MOTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 86 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTION Motion moved—[Graeme Dey]. Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)............................................................................................................ 88 The Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People (Shirley-Anne Somerville) .......................... 88 DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 91 WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2020 ....................................................................................................................... 100 Motion debated—[John Finnie]. John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ........................................................................................... 100 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ...................................................................... 104 Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) ............................................................................... 105 Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................. 107 Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) ....................................................................................................... 108 Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 109 Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) ............................................................... 111 Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) .................................................................................................... 113 The Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment (Mairi Gougeon) ......................................... 114 1 15 JANUARY 2020 2 individuals who were members of the PVCs, Scottish Parliament because their role was vital. The new independent prison monitor role takes that work to the next Wednesday 15 January 2020 level. Many of the individuals who previously sat on PVCs have chosen to become IPMs. The IPM [The Deputy Presiding Officer opened the role, which holds statutory authority under the meeting at 13:15] Public Services Reform (Inspection and Monitoring of Prisons) (Scotland) Order 2015, is essential Independent Prison Monitors within the Scottish justice system. At the end of August 2015, the first