Meeting of the Parliament Thursday 20 September 2018 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 Thursday 20 September 2018 CONTENTS Col. GENERAL QUESTION TIME .................................................................................................................................. 1 Non-domestic Rates Bill ............................................................................................................................... 1 Scottish Ambulance Service (Resources) .................................................................................................... 2 Learning Support (Colleges and Universities) .............................................................................................. 3 Home Ownership (Public Sector Workers) ................................................................................................... 4 Stranraer Waterfront (Regeneration) ............................................................................................................ 5 Automated Teller Machines .......................................................................................................................... 7 Public Toilets (Highlands) ............................................................................................................................. 8 FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ..................................................................................................................... 9 Schools (Subject Choice) ............................................................................................................................. 9 Education .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Paediatric Services (NHS Lothian) ............................................................................................................. 15 Freight (Orkney and Shetland) ................................................................................................................... 15 Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Contamination) ...................................................................................... 16 A77 (Closures) ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Tay Cities Deal ........................................................................................................................................... 18 Demonstrators (Police Scotland) ................................................................................................................ 18 Brexit (People’s Vote) ................................................................................................................................. 20 Superfast Broadband .................................................................................................................................. 21 Brexit ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 Decommissioning Work (Dundee) .............................................................................................................. 23 Poverty (Social Metrics Commission Framework) ...................................................................................... 23 Breast Screening Programme .................................................................................................................... 24 MARINE ENERGY INDUSTRY .............................................................................................................................. 27 Motion debated—[Liam McArthur]. Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) ......................................................................................................... 27 Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) ......................................................................................... 30 David Torrance (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) .............................................................................................................. 32 Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) ........................................................................................... 33 Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) ........................................................................................... 35 Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) .............................................................................. 36 The Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands (Paul Wheelhouse) ............................................... 38 NHS TAYSIDE BOARD ...................................................................................................................................... 43 Statement—[Jeane Freeman]. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Jeane Freeman) ................................................................. 43 VIOLENCE REDUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 57 Motion moved—[Ash Denham]. Amendment moved—[Liam Kerr]. Amendment moved—[Daniel Johnson]. The Minister for Community Safety (Ash Denham) .................................................................................... 57 Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)....................................................................................................... 61 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 64 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................. 67 Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) ......................................................................................................... 70 Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 72 Michelle Ballantyne (South Scotland) (Con) ............................................................................................... 75 Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) ................................................................................ 77 Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 80 Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) ........................................................................................................................ 82 James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 84 Maurice Corry (West Scotland) (Con) ........................................................................................................ 86 Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) ................................................................................ 89 Daniel Johnson ........................................................................................................................................... 92 Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................ 94 The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Humza Yousaf) ................................................................................... 96 DECISION TIME .............................................................................................................................................. 100 CORRECTION ................................................................................................................................................. 105 1 20 SEPTEMBER 2018 2 the United Kingdom, such as the growth Scottish Parliament accelerator, which applies to large and small businesses. Thursday 20 September 2018 Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): The Scottish Retail Consortium has noted that many [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at businesses are concerned with the proposed new 11:40] business rates levy, largely because of the unpredictability that it introduces to the rates General Question Time system. I ask the minister specifically about the oil and gas industry and its supply chain. Many oil Non-domestic Rates Bill and gas businesses are, through necessity, based near the airport in out-of-town locations. Is it the 1. Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con): minister’s intention that they, too, will have to pay To ask the Scottish Government on what date it more? plans to introduce its non-domestic rates bill. (S5O-02379) Kate Forbes: That is a good question. As the member may know, the Barclay consultation The Minister for Public Finance and Digital closed on 17 September, and I am currently Economy (Kate Forbes): We will bring forward a considering and analysing the response. I have non-domestic rates bill to implement the also taken it upon myself to ensure that there is recommendations of the Barclay review that separate engagement with all stakeholders and require primary legislation in time for the relevant sectors that might be impacted by the provisions to commence on 1 April 2020. recommendations of the independent Barclay