TRACKER
Scottish unity” on the issue if the MoD was to be lobbied successfully. Gray urged the First Minister to visit
the construction site, describing the complexity and scale of the project as “remarkable” and labelling the notion of cancelling the fi rst carrier as “crazy”. Could Salmond be sure the dossier made “the case that both carriers must be built”? Salmond confi rmed that the full
implications of the cancellation, with potential job losses ranging from 5,000 to 10,000, would be “spelt out” in the dossier and he repeated calls for “maximum political unity” on the matter. Conservative leader Annabel
Goldie said that by abandoning the independence bill, the First Minister had “ditched the defi ning policy of him and his Scottish National Party Government”. She asked how he could justify spending £2m on “party- political propaganda, which has turned the National Conversation into a nationalist con”. Salmond argued that the NC had cost £400,000, not £2m – “considerably less than the estimated £90 million cost of the alternative vote referendum” supported by the Conservatives. Goldie responded by asking that
“not one minute more of civil service time will be spent on this blatant SNP self-promotion”. Salmond said the proposal for a
bill on independence and fi nancial responsibility was complete and would be published shortly. Following the First Minister’s
guarantee of 20,000 apprenticeships to support the renewable energy industry, was the new course for wind-turbine technicians at Carnegie College in Dunfermline one of those that is to be guaranteed, asked Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott. The 20,000 fi gure was correct, replied Salmond, but “various public bodies not only in Scotland but elsewhere are planning budget reductions”. Scott said Siemens, which planned
to work with Carnegie to establish the fi rst-ever four-year wind energy technicians’ course, was considering abandoning the project because of stifl ing bureaucracy.
Salmond said his government had brought forward the Public Services
62 Holyrood 20 September 2010
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(Scotland) Reform Bill – designed to reduce the number of quangos - and accused Scott of hypocrisy as the Liberal Democrats had opposed the bill.
Main Chamber Business
8 September Members’ Business: 25th Anniversary of the Scottish Cot Death Trust Members debated the following
motion in the name of Gil Paterson (SNP): That the Parliament puts on record its thanks to the Scottish Cot Death Trust for the work that it has carried out over the past 25 years in supporting families in the west of Scotland and beyond who have lost babies to sudden infant death syndrome (cot death); notes that, despite the reduction in cot deaths in the 25 years since the trust’s formation, 1,510 babies have died in Scotland from cot death and that Scotland continues to lose one baby every nine days to it; wishes to pay tribute to the trust on its 25th anniversary, and acknowledges the reduction of cot deaths brought about by the trust’s effective work. No questions were put.
9 September
Scottish Government Debate: Independent Budget Review Members debated the Independent
Budget Review published during the summer months. No questions were put.
Members’ Business: Drop-off Charges at Edinburgh Airport Members debated the following in the name of Gavin Brown (Con): That the Parliament regrets the decision taken by Edinburgh Airport to introduce a £1 drop-off charge, due to start in October 2010; notes that no other BAA airport in the United Kingdom currently has a drop-off charge; considers that BAA failed to consult widely with passengers ahead of taking the decision; notes that, since the decision has been made public, thousands of residents, businesses and other organisations across the
Lothians and elsewhere in Scotland have voiced their opposition to the charge; considers that for many people, including older residents and those with young children, taking public transport to the airport is not a viable option, and notes that over 71 per cent of businesses who responded to the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce survey believed that the introduction of the drop-off fee would have a negative effect on Scottish business and tourism. No questions were put.
15 September
Scottish Government Debate: Drugs Strategy
Members debated the following
motion in the name of Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing (SNP): That the Parliament notes the progress made in delivering Scotland’s national drugs strategy, T
he Road to Recovery;
welcomes the fact that Scotland is leading the way in ensuring that recovery and the needs of the individual are at the heart of drug services; notes the progress made in signifi cantly bringing down waiting times for access to services, and calls on the Scottish Government and all relevant national and local agencies to continue to drive forward the delivery of the strategy. The following amendments were selected for debate: In the name of James Kelly (Lab): leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert “acknowledges the serious problems with drug misuse still blighting too many communities; recognises that, despite the small reduction in drug-related deaths in the last year, signifi cant challenges remain in achieving a further reduction; is concerned about recent funding cuts to voluntary sector organisations and the impact that this could have on services; notes the high number of prison inmates abusing drugs, and urges the Scottish Government and Scottish Prison Service to do more to stop illegal drugs entering prisons.” At decision time the amendment was agreed to: For 92, Against 0, Abstentions 18.
In the name of John Lamont (Con):
leave out from fi rst “notes” to end and insert “recognises the progress that has been made in Scotland with the publishing of Scotland’s national drugs
strategy, T
he Road to Recovery; notes
that, with the change in emphasis to recovery, Scotland has slowly started the journey toward battling the damaging effects that substance abuse has on society; believes that more needs to be done in identifying models that work, including those delivered by voluntary and faith groups, removing discrimination and territorial barriers and rolling out best practice to ensure that the ethos of the drugs strategy is felt in every aspect of rehabilitation; notes the signifi cant role that substance abuse plays in criminal activity and the complex needs of those in custody with substance addictions, and believes that more needs to be done to ensure that prisons are drug free and every support is made available to those prisoners who want to become free of drugs.” At decision time the amendment was agreed to: For 70, Against 40, Abstentions 0. In the name of Robert Brown
(LD): insert at end “; recognises the effectiveness of drug treatment and testing orders (DTTO) in providing intensive, specialist support to individuals involved in drug-related offending, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that DTTOs are available to all Scottish courts as required.” At decision time the amendment was agreed to without division. The motion, as amended, was agreed to: For 102, Against 2, Abstentions 6. Members’ Business: Hunterston Not
the Way Forward for Carbon Capture Members debated the following in
the name of Ross Finnie (LD): That the Parliament notes the lodging of the application by Peel Energy Ltd to build a 1,600 megawatt coal-fi red power station at Hunterston, North Ayrshire; understands that, initially, the power station is to have 400 megawatt of its gross output (300 megawatt net) processed through carbon capture and storage technology, which would leave 75 per cent to 80 per cent of the plant’s CO2 emissions unabated for an indeterminate length of time; considers that these unabated emissions, which could amount to up to some four million tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum, are incompatible with the climate change targets set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009,
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