Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 October 2014
02 Oct 2014 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Food (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
It is a great privilege to represent the people of the north-east of Scotland, and of course it allows me to indulge my palate and pamper my digestion.
As I look across my constituency, I can eat smoked salmon from Portsoy that has been smoked using redundant whisky barrels from the local whisky industry with a variety of flavours. Is that not wonderful? I can go to my supermarket—I can go to any supermarket in these islands—and buy a ready meal that has been produced in Fraserburgh to high standards. I can eat haddocks that have come from Peterhead, and I can eat excellent beef, lamb and other meats—and increasingly the greengrocer has been supplanted by the butcher across my constituency.
Perhaps what I particularly enjoy is to go to Whitehills and buy, for a pound, the Cullen skink Scotch pie, which, popped in the microwave, under the grill or in the oven, is the most delicious Scotch pie people will ever have in their lives. If, perchance, the shop there is shut, I can go to the chip shop where Billy Gatt serves excellent fish and chips. I know that it is excellent because he also has a fishing boat that provides the fish. In the north-east of Scotland, we can do extremely well.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
Good afternoon, everyone. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-11048, in the name of Michael Matheson, on the Food (Scotland) Bill.
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson)
SNP
I am pleased to open the debate on the general principles of the Food (Scotland) Bill. I thank those who gave evidence, both written and in person, and the D...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I am sure that the minister is very well aware of the long series of contributions made by Harry Burns, the former chief medical officer, about the nurturing...
Michael Matheson
SNP
An important thing that will be achieved with the creation of FSS is that we will have a body that can co-ordinate how we tackle nutrition issues and change ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Many thanks. I call Duncan McNeil to speak on behalf of the Health and Sport Committee. Mr McNeil, you have 10 minutes or thereby. 14:44
Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for making it clear that I am speaking this afternoon on behalf of the Health and Sport Committee, although the topics of food,...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Many thanks, Mr McNeil—a veritable punnet of puns. I now call Dr Richard Simpson, who has 10 minutes, or thereby. 14:55
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I do not intend to compete with either you or Mr McNeil in terms of puns, but I welcome the opportunity to speak at stage 1 of ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Do not worry. Take your time.
Dr Simpson
Lab
The attempts to reformulate foods with lower levels of salt remain important. Working with the industry on that will be an important part of FSS’s work. On ...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
In this day and age, when so many of us rely increasingly on processed food and ready-prepared meals, it is crucial that we can trust the safety and nutritio...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We move to the open debate. We have a little time in hand, so there will certainly be time for interventions. 15:11
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate and thank the Health and Sport Committee’s convener, Duncan McNeil, for his opening remarks. I also thank al...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to be taking part in the debate. The bill sets out the operational detail for food standards Scotland. I think that everyone in the chamber supp...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
I remind the chamber that we have time for interventions. Should members wish to develop their ideas and thinking as the debate develops, on this occasion th...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the convener of the Health and Sport Committee, Duncan McNeil, and its members for their work in compiling the stage 1 report on the Food (Scotland) ...
Claire Baker
Lab
Although the member is correct in his description of the horsemeat scandal, does he recognise that substitution is an issue in Scotland? There have been case...
Christian Allard
SNP
I agree with the member on her point about restaurants. I encourage anyone who buys the catch of the day to ask where the fish comes from. People would be su...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Bravo. 15:33
Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP)
SNP
I, like my committee convener Duncan McNeil, thank everyone who gave evidence to the committee as well as the clerking team and SPICe for all their support—i...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
The member is right to highlight the issue, which is far from trivial. It is not just a domestic issue. In Nepal, I have seen Kat 69, which certainly did not...
Bob Doris
SNP
I reassure the member that, since I got married around two and half years ago, there have certainly been fewer recyclable Johnnie Walker bottles lying about ...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate the Government on introducing the bill. Establishing food standards Scotland as a stand-alone body is clearly the most viable option, based on...
Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Duncan McNeil for his convenership of the Health and Sport Committee as my colleagues on the committee and I went through the stage 1 process. The b...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
We still have a bit of time in hand. I can give the remaining speakers in the debate seven minutes each. 15:55
Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank the members of the Health and Sport Committee for their detailed consideration of the proposals in the Food (Scotland)...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
It is a great privilege to represent the people of the north-east of Scotland, and of course it allows me to indulge my palate and pamper my digestion. As ...
Bob Doris
SNP
I know that we have some time in hand, Presiding Officer, so I hope that you do not mind me making this intervention: does the member ever bring some of that...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
I will take orders later. Downies of Whitehills will be delighted. I will say to members that they can go online and Downies will send orders to them. I genu...
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP)
SNP
It is always a difficult job to follow Mr Stevenson. It is particularly difficult today, but he has expanded my knowledge by mentioning a piece of legislatio...