Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 08 June 2022
08 Jun 2022 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Economic Priorities
Which Government was responsible for faster gross domestic product growth in Scotland in March, when there was a fall in GDP across the rest of the UK? I will come on to speak about a number of other metrics.
All that I have just detailed is happening under the leadership of the very party that lodged today’s motion. As I set out in the chamber last week, although inflation is, quite clearly, also impacting on other countries, it is not impacting on them equally. The UK currently has, under the Tory Government, the highest inflation rate of any G7 country and a rate that is almost twice the rate in France.
Under the current devolution settlement, only the UK Government has the macroeconomic levers to fully address the cost of living crisis, but it has failed spectacularly to manage our economy in a way that works for businesses and households. Poverty is rising, costs are rising, the energy price cap is rising, living standards are falling, growth rates are dropping and competitiveness is sliding, under the Conservatives.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-04815, in the name of Liz Smith, on economic priorities. 14:59
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
There are really two reasons behind the Scottish Conservatives’ request for this debate. First, the 30-minute statement last week, with less than an hour pri...
Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
SNP
Yet again, the Conservative Party is talking about the ferries being a waste of money. Is Liz Smith saying to the population of Inverclyde and the workforce ...
Liz Smith
Con
I cannot believe that question—the extent of the public money that is being wasted by this SNP Government is absolutely patently obvious. It is increasing we...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Does the member accept that, through the different tax policies, we raised £240 million extra for 2018-19, which the latest figures are for? If we did not ha...
Liz Smith
Con
Mr Mason sits on the same committee as I do, which has been scrutinising Government finances, and he will know exactly what the projections are about the dow...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (Kate Forbes)
SNP
The member just made a comment that is contradicted by David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who explicitly said that the “tax rises almost ...
Liz Smith
Con
Of course, tax revenues are up in that sense, but they are not up to the extent that the Scottish Government requires for its spending. There is a huge diver...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Before calling the next speaker, I remind all members who wish to speak in the debate to ensure that they have pressed their request-to-speak button. I call ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (Kate Forbes)
SNP
This debate is really about why and how Scotland cannot afford to remain under UK Tory rule. It is more than a little ironic that the Conservatives have ini...
Liz Smith
Con
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for taking my intervention. What does the cabinet secretary feel about the finance committee’s conclusion: “We consid...
Kate Forbes
SNP
Which Government was responsible for faster gross domestic product growth in Scotland in March, when there was a fall in GDP across the rest of the UK? I wil...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
I agree with much of what the cabinet secretary has said. The Conservatives are doing an absolutely appalling job of running the economy, but does that not m...
Kate Forbes
SNP
I will come on to that, but I think that the context is important. I recently wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a comprehensive funding package...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
If the cabinet secretary is willing to take credit for those selective statistics, is she prepared to accept responsibility for Scotland’s overall economic p...
Kate Forbes
SNP
The irony of that question is that, although we have set out our approach to economic growth over the next 10 years and have recognised the work that needs t...
Liz Smith
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Kate Forbes
SNP
I have taken quite a few interventions and I am probably running low on time. If we look across the whole four-year period of the resource spending review, ...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
It is a pleasure to open the debate on behalf of the Labour Party. I thank the Scottish Conservatives for lodging the motion. The debate is long overdue and ...
John Mason
SNP
The member is very good at listing some of the problems that we face, but I do not think that anyone is arguing that those are not challenges. Can he give us...
Paul Sweeney
Lab
Given the cost of living crisis, I am happy to accept the proposal for a superannuation. However, the key proposals are about efficiency of investments and ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I am pleased to rise to speak for the Liberal Democrats, and I am grateful to Liz Smith for securing the parliamentary time for it. When the finance secreta...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
Does Alex Cole-Hamilton agree that transport disruption and chaos is a problem not just because of the disrupted journeys, but because it prevents people fro...
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
I absolutely agree with Daniel Johnson. The £80 million in lost revenue that has been quoted is just the tip of the iceberg. It will represent a lost opportu...
Kate Forbes
SNP
Does the member think that a £25 billion requirement to invest in the supply chain is selling it on the cheap?
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
I am sorry, but that is a very weak area for the cabinet secretary to try to defend. Anybody who has ever been on eBay knows that, when they are selling some...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Mr Cole-Hamilton, you need to conclude. Thank you.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
I will conclude with this point, Presiding Officer. Instead, national health service staff, patients, islanders and hospitality businesses are all being take...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate. Speeches will be of six minutes. I call Douglas Lumsden, to be followed by Michelle Thomson. 15:36
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
It is good to be discussing this important topic, because we were unable to do so last week, as my colleague Liz Smith pointed out. The spending review high...