Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 November 2024
13 Nov 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Parliamentary Bureau Motions
I am genuinely intrigued. The Scottish National Party made a commitment to pay the winter fuel allowance. It did not say that it would pay the winter fuel allowance on the condition of receiving support from Westminster. If the argument now is that that commitment was only ever contingent on support from Westminster, the commitment was hollow all along. The Government cannot make a commitment and then say, “Actually, the commitment was worthless unless we were given the money by somebody else.”
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S6M-15425, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument. Motion moved, That the...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Jeremy Balfour, who has up to three minutes. 17:34
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Politicians have a duty to think about the consequences of the decisions that we make, both intended and unintended. The decision that was made by the Labour...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind)
Ind
Will the member give way?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
I will just finish this point. The Scottish Government will throw up its hands and say that it is not its fault and that it does not have the money—Interrupt...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear Mr Balfour.
Jeremy Balfour
Con
That is a pretty hard pill to swallow after it has wasted hundreds of millions of pounds over the years on a variety of disastrous projects, not least the tw...
John Mason
Ind
I suspect that the member has wasted money over the years, as we all probably have to some extent. We are where we are, and we do not have the money right no...
Jeremy Balfour
Con
That is very cold comfort to the vulnerable pensioners who are being discriminated against today. If the Government paused the many past projects that have s...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear Mr Balfour.
Jeremy Balfour
Con
It is a shame that parties on the other side of the chamber are not.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Shirley-Anne Somerville to respond. 17:36
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the draft regulations, which will introduce our 16th Scottish benefit—the pension-age winter heating payment. Mi...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Scottish Greens do not support the means testing of the winter fuel payment. We know that fuel poverty is very high among older people, especially in some po...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Maggie Chapman raises an important point. I assure her that discussions are on-going about what we can do in this situation. Once again, the Scottish Governm...
Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I will give way to Christine Grahame.
Christine Grahame
SNP
Are we not seeing abject hypocrisy from the Conservatives, who, during decades in power, failed to provide pensioners with a decent state pension, requiring ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Christine Grahame raises an important point. At this stage, I am happy to give way to Jackson Carlaw.
Jackson Carlaw
Con
I am genuinely intrigued. The Scottish National Party made a commitment to pay the winter fuel allowance. It did not say that it would pay the winter fuel al...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You must conclude, cabinet secretary.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am genuinely surprised that Jackson Carlaw, for whom I have a great deal of respect, would come out with a question that represents something out of Liz Tr...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The cabinet secretary is concluding.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
It is a duty of Parliament—I repeat the word “Parliament” for Jeremy Balfour’s benefit—not to take a position of political posturing but to instead ensure th...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The question on that motion will be put at decision time. The next item of business is consideration of four Parliamentary Bureau motions. I ask Jamie Hepbu...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The question on those motions will be put at decision time.