Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 11 March 2025
11 Mar 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Cost of Living
Douglas Lumsden knows that I believe in an energy mix and that we must continue to use the resources that we have in Scotland. I also believe that it is vital that we open up the potential for a just transition away from oil and gas, while taking the resources opportunities that are available to us, not the least of which is nuclear power, which I will come on to talk about.
Although Ukraine is a huge part of the context, we cannot get away from the actions of the previous UK Government. Liz Smith referenced Liz Truss—I feel that she knew that members would mention her mini-budget. We continue to live with the effects of the decisions that were taken without due consideration of the impact that they would have on borrowing rates, general finances and the economy. We are still living with those shocks. It is absolutely the case that we can argue the point about the inheritance of the Labour UK Government, but we cannot get away from the fact that those decisions are having a knock-on impact, as we meet today.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-16750, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on supporting households with cost of living pressures and...
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on supporting households with on-going cost of living pressures. As the motion notes, the recent energy price ca...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
It sounds as though the cabinet secretary’s argument would be justification for opposing what the Scottish Government intends to do to the Housing (Scotland)...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I appreciate the work that Patrick Harvie has done on the issue over many years. However, I fundamentally disagree with him on that part of the proposal. We ...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Of course, work is vital to supporting families in Scotland. The University of Dundee announced this afternoon that more than 600 jobs will go because of the...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
If Mr Kerr has read the statement from the university, he will know that it has set out some of the reasons behind its policy. I disagree with Mr Kerr—I beli...
Stephen Kerr
Con
So, it is nothing to do with you, then.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Mr Kerr, I know that you are aware that you should not be shouting from your seat. Cabinet secretary, please continue.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am afraid that, once again, Mr Kerr is demonstrating that he is not at all interested in the people of Scotland who are suffering from the cost of living c...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I apologise to Mr Lumsden—I am just about to wind up. We can go only so far in mitigating the worst excesses of Westminster. The Scottish Government has alr...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Members will wish to be aware that there is time in hand this afternoon. 14:36
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
In recent days, we have, as a nation, rightly been consumed by the news from Washington—by the utterly unacceptable and bullying rhetoric of the Trump Admini...
The Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Gillian Martin)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Liz Smith
Con
I will in a minute. I say again that it is all very well having a social contract with the people of Scotland until we find that we cannot afford it and that...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I hope that what I am about to say is helpful. We have been advocating for quite some time for there to be a social tariff for fuel bills. I believe that tac...
Liz Smith
Con
We have put it on record that we support that. However, the key point that I am trying to get across is that we must have evidence of what works best. One of...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind)
Ind
Liz Smith talks about the Scottish economy as being a high-tax economy, but does she accept that, in countries such as Denmark, taxes are considerably higher...
Liz Smith
Con
As someone who has visited some of those countries, I know that their delivery of public services is an awful lot better than it is in Scotland. One of the g...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to follow Liz Smith. Although I did not agree with everything that she said in her speech—as colleagues might have guessed—I think that she made...
Douglas Lumsden
Con
The member mentioned the invasion of Ukraine and how that affects our energy security. Does that not make an even stronger case for production of our own oil...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
Douglas Lumsden knows that I believe in an energy mix and that we must continue to use the resources that we have in Scotland. I also believe that it is vita...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the member give way?
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I will give way to Stephen Kerr, then I will make some progress.
Stephen Kerr
Con
Does Paul O’Kane also accept that a shock was contained in last October’s budget? That shock has been delayed, but we will begin to feel it as of next month,...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I will not take a lecture on tax from the Conservatives, who placed the highest tax burden on working people in more than a generation. The issue has been we...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I am conscious that time is available, so I will give way.
Ben Macpherson
SNP
In previous debates and exchanges, Paul O’Kane has spoken with passion about the need to support disabled people through the social security system. Paul O’...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
Mr Macpherson used two very telling words: “proposed” and “potential”. Laughter. I do not know the detail of the green paper—perhaps members opposite know—bu...