Holyrood, made browsable

Hansard

Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129
Current MSPs
415
MSPs ever elected
14
Parties on record
2,095,827
Hansard contributions
1999–2026
Coverage span
Official Report

Search Hansard contributions

Showing 60 of 2,095,827 contributions. Latest 30 days: 3,357. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 10 Jun 2026.
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
22 Mar 2011
First Minister’s Question Time · Renewable Energy (Planning Guidelines)
Does the First Minister accept that the decision to remove the right of communities to automatic notification when plans are outwith a development plan, at the stroke of a ministerial pen and without consultation with the Parliament, has been a retrograde step?
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
On that point—
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
Will the minister give way?
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
On that point—
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
Will the member give way on that point?
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
The point that I made was about families and their shopping habits. If the money from VAT is put back into families’ pockets rather than into the Exchequer, that will help them. We do not know what the Lib Dems’ measures are or how they would help families at all.
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
I thank Jackson Carlaw for his comments, as I have seldom had so many compliments in one speech. However, for the record, I am more of a Cliff Richard girl than a Mick Jagger one.When I was growing up in the rural Borders, a car was a luxury that few could afford and, as a fam...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
17 Mar 2011
Bus Services Regulation
What?
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
09 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
If we vote for the order, we will have accepted the legal advice that the cabinet secretary has put before the committee and accepted that his argument is right. We surely all want tenant farming to continue to be a viable option for those who want to do that in Scotland. In o...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
Perhaps the problem is how you framed this piece of advice to the committee.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
Does the problem perhaps lie in the wording of the Executive note, which states that“the Scottish government believes that this system exceeds the requirements of the revised waste framework directive”and in your statement regarding the regulation being gold plated? It seems t...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
So it does not retain any requirement for staff to be appropriately trained, for them to have continuous training and for the company to have appropriate training mechanisms? That is what exists under the COTC.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
How can you say definitively that the requirements under the COTC exceed the requirements under the waste framework directive?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
If your rationale for getting rid of it is that it exceeds the requirements of the waste framework directive, can you say what the requirements of the waste framework directive are in this regard and how the certificate of technical competence exceeds them?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
I am somewhat confused by the answer that you gave with regard to the certificate of technical competence issue. On one hand, you say that SEPA can still require it or its equivalent but, on the other hand, you say that it is gold plating.The Executive note on the instrument s...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
Yes, but they would not be required to have a certificate of technical competence.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
But those operators are operating under the current licensing regime, in which they would be required to have a certificate of technical competence. If we pass the regulations, they would be operating under a different licensing regime, in which they would not be required to h...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
But that is what is happening; it is not my interpretation.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
But we have the provision in legislation. As an elected parliamentarian who has regulations before me, why would I want to transfer the responsibility from Parliament to an unelected regulator?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
But why would we transfer the burden from an elected minister to an unelected quango? We have the legislation and regulation from an accountable Parliament and committee, so why would we transfer the burden to an unelected quango?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
But we are taking it away, minister.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
I asked SEPA on Monday what checks would have to be undertaken before a company was considered to be fit in that regard: the checks are very basic. The certificate of technical competence is not gold plating. In Scotland, we must decide whether to remove the requirement for th...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
So it enhances the training that a company gives to an individual and their competence, but we do not think that it is worth while for companies that operate serious pieces of kit. That is not gold plating, minister—it is good practice.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
Thank you. I suppose that my second question, which is about the removal of the legal requirement for a certificate of technical competence, follows on from that. It seems quite strange that we would want to remove from an operator, particularly one that is operating an incine...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
02 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
You will be aware of the public concern around some of these issues. We must balance the business interest with that public concern and ensure that we are getting people the right information. The note that accompanies the regulations states:“The Regulations also include new a...
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2011
Fuel Duty
Presiding Officer, the standing orders are clear that members should not knowingly mislead Parliament. However, the member has done so, because we had no proposals to raise VAT and she knows that.
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2011
Fuel Duty
No, we never did. On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2011
Fuel Duty
In the current climate, would it not be really useful to reverse the VAT rise on fuel in order to give the families and businesses that the member speaks about a chance? There is cash available in the bankers’ bonuses to do exactly that.
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
The Scottish Government’s position on Elaine Murray’s amendment 51 is nonsensical. If it accepts that snaring must exist, sets up a system in which snares can be used and puts in statute a framework, that framework must be enforceable. The amendment says that, if a person is c...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Does the minister not find it a bit strange that there seems to be no sanction in the bill that would be applied to someone who consistently uses a snare inappropriately in order to prevent them from operating snares?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
That is fine.Amendment 31 agreed to.Amendment 32 moved—Richard Lochhead—and agreed to.Section 40, as amended, agreed to.Sections 41 and 42 agreed to.Section 43—Appointment of inspecting engineer etcAmendments 33 to 35 moved—Richard Lochhead—and agreed to.Amendment 36 not moved...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I am trying to clarify what this amendment is seeking to do. At the moment, a person who commits this offence could, under the bill, go to prison or face a high maximum fine of £10,000. If it is made a level 4 offence, that person would pay a lower fine and would not be sent t...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Essentially, you are seeking to reduce the fines and remove the courts’ ability to send someone to prison for these offences.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Can you tell us what the difference is in the level of fines?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I understand that, but I want to know the rationale for reducing the penalties. If we have an offence in the bill and we are asked to reduce the penalty, I want to know what the rationale is for our doing so.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I am slightly confused. I took it from what you said that amendment 31 will lower the penalties for offences, rather than increase them, which gives me cause for concern. I do not have a problem with amendment 32, which will increase penalties for offences, but I understand th...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
23 Feb 2011
Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Will the cabinet secretary outline his rationale for reducing penalties through amendment 31?
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Agricultural Support
Peter, your contribution was one of the most refreshing and honest that we have had in the debate. It gets us to the heart of the discussion. We have lots of vested interests in this matter and it is difficult. If we are honest, it is very hard to justify to the man in the str...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Agricultural Support
You did call me, convener.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Agricultural Support
I am the Labour MSP for Clydesdale.
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (Post-legislative Scrutiny)
One of the frustrations for those who do not represent constituencies in the Highlands and Islands is the failure to get momentum on community land buy-out into other parts of Scotland. I represent a constituency in southern Scotland, where we have not really managed to get th...
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
20 Jan 2011
Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
People feel frustrated partly because they do not know what goes on. I realise that a whole process has to be gone through but people are still finding out after the fact or are not finding out in time that a building has been listed. That is leading to frustration. I simply b...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
20 Jan 2011
Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate and I thank the committee for the work that it has done, especially because it worked so well in co-operation with the minister that there is no need for us to discuss amendments at stage 3.All of us, wherever we represent...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
19 Jan 2011
European Union Legislative Proposals (Reporter)
I decline.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
19 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Yes.
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
19 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I am naturally inclined to support any amendment that would require, for the first instance, the use of affirmative procedure and therefore detailed scrutiny by the Parliament. I will be interested to hear the minister’s explanation of why that would not be necessary in this c...
Karen Gillon Lab Chamber
13 Jan 2011
Scottish Executive Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire (Meetings)
When the cabinet secretary next meets representatives of NHS Lanarkshire, will she raise with them the continued problem of bed blocking in local cottage hospitals in Lanarkshire, the difficulty that people have in accessing appropriate care packages from those hospitals and t...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Chamber
13 Jan 2011
Scottish Executive Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire (Meetings)
4. To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Lanarkshire and what issues were discussed. (S3O-12540)
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Hear, hear.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
We had a discussion on the matter with the people at the Langholm moor demonstration project early in our evidence taking, so it cannot be a surprise to anybody that this has been proposed. That was the first visit that we made and it was one of the first discussions that we h...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Like others, I welcome the comments that have been made and the provisions in the amendments. I have to say, though, that I am disappointed but not surprised by John Scott’s comments.As other members have said, the vast majority of land managers abhor the idea of raptor persec...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Yes.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
That begs the question why no one has been charged with an art and part offence in relation to an act of persecution.
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
In other situations, however, there will be underlying crimes. Vicarious liability will be very difficult to prove—it is a very high-level offence. For example, with corporate manslaughter, there would be a corporate manslaughter offence, but underneath it there would be offen...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
May I intervene, minister?
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab Committee
12 Jan 2011
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Like Peter Peacock and Liam McArthur, I support the principle of an amnesty. There may well be people who have such substances. We should not be offering anybody any excuse and we should send a clear message that there is no excuse for having such materials on one’s premises. ...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
22 Dec 2010
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
When four of my constituents died in a gas explosion in Larkhall 10 years ago, people told me that we could not change the law on corporate culpable homicide because the burden of regulation would discourage companies from investing in Scotland. We changed the law on corporate...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
22 Dec 2010
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I find it bizarre that we are arguing against something that is, it has been argued, already happening. If it is already happening, what is the problem with its being regulated? It does not seem to me that there would be a huge burden, and we would have records to prove what w...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
22 Dec 2010
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I have always come at this issue with a fairly open mind. However, having seen photos that have been sent to me by constituents in recent weeks of some of the activities that have been taking place in my constituency, I am simply appalled. People have no right just to go about...
Karen Gillon Lab Committee
22 Dec 2010
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
No—I got it very late yesterday as, I think, Liam McArthur did.
← Back to list
Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 22 March 2011

22 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
First Minister’s Question Time
Renewable Energy (Planning Guidelines)
Gillon, Karen Lab Clydesdale Watch on SPTV
Does the First Minister accept that the decision to remove the right of communities to automatic notification when plans are outwith a development plan, at the stroke of a ministerial pen and without consultation with the Parliament, has been a retrograde step?

In the same item of business

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con
6. To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government considers that planning guidelines for renewable energy projects strike a balance between the in...
The First Minister (Alex Salmond) SNP
The Scottish Government works with planners and communities to ensure that the correct balance is struck between the interests of developers and local commun...
Murdo Fraser Con
Notwithstanding the First Minister’s response, he should be aware that, in the absence of clear locational planning guidance, communities up and down Scotlan...
The First Minister SNP
As Murdo Fraser should well know, planning guidelines have been substantially clarified over the past four years in terms of that objective. Murdo Fraser als...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab) Lab
Does the First Minister accept that the decision to remove the right of communities to automatic notification when plans are outwith a development plan, at t...
The First Minister SNP
No. I think that the planning guidelines are a substantial improvement on what went before. As Karen Gillon represents communities in which there have been a...
Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD) LD
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer NPA
Before I come to Liam McArthur’s point of order, I will deal with the point of order that Jeremy Purvis made earlier, when the Deputy Presiding Officer was i...
Liam McArthur LD
As the session comes to a close, can you advise on what opportunity exists to rectify the false impression that was created, perhaps inadvertently, by an ans...
The Presiding Officer NPA
I have made it abundantly clear over the past four years that the matter of veracity is not a point of order for me; it is a matter for those who speak on th...