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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.

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1999–2026

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Showing 60 of 2,355,091 contributions. Latest 30 days: 148. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 14 May 2026.

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

The criticism was realistic and positive.

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

We should clarify that nothing of the sort could happen until there was full independence.We are faced with a number of options. The Lib-Lab pact is prepared to invest money, but it has failed to raise attainment levels. The SNP is prepared to spend money, but it would not hav...

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

I am sorry, but I have a lot to get through.Attainment is clearly important to pupils and parents, but the Executive has not prioritised it.Lib-Lab policies are damaging our education system, but the Scottish National Party's proposals are just as reckless. It is astounding th...

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

I had not realised that we have reached such an agreement, but I look forward to sending the minister a letter.If the results of the extra money that has been made available are not good enough, I want to know why that money is being wasted.The Executive wants to talk up the s...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

I echo what Donald Gorrie said about extra-curricular activities in schools—which the Conservative party greatly supports—and pay tribute to my esteemed mentor, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, for his support and for his excellent speech in his final parliamentary debate. As a fo...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Affordable Housing (Highlands)

Does the minister agree that affordable housing requires significant additional investment? Does she support the introduction of a £100 million a year trust that, by offering grants to prospective homeowners, would significantly help first-time buyers throughout Scotland—and, ...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Subordinate Legislation

From a personal point of view, as someone who joined the committee somewhat late, I thank everyone for all the support that they have given me during what has been an extremely steep learning curve.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Subordinate Legislation

If someone wants to install a microrenewable, such as a mini wind turbine, would that fall under the legislation?

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Why was SNH removed as a statutory consultee? I am not saying that I am against the move, but I would be interested to know why.

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Ferry Services (Dunoon)

I thank the minister for his response, which I could have predicted. If, as I fear, a car ferry service into the centre of Dunoon is not continued, the effect on the Kyle and Bute economies will be devastating. Will the minister make a pre-election commitment to upgrade the Bu...

5. Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Ferry Services (Dunoon)

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need to continue to provide a passenger and vehicle ferry service into the centre of Dunoon. (S2O-12338)

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill

I am happy to speak to the member about the matter at length at a later stage, but I can assure him, briefly, that there are schools in the Highlands that are not particularly well resourced.

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill

It seems illogical to me that parents who can afford to pay for school lunches should be relieved of that requirement when there are significant resource issues in schools.We fully support the bill and look forward to its early implementation.

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill

We on this side of the chamber welcome the bill, which in partnership with parents and schools can only be of immense benefit to the health and well-being of future generations. I thank the clerks and the bill team for their support in preparing the bill.We all know the backgr...

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Will the minister give way?

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am concentrating on lunches.I can see the arguments, but I believe that school resources will suffer if parents who can afford to pay for their children's school lunches are not required to pay for them.

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

My view is that we can and should actively encourage children to stay in school at lunch time so that they can get involved in various activities and, one would hope, take up school lunches. Having worked in schools recently, I have seen the state of the resources in schools a...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I have heard the arguments and I have listened carefully to the debate, especially Christine Grahame's speech.My major concern is the number of children who do not take up the free school meals to which they are currently entitled. We need to consider that issue seriously. I g...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

We discussed renewable energy towards the end of the evidence session. Methane is created in many landfill sites and there is also wind or solar power, so consideration could be given to opportunities for utilising renewable energy to run plants, as long as it is not prohibiti...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Proximity is an issue that has to be addressed. Aligned to that are the mitigation procedures to combat the fears about odour and wind-blown problems.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Do you foresee waste management plants that are self-sustainable through renewable energy in the long term?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Would there be an option to work in partnership with the forestry industry to use its rail links and facilities?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

There is an economic argument. Companies such as Tesco and the heavy goods guys say that they go by road because it is cheaper to go by road, even at 5 miles to the gallon, than to go by rail or by sea. In the SPP, you are fairly prescriptive in saying that you do not want the...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Okay. The proximity principle states that waste should be transported to nearby facilities, preferably by modes other than road. Given the limitations of existing transport infrastructure in some areas of Scotland, how can that be achieved in practice? To be parochial, I ask t...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

So mitigation procedures would be formally put in place.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

I am making a comparison with the odour and wind-blown waste from landfill sites.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Let us move on. We have heard from some witnesses that the environmental impact assessment process would be expected to address distances between a waste management facility and a settlement. How would that be done in practice? I am thinking along the lines of mitigating again...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

I want to continue on the theme of people's sensitivity to the proximity of landfill sites. The draft SPP does not provide fixed distances that should be maintained between waste facilities and settlements. What consideration was given to the inclusion of minimum recommendatio...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Outdoor Education

In the spirit of encouraging outdoor activity for pupils, and following Patricia Ferguson's comments on the radio this morning, will the minister acknowledge the benefits that flow from schools dedicating, say, Friday afternoons to extra-curricular activities?

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Water Quality (Western Isles)

I acknowledge what the minister has said, but does she agree that pipe network leakage of around 50 per cent throughout Scotland is a massive waste of expensively treated water, and that the problem will be adequately rectified only by releasing Scottish Water from the financi...

2. Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Water Quality (Western Isles)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the value of Scottish Water's investment in water quality in the Western Isles will be eroded if leakage in the pipe network is not addressed at the same time. (S2O-12261)

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Football (Sectarianism)

I take Margo MacDonald's point, but I do not think that it is directly related to the debate.We need to look at the issue of more police on the streets. As recently as last Sunday, I was confronted with a mob of supporters at Meadowbank prior to the Hibs v Rangers match. They ...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

Football (Sectarianism)

I thank Alasdair Morrison, as well as other members, for bringing up this important issue. I recall with horror my only visit—in the early 1970s—to an old firm match, when the legendary Jim Baxter returned to Ibrox. I found the atmosphere of hate between the supporters electri...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · A96 (Dualling)

Although the Conservatives support the upgrading of the A96 and the A9, does the minister agree that the current apology for a trunk road—the A82 Tarbert to Crianlarich route to the Highlands and Islands—must be upgraded well ahead of the proposed programme? If not, it is in g...

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Illegal Moneylenders

It is not utter rubbish.In a society where social responsibility is actively promoted in communities, business, civil society and, as Bill Aitken said, education, we must go back to education and start from the grass roots. Learning how to manage finance, we should be able to ...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

Illegal Moneylenders

I cannot disagree with much of what has been said already. Illegal moneylending is a growing blight on our society and must be stopped. Under the Labour Government, debt has rocketed. Personal debt in the UK now outstrips our GDP—quite something for the fifth-largest economy i...

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

I congratulate Scott Barrie on bringing this debate to Parliament.Energy debt and fuel poverty continue to be important, and recent statistics reveal that an alarming number of Scots are struggling with such issues. It is now estimated that more than 100,000 children are livin...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Subordinate Legislation

As a rather sad former maths teacher, it strikes me that an increase of 10 per cent—even over two years—is above inflation. I am interested to know what the increase was in 2005.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Thank you. I think that your answer probably covered my next question.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Are island communities doing the same thing?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

What are your views on the proximity principle that waste should be transported to nearby facilities, and preferably by transport modes other than road?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

I will touch on health and the proximity principle. Does the draft SPP deal adequately with health issues—perceived or otherwise? I also have a question for SEPA. From experience, I understand that the likes of Scottish Water dispose of dried waste—possibly including heavy met...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

I represent a rural and island area. Are distances between facilities and settlements appropriate to such areas? Should we be more flexible? There will not be a waste management facility in every very small community.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Do you have any views on the distance that should be maintained between a waste management facility and a settlement?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

How competitive are the transport alternatives? It is sometimes uncompetitive to transport timber by rail, so we have lots of journeys by massive trucks that cause a lot of damage to our roads.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

The draft SPP mentions modes of transport to sites and the close proximity of sites. How realistic is it to call for waste to be transported to nearby facilities by modes other than road, in accordance with the proximity principle?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

You have made your position clear. Thank you very much.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

There is the pre-application stage.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

From your experience, what is the reaction when communities rebel against something in a planning application? Are the communities simply ignored?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

I would like to put to both witnesses a question on community engagement, which I feel is at the core of this issue. The committee was closely involved in the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006, which very much focused on community engagement. Will the proposals for community en...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

No, but all that would be taken into account. If the odour is generated at the centre of the site, it has to be controlled from the source, so that, irrespective of the wind, it does not get beyond the boundary.

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Odour is obviously a major concern. From my experience of waste water treatment works, environmental health departments used to set boundary conditions for odour, and odour levels could be monitored at the site boundary. Has it ever been suggested that odour could be measured ...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Is there medical evidence for that?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

You mentioned that members of the community reckon that living close to the landfill site has an adverse effect on health. Do they have evidence for that?

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

You mentioned the odour from the site. I take it that, in your experience, there is no odour control on the site.

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Committee

Planning for Waste Management (Draft Scottish Planning Policy)

Good morning. I have a question for Ann Coleman in particular, on the impact of landfill on communities. Draft SPP 10 refers to a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs study that indicates that landfill has only a minimal effect on health. Your community has lived...

Dave Petrie: Con Chamber

Will the minister take an intervention?

Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con Chamber

The debate has been good. As another former teacher, I have experienced HMIE inspections, which I found to be fair, balanced and comprehensive, with any identified shortcomings followed up, often with necessary staff changes, as Peter Peacock said. HMIE's responsibility runs f...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I see exactly where Patrick Harvie is coming from and I understand his concerns, but one or two points arise from the amendments in the group. My experience of the anonymised systems in schools, particularly the card system, is that it is used widely and works very well. It is...

Dave Petrie: Con Committee

Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

All that I am saying is that there are people who can afford to pay for school lunches, and it would put unnecessary pressure on local authorities to relieve them of that.

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Chamber

Plenary, 22 Mar 2007

22 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary

Item of business

Education

Petrie, Dave Con Highlands and Islands Watch on SPTV

The criticism was realistic and positive.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman): Lab

The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5775, in the name of Hugh Henry, on celebrating success in Scottish education.

The Minister for Education and Young People (Hugh Henry): Lab

I am delighted to open a debate that gives us an opportunity to put on record all the significant developments that are taking place in Scottish education.As...

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): SNP

If such substantial progress has been made since the Labour-Liberal Executive came to power, can the minister explain why in 1997 there were 1,707 teachers i...

Hugh Henry: Lab

The Executive has delivered on its commitment to bring in more teachers. Indeed, by August, we will have met our target of 53,000 teachers in Scotland. As th...

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): Con

The minister is not the only one who visits schools in Scotland; as he would expect, we all do. Secondary schools have been telling us that a quarter of prim...

Hugh Henry: Lab

We can address some of the issues that still have to be tackled. The fact is that Scotland's performance ranks in the top third of Organisation for Economic ...

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): SNP

Does the minister agree that it is unfortunate that many of the rural schools in Moray that have received excellent inspection reports in recent years have b...

Hugh Henry: Lab

Any such decision—and, indeed, the quality of education in the area—is a matter for the local authority in Moray. However, we are determined to raise standar...

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): SNP

I greatly appreciated the minister's list of visits to schools in marginal constituencies with Labour members who are in their final days in office.The SNP i...

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): Ind

Does the member have any information on the geographical location and sociological demographics of the classes that she describes as being too big?

Fiona Hyslop: SNP

Margo MacDonald makes a good point. Indeed, in the debate on the Crichton campus at lunch time, the issue was raised in relation to Dumfries and Galloway. Pe...

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): LD

Will the member give way?

Fiona Hyslop: SNP

I want to move on.We should be introducing a baccalaureate as a group award in highers for top performance, first in languages and then in science, to encour...

Mr Davidson: Con

Will Ms Hyslop enlighten us on the science baccalaureate? What plans does the SNP have to fill the current shortages in science teachers at the top end of sc...

Fiona Hyslop: SNP

The SNP plans to maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls. We will encourage people to become teachers, particularly early years, science...

Hugh Henry: Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

Fiona Hyslop: SNP

I am in my last minute.The extra cost of PPP finance means that schools will lose at least £900,000 that could be spent on more books, better equipment and m...

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): Con

Like Fiona Hyslop, we all believe strongly in the pursuit of educational excellence. I thank her for her kind words about the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. I...

Hugh Henry: Lab

I pay tribute to Lord James for the contribution that he has made to public life in Scotland over many years. He has played a distinguished role not only in ...

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Con

There have been substantial improvements to Scottish education since before that time. Those improvements have been steady and we must learn from them. Howev...

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): LD

Will the member take an intervention?

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Con

I will take a brief intervention, but I have quite a lot to say.

Margaret Smith: LD

Does the member agree that it is important that Scottish history be taught in our schools, if for no other reason than to remind children of the important ro...

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Con

I thank Margaret Smith and Hugh Henry very much for their kind words.I support the teaching of history in schools, although not for the reason that Margaret ...

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): LD

I am pleased to follow Lord James Douglas-Hamilton in the debate, because that gives me an opportunity to pay tribute to him after his final speech in this p...

Margo MacDonald: Ind

Will the Treasury have an interest in whether the PPP-style mechanism can be replaced with another one, or will it be something that is just for the Scottish...

Iain Smith: LD

My understanding is that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to create the bonds that the SNP proposes to have, which means that the policy would...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

We are going to abolish the council tax, not cap it.

Iain Smith: LD

Whether it is the council tax or the local income tax that is capped, it will starve local authorities of resources. Worse than that, the SNP will put all th...

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): Lab

I start by adding to the tributes to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. Some 30 or so years ago, Lord James was my MP, although I am afraid that I did not vote for...