Hansard

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

14 May 2026

Oaths and Affirmations

I, Keith James Brown, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Forth Valley College (Alloa Campus)

I very much welcome the Scottish Government’s support in this matter, and especially its budget support, notwithstanding the fact that neither the Conservative Party nor the Labour Party made any budget proposals for increased college funding.What consideration did the Forth V...

1. Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Forth Valley College (Alloa Campus)

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Forth Valley College to retain its Alloa campus for 2026-27, what engagement it will have with the college and the Scottish Funding Council to ensure the long-term future of further education provision in Cla...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

Like others have done, I will mention the point made by Liz Smith about the excellent nature of the debate that we have had. However, she mentioned something else, which has not been repeated but which I think is worth repeating. I have always thought that it is perfectly poss...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I thank Stuart McMillan—who is my friend, too—for taking the intervention. I do not know whether he is aware—he may well be—that I sought the relevant information from the Government. A section 104 order is drafted by the UK Government and it cannot be amended by MPs or the Ho...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I have heard the quotes from Edmund Burke a number of times over recent years. He was giving his point of view about the responsibilities of a member of Parliament. It was a conservative point of view, vehemently opposed by many other people who thought that it was not right. ...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am quite attracted to the Government’s explanation that amendments 45 to 47 would provide a less prescriptive and more flexible opportunity for data to be collected. Does that flexibility extend to being able not to mention that a death has been a result of assisted dying? I...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

First Minister’s Question Time

The First Minister will be aware of a memo that was leaked this week, which revealed the Prime Minister’s true attitude towards devolution. Is the First Minister as disappointed as I am that the Labour Party in Scotland has chosen to side with the Prime Minister and not with t...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Business Motions

I have already conceded the point that I recognise the difficulties that Jeremy Balfour and other members have pointed out, and it is unfortunate that meetings will fall unevenly on different members of the Parliament. However, the situation that we are in requires us to finis...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Business Motions

I will just finish the point that I want to make. Friday is the 30th anniversary of the Dunblane tragedy, which is in my constituency. It is odd, of course, that we would be having a debate on assisted dying at that time. Rather than what is happening tonight, we should make s...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Business Motions

Rather than talk about the Parliamentary Bureau and the Government, every single one of us needs to look at ourselves with regard to what we might have done to cause this situation in the first place.Meeting on Friday, for the reasons that Jeremy Balfour and others have said, ...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

It was not my intention to speak at this point, and I have not spoken yet in proceedings, which, after 15 hours, is a bit of a record for me, I would say. However, I want to say a couple of words before we decide on the amendments.I have genuine concerns about the bill, and I ...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

It is interesting that we have a new floor for parliamentary language and that, once again, that floor has been set by the Conservatives.I go back to the point that Stephen Kerr made. I did not realise that he was my number 1 fan and was following my media appearances, but I t...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

Will the member give way?

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

You now have the opportunity, on behalf of Stephen Kerr, who is supporting you in this, to answer the question that I asked last night. Will you support the removal of the energy profits levy, which your party introduced and which is now supported by the Labour Party? It is qu...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2026

Topical Question Time · Middle East Conflict (Support for Residents in Scotland)

I very much associate myself with the comments and questions of Jamie Greene. I will ask the cabinet secretary a question on a related note. The Prime Minister’s decision to allow UK military bases to be used by the United States in this operation has drawn the UK into this co...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

26 Feb 2026

Scottish Broadcasting

:It is a bit more than that. Look at the sports coverage. Look at the coverage of the six nations. Every programme has to have at least one English representative on it to safeguard the programme from local natives going over the score. Every programme, regardless of who is pl...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

26 Feb 2026

Scottish Broadcasting

:To your point, cabinet secretary, you have said before that we have been saying this stuff about the BBC for years. I do not attend the BBC dinners at the SNP conference. Stephen Kerr can take my place at those if he is keen to go to the SNP conference.We have said this stuff...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

26 Feb 2026

Scottish Broadcasting

:One of my local newspapers advertised for an AI journalist. I am not entirely sure what that is, to be honest. There is very little local content in local newspapers now, and there tends to be a concentration of ownership.It seems to be the case that we do not have what we sh...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Committee

26 Feb 2026

Scottish Broadcasting

I have just a couple of questions. From all the evidence that we have heard, it is clear that what is common to the BBC and other broadcasters is the threat, as it is perceived, from streaming and various other sources, and the fact that a majority of people, when they switch ...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2026

Business Motion

It is clear that the only reason that this issue is being raised again is desperation on the part of the Conservative Party and others to smear the Lord Advocate and to smear this institution and seek to undermine it, in the same way that Conservative members regularly shout d...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2026

Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3

Michael Marra earlier said that he respects independent authoritative agencies that comment on budgets. The OBR has said that Labour’s budget this year lays the groundwork for future years of austerity. Does the member agree with that?

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2026

Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3

Will the member give way?

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2026

Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3

Given the issues with tax during the period that Craig Hoy is speaking about, is it a good time for him to apologise for the fact that the Conservative Government, which he supported, trebled the national debt to nearly £3 trillion and brought in the highest tax burden since t...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2026

Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill: Stage 3

I think that I am right in saying that Alex Cole-Hamilton would have needed to have undergone a PVG check in order to host a Ukrainian family—I certainly did. If the proposals were extended, the only rational point for carrying out the check would be at the point of nomination...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2026

Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted no.

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Feb 2026

Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Similarly, I would have voted yes.

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2026

First Minister’s Question Time

The First Minister, like me, will have received correspondence from a number of constituents who are former Scottish public servants and who cannot access information about their pension or cannot access their pension at all once they are entitled to it. This morning, we saw t...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Having previously been responsible for the enterprise companies, I will say that there is a difference in their remits. I am not arguing with your point, cabinet secretary. There might be a role for Scottish Enterprise to view cultural initiatives more broadly, that is, as als...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

You rightly mentioned the huge uplift in culture funding in Scotland, not least as it compares to England and Wales. We have all supported that. You also mentioned the extent to which you are focused on multiyear funding, but that is utterly irrelevant in places such as Clackm...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

You have, quite rightly, over the years, pushed and pushed for multiyear funding, because of the particular advantages of multiyear funding for organisations. For all the work that you said you have done, you have ended up in the situation in Clackmannanshire, as well as in th...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Are there events in Clackmannanshire?

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

It is far from perfect—with regard to Clackmannanshire, it is as far from perfect as you can get. Given your comment that Creative Scotland is a responsive organisation, I say that it must do a lot more than respond; it must be a body that encourages applications. I could list...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

It is not just about being seen; the experience of the arts and culture sector in Clackmannanshire also concerns me.You mentioned Stirling. I would have thought that Stirling would be relatively vibrant due to the creation of Creative Stirling and some of the activity that has...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

It would be useful to get that information. If possible, it would also be good to get information for Stirling. I represent quite a chunk of Stirling and hope to represent a larger chunk of it after the election. It would be interesting to see what the pattern has been there. ...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Can you give an impression of what the spend has been like over the past 16 years?

Keith Brown SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I take it from that that you cannot give an account of the shape of Creative Scotland funding in Clackmannanshire. Was it in 2010 that Creative Scotland came into being?

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Committee

05 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I want to go back to the convener’s opening question about the disparity between local authority areas. The convener mentioned Clackmannanshire and West Dunbartonshire, which are noticeable, as those are two areas of the greatest deprivation in Scotland, but they received noth...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Decision Time

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted yes.

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

For those reasons, I support the amendment in the name of Ivan McKee on support for hospitality in Scotland.

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

I have already said that I will not take an intervention.We have already heard about spiralling energy costs, the economic damage of Brexit and, as I have mentioned, the UK Government’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions by lowering the threshold an...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

I am not taking any Conservative interventions; they would not take one from me.I do not agree that postponing revaluation or introducing a blanket 100 per cent relief up to £100,000 is the right answer because, when it comes to the details, Scotland is already providing a lev...

Keith Brown SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

There is no doubt that we all agree on the importance of the hospitality sector. I worked in the sector for many years and I have a son who works in the pub sector locally. Without question, the sector is facing rising costs, staffing pressures and customers who, because of th...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

I think that we are all agreed about the importance of the hospitality sector. I worked in the sector for a number of years—

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

04 Feb 2026

Hospitality

Will the member take an intervention?

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Thanks.

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I agree. What is often not said is that councillors are not trusted, really, but they are trusted more than every other elected member. Indeed, studies will show that they are the most trusted elected representatives. Going back to your earlier point, I think that, during the ...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

You did not.

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I want to ask about two issues, the first of which is the mature conversation that has been mentioned, and the other is the asymmetry that Mr Garrett referred to. I will make just a couple of comments, and I would be interested in hearing the panel’s views on them.First, I thi...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I will just confirm that no Opposition party came to the Government, with the possible exception of the Greens, and asked for more money—or, in fact, asked for anything, which is quite astonishing.Can you say something about the impact of the increase in employer national insu...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

What is crucial to having that serious, grown-up conversation is an understanding of the general financial environment, and I do not get the sense of that, to be honest. Nobody—neither you nor the previous two speakers—has mentioned the impact of the increase in employer natio...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Historic Environment Scotland

I will just add, convener, that it relates to this inquiry because there is every reason to suspect that HES might take a risk-averse approach when it gets through this and, if that is the case, it will be a continuing failure.

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Historic Environment Scotland

Cabinet secretary, as we have heard—it is in the budget—you have taken action to lift the restrictions and to give a signal that HSE should do that. However, it is one thing to open the door and another to see others going through it. I will cite a couple of examples. This is ...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Historic Environment Scotland

I endorse what Mr Harvie is saying. He is not without experience in this area. It may well be an exceptional case, but the Government should have in place provisions that allow it to deal with exceptional cases. I urge the Government to look at this very seriously. It may be m...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Historic Environment Scotland

The cabinet secretary is providing answers.

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Committee

29 Jan 2026

Historic Environment Scotland

Do you need an answer to the question?

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

28 Jan 2026

MV Bella 1

If we are serious about our commitment to uphold international law, sanctions need to be both credible and enforceable. Supporting the objectives of sanctions while hesitating to back enforcement—including action against a tanker that is allegedly breaching sanctions—raises qu...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP Chamber

22 Jan 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Scottish Child Payment

I welcome the Scottish child payment. I also welcome the boost to the Scottish child payment for families with a baby under one from 2027, which is set out in the 2026-27 Scottish budget. The cabinet secretary will know that UNICEF has said that the Scottish National Party Gov...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

22 Jan 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

That was my final question, but I have a quick comment on that.We have different views on the extent to which your office ranges across public activities, but I would certainly welcome the routine examination of where public bodies can do an awful lot more through their entrep...

Keith Brown SNP Committee

22 Jan 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

I have previously expressed this view in the Public Audit Committee, but the extent to which the Auditor General’s role has changed since it was first conceived surprises me. The range of things that you now comment on is much greater than it used to be. This morning, I think ...