Hansard

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Developing the Young Workforce Programme

Can the minister outline what role businesses in the Highlands and Islands and indeed across the rest of Scotland should play in supporting the programme?

4. Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

23 Mar 2016

Portfolio Question Time · Developing the Young Workforce Programme

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the developing the young workforce programme. (S4O-05689)

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2016

Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Does Mr Harvie agree that to be unduly harsh with rent capping might deter investment and prevent the provision of new homes in the very areas where they are scarce and that a proportionate intervention, as suggested by the Scottish Government in the bill, is the appropriate w...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2016

General Question Time · A9 Dualling (Progress)

Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that as well as creating and retaining jobs during the construction phases, the dualling of the A9 will provide a long-term stimulus to the economy of the Highlands and Islands and improve safety for motorists?

4. Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2016

General Question Time · A9 Dualling (Progress)

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the dualling of the A9. (S4O-05679)

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

That would be useful. I am keen to read that.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

Thank you. That is very interesting.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

Thank you. That is useful.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

Is there scope for our planners to think about these matters? Planning has been dominated by the idea of place making. Is it possible for planners to make a positive contribution by thinking about healthy places?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

On general public health outcomes, I am always struck by the fact that Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles perform highly in United Kingdom quality-of-life surveys—they are almost always in the top three. They have very good health outcomes despite the fact that per capita ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

That is useful, but I suppose that my point was not so much about junior doctors as about other health professions—for example, nurses doing work that previously would have been done by GPs but doing it with less certainty or in a more risk averse way, which would ultimately l...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

15 Mar 2016

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2014-15

Good morning, Dr Calderwood. I hope to explore a similar issue, but with a more rural focus, because I represent the Highlands and Islands. When I recently spoke to some GPs, they made the same point about overtreatment and overinvestigation, but with a slightly different emp...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

15 Mar 2016

Forth Road Bridge Inquiry

Will the member take an intervention?

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

15 Mar 2016

Forth Road Bridge Inquiry

Presiding Officer, I have a confession to make: I expected the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee’s investigation into the Forth bridge closure to be dull as ditch water and for us to plod through tiresome technicalities and meaningless minutes, but instead I foun...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

15 Mar 2016

Topical Question Time · High-speed Broadband (Access)

I am much more optimistic than Rhoda Grant and have a better insight into the immense technical difficulty we have seen in laying cables—not least submarine cables—to many of our islands. Will the cabinet secretary explain some of the benefits of delivering high-speed broadban...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

Transport

Thank you.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

Transport

Thank you very much, minister. Let us move on to the subject of the Forth replacement crossing. Last week, the committee heard from Transport Scotland officials. We are all delighted that the project is under budget and on time. Has a date been set for the opening of the bridg...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

Transport

I have heard you give many assurances—to the users and staff—that service levels, fares and the terms and conditions of staff will be fully protected, regardless of which company wins the contract. Can you provide those reassurances again, for the record?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

Transport

Good morning, minister. Can you provide an update on the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

That sounds good. Thank you for such comprehensive answers—I hope that all those projects go well.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

I will keep my fingers crossed. I have one final question. We know that a wider redevelopment of Queen Street is planned. Can you outline that for us? How are things going with that?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

Are you confident that the work can be completed within the 20-week closure period? If not, do you have some contingencies for an extended construction period?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

You do not?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

I have dug myself into a bit of a hole on the committee because, on a previous occasion or two, I have quoted a bit of poetry. The line that springs to mind on this occasion is the one from Robert Burns—I do not know whether you are familiar with him—that says: “The best-laid...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

09 Mar 2016

ScotRail Alliance

I was pleased to hear of the progress with EGIP in your opening statement. Are you confident that the service changes that are planned for the closure of Queen Street—the high-level station at Queen Street—will be able to meet demand while minimising delays?

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

08 Mar 2016

Subordinate Legislation

Mr Pearson, you mentioned that an algorithm would be used in the decision-making process. That thought fills me with concern. Will the decision be made by a human being or by a computer? I am sure that you could understand public concern about that if it is a case of, “Compute...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2016

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time · Food Waste

I share Mary Scanlon’s concerns about the coffee and I compliment her on her efforts to improve its quality. I have observed something that might help the corporate body. On odd occasions, I have been in committees that have met very early in the day, and on those occasions t...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2016

General Question Time · Island Areas Ministerial Working Group

Does the minister agree that the plans for a forthcoming islands bill offer a significant opportunity and hope for all Scotland’s island communities to end the regional disadvantage that they have suffered for generations?

1. Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2016

General Question Time · Island Areas Ministerial Working Group

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the island areas ministerial working group. (S4O-05615)

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Forth Replacement Crossing

That sounds like a very good story. I very much hope the weather is kind to us all over the coming months, and to yourselves most of all. When frustrated about the weather, I used to console myself that the weather accountant ultimately has to balance his books. I think that ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Forth Replacement Crossing

Were Transport Scotland and FCBC staff able to assist the Forth road bridge team in dealing with the engineering challenges that they faced? That team did an outstanding job as well. I think that Scotland is getting a bit of a name for excellence in bridge work. Were you able ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Forth Replacement Crossing

Were those rate determining steps? Would they help the progress of the overall job, or would they not really be significant in that respect?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Forth Replacement Crossing

Thank you, convener. I just want to place on record my appreciation for the fantastic job that the whole team has done—everyone involved. My previous business life gives me a deep appreciation of the outstanding job that has been carried out so far, which I am sure will contin...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

That is a very interesting statistic. Will you write to the committee with those comparisons with the other UK countries or England?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

I assume that you have made a slip of the tongue, minister, in saying that we have built 41,000 more houses per head.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

That is reassuring. Since the low point in 2008, the number of new homes of all tenures has gradually increased. However, that has been subject to fluctuations. The planning system is under review because there were complaints that some bigger housing developments were held up...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

Thank you. That is a helpful clarification. The recently announced private rented sector rental income guarantee scheme is intended to provide thousands of additional homes in the build-to-rent sector. Homes for Scotland mentioned an aspiration of some of their members—big de...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

I was very pleased when you announced, a month or so ago, that the benchmark subsidy rates—essentially, the housing association grant—had been increased by between £12,000 and £14,000. Can you say a bit more about that increase? I think that the total subsidy is about £70,000 ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

The big challenge since the credit crunch has been a financial one—that of providing funding for housing. What progress has been made in developing innovative funding mechanisms? We know that the Government has supported the Falkirk Council pension fund investment. Could that ...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

02 Mar 2016

Housing

The convener has covered a lot of the territory that I intended to touch on. With the committee’s indulgence I will ad lib and think on my feet. Minister, I was at the rural housing conference in Birnam last Friday, where you launched the £25 million rural housing fund. I kno...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

01 Mar 2016

Subordinate Legislation

With the greatest respect, you have almost repeated my question back to me. What I am suggesting, in general terms, is that it is fairly unrealistic that the person making the complaint would make such a suggestion. If I were to do a straw poll and ask people in the street abo...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

01 Mar 2016

Subordinate Legislation

This is quite an interesting and important area. If I understood the ombudsman’s written evidence correctly, it was suggested that you would not take up a local policy issue unless it related directly to the complaint of the person affected and that person specifically associa...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

That sounds interesting. This will be my final question, convener. When we heard from the panel of independent experts, they lavished praise on the whole bridge team and everyone involved in the process for identifying the problem and undertaking remedial action very quickly ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

I will move on to a slightly different subject. During the inquiry, we heard a lot about the disruptive effect of the bridge closure. Has there been any upside to the closure in terms of commuter behaviour or whatever?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

During our inquiry, we heard that the Humber bridge’s maintenance regime is based on a 60-year plan. There will be a reduction in the amount of traffic using the Forth road bridge when the new bridge opens, so what is its projected lifespan?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

Thank you. I think that we have covered that subject pretty exhaustively. Mr Colford explained to the committee that, when he was the bridgemaster, he was a member of the International Cable Supported Bridge Operators Association and he was able to learn from good practice ac...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

Most people do not refer to me as Michael but as Mike, as per my name plate. Before we leave this fascinating discussion, can I ask the minister whether any consideration was given to structural health monitoring for the truss end link or any other part of the bridge before t...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Forth Road Bridge Closure

Oh, is it me?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

Thank you.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

Will you share with the committee more details of the proposals for training, meetings and so on, which I am sure will be of particular interest to suppliers across Scotland?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

I am very glad to hear you talk about community benefit being a consideration, and about quality rather than just price. I am sure that many members frequently receive complaints from suppliers and contractors who feel excluded by the current procurement process, and it often ...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

24 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I think that you have anticipated the questions that I had in mind to ask. However, you touched briefly on the different approach that the Scottish Government is taking compared with that of the rest of the United Kingdom and possibly other par...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

23 Feb 2016

Access to New Medicines

I represent the Highlands and Islands.

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

11 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

I suppose that I should rephrase my question, because I am not absolutely sure that its thrust was understood. We have discussed how the regulation will be implemented and so on and so forth, but how sure are we that the regulatory framework will be effective in driving forwar...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Committee

11 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

I am very glad that I do not live in the street that Mr Collins described. The very thought of it makes me feel unwell. It sounds like the set for one of those dreadful health soaps. I seek reassurance from Healthcare Improvement Scotland because of my growing concern, given ...

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Committee

11 Feb 2016

Subordinate Legislation

I am an MSP for the Highlands and Islands.

Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP Chamber

09 Feb 2016

Broadband and Mobile Phone Coverage (Rural and Island Communities)

During Mr Russell’s speech, it occurred to me that he is on Easdale almost more than I am these days, such is the effort that he puts into representing Argyll and Bute. I am often off on other islands—for example, Orkney—and I am very much looking forward to going to Shetland ...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

09 Feb 2016

Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Will the member take an intervention?

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

09 Feb 2016

Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

No. I am sorry, but I am short of time. Problems are woven throughout the bill—the minister touched on that. There are very difficult and thorny issues, and it behoves us to take the time to consider and resolve them in a proper fashion that will not give rise to unintended c...

Mike MacKenzie SNP Chamber

09 Feb 2016

Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

As I said, the Scottish Government has informed us that action is already under way to improve the quality of conversations that are held with bereaved families, which could potentially reduce family refusal rates. That seems to me to be the nub of the matter and the reason wh...