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

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

I very much thank both our witnesses for taking the time to come to the committee this morning. That brings us to the end of the evidence session, and we will now move into private session. 11:02 Meeting continued in private until 11:24.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Based on those figures, the impact will obviously be very substantial. Daniel Johnson has a final supplementary question.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

The decision will have a massive social and economic impact, particularly in the Falkirk and Larbert areas. What will be the scale of that impact? We know that 400 direct jobs will be lost as a result of the decision. What will be the impact on supply chain jobs? I have seen 1...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

You mentioned the working group that has been set up between the UK Government and Scottish Government, and which you are not part of. Is there any ask that the company has made of the UK and Scottish Governments that you have not put on the record today? We have touched on th...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

I bring in Jamie Halcro Johnston.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

What period does the current funding cover?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

It does not seem to have secured those jobs, though. What is the value of that grant?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

What is the level of that support? Is there any conditionality attached to it?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Okay. That is a wee bit clearer. However, you still require a minimum number of orders. Are you saying that an extra 70 for the rest of this year and 300 next year would absolutely allow you to continue production in Scotland, if you know that further conversations are happening?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

I come back to the point that a lot of those changes are not going to happen in 45 days. Might a commitment to having those wider discussions about the longer term over the next few months, along with specific orders, be enough to keep production going at Falkirk and Larbert?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

A scheme would allow conversations to continue, because, even with the best will in the world, changes to some of those things might take a bit of time—they will not happen in 45 days. You are having a 45-day consultation at the start of the summer holidays, when your workers ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

You seem to be suggesting that, even if you got extra orders, you would consolidate anyway.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

We will come to the very specific issues about the landscape in a second, but the fact is that those conversations will not result in a solution in the next couple of weeks. You might be in a situation in which you are able to secure orders; after all, you are talking about be...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Okay. If you were able to secure those orders—between 70 and 100 this year, say, and 300 next year—would you give an absolute guarantee that production would take place in Scotland and not simply transfer it to Scarborough anyway?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

And roughly how many orders do you have for next year?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

How many more would you need next year to be able to run both sites?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

But the 2022 act covers the whole of the UK, including Scarborough. I am trying to specifically understand what you would require in the next few months to effectively call off the closure of Falkirk. You are talking about 70 to 100 orders this year and 300 next year. How far ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

What is the number?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Our next item of business is an evidence-taking session with the management of bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis. On 11 June, Alexander Dennis announced a consultation on consolidating its United Kingdom bus body manufacturing operations into a single site in Scarborough. It w...

The Convener (Colin Smyth) Lab Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 22nd meeting in 2025 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. This morning, we have apologies from Gordon MacDonald and Lorna Slater. Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private item 3, which is consideratio...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

That brings us to the end of the evidence session. I thank both witnesses for coming along at fairly short notice. I appreciate how important this issue is to your members, to the community and to all the workforce that is affected. As we heard earlier, we will take evidence f...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Gordon MacDonald, do you want to come back in with a supplementary question?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Gordon MacDonald has a couple of supplementaries.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

I am sure that we will come back to that very important point tomorrow with the company.

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

You raised a point about contracts, and we will question the company tomorrow. What assurances have you been given by the company that, if the contracts are secured, the work will be carried out in Falkirk and not simply transferred elsewhere? Has the company given you the ass...

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

We will come back to the detail of what the business needs to do. Can you set out clearly for the committee what the political ask is? What do the Scottish and UK Governments need to do to protect the jobs?

The Convener Lab Committee

Alexander Dennis

Our next item of business is the first of two evidence sessions on Alexander Dennis. I begin by declaring an interest as I am a member of Unite the Union and the GMB. Today, we will hear from the trade unions and tomorrow, we will hear from Alexander Dennis management. On 11 ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Okay. We may come back to that issue. As members have no further questions, that brings us to the end of the evidence session. I thank the minister and all the officials for joining us. I will suspend the meeting briefly to allow a change of witnesses. 10:06 Meeting suspende...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Minister, I have a question that you may be able to answer with your wider public sector reform hat on. The bill aims to empower local authorities to transform local economies through community wealth building. However, councils in Scotland still lack a general power of compet...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will bring in Daniel Johnson. No pressure, Daniel, but we are looking for some plain speaking.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I was thinking more about formalising that role as a co-designer in the bill, as opposed to those bodies inputting into the plan. That point came through in some of the evidence.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

On that point, what consideration was given to creating a formal role for those anchor organisations when it comes to co-designing the action plan itself? You have highlighted the importance of those organisations, but should they not be co-designing the action plan with local...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

If we are to have a bill, why does it ignore the big-ticket policy areas that really matter, which we have heard about in evidence? Why are changes in the policy areas of, for example, procurement thresholds, small and medium-sized enterprise access to procurement, and improve...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Do we need a law to do that? Can you not just have an agreement with COSLA to set that direction for public bodies? Public bodies, such as Scottish Enterprise, rely on ministerial direction letters, so could that not all have been covered by that process?

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Thank you, minister. You have already touched on an important point by asking whether we need the bill. No member of this committee is against community wealth building—many are passionate about it. However, is the bill ambitious enough? What will it deliver that could not be ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Our second item of business is our final stage 1 evidence session on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. I am pleased to welcome Ivan McKee, Minister for Public Finance. Accompanying him from the Scottish Government are: Stephen White, head of community wealth build...

The Convener (Colin Smyth) Lab Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning, and welcome to the 21st meeting in 2025 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private item 5, which is consideration of evidence. Are members content to take that item in private? Members indicated...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Our final evidence session will be with the minister, next week, and we will compile our report after that. Thank you so much. 11:45 Meeting continued in private until 12:26.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

—but that takes us away from the subject today. I do not see any further questions from members. Thank you very much indeed for your evidence.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That is useful. I am sure that I will make a submission to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s review of its mothballing policy in due course—

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That would be helpful.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You mentioned guidance earlier. You might not answer this question today, but you could write to us. The committee’s main role is to scrutinise legislation and consider what should be in or out of legislation, but there is a consensus that what the guidance says might be even ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will turn to a point from your submission. On rural aspects, you said: “There is a view from some of our members that unintended consequences could be more likely in rural areas”. Will you expand on those concerns from some of your members?

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That is interesting. I should place on record a declaration of interest as a member of the town centre board that Councillor Macgregor just mentioned. Lorna Slater has some questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

One of the points that has been put to us is that the duty—I appreciate the point you make about the duty and the fact that there are mixed opinions on that—is not as much about trying to get local government to engage in the approach as it is about trying to get other bodies ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Murdo Fraser touched on what the FSB had said around targets. It also said that it would support standardised reporting across councils on procurement spend, particularly with regard to SMEs. I do not know whether COSLA has discussed that and if you have a position on it. Cert...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will pick up on one of those points, Gail Macgregor, you noted the concerns around procurement thresholds. Is that something that COSLA feels that the bill could try to tackle by ensuring greater flexibility or perhaps just mandating economic impact considerations with regar...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Kevin Stewart wishes to come in with a supplementary question.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I have a follow-up question. Is COSLA happy with the financial memorandum? Is that £4.4 million accurate? What is COSLA’s ask for resource?

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I welcome everyone to our second evidence session this morning on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. I welcome our panel: Councillor Gail Macgregor, environment and economy spokesperson, and Calum Lindsay, policy manager, environment and economy, from the Conventio...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You will be pleased to know that that brings us to the end of our evidence session. I thank our witnesses very much. It has been a fascinating discussion and, more significantly, it has been really helpful in our consideration of the bill. Thank you so much indeed for your inp...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I bring in Lorna Slater.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That is interesting. I will bring in Daniel Johnson.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Following that up, there have been quite a few points around procurement. Are the processes accessible enough for ethical and community-owned financial providers to compete in that area?

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Our fundamental concern is what may change in the bill. On that point, should there be a duty in the bill, for example, for anchor organisations to co-design their action plan? Should that be specified in the bill?

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Can I ask a question? Sorry, Murdo, we seem to be team tagging here. That is an interesting point, Morven, because in your evidence you contrasted the ease of large private developers with the struggles that community-led housing has in accessing land. Should the bill includ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Are you saying that there should be a duty in the bill for councils to set targets, and that there should be standardised reporting, for example? It seems that we do not know what the figures are at the moment—the picture is varied. Further, should there be a duty on councils ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Thank you. I will now bring in Murdo Fraser.

The Convener Lab Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Our next item of business is our third evidence session on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. We will hear from two panels, and I am delighted to welcome our first panel: Stacey Dingwall, head of policy and external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses S...

The Convener Lab Committee

Product Regulation and Metrology Bill (UK Parliament Legislation)

As there are no more questions, I thank the minister and Dr van de Graaf for joining us. That brings the evidence session to an end and I will briefly suspend the meeting to allow for a changeover of witnesses. 09:25 Meeting suspended. 09:27 On resuming—

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Committee

Economy and Fair Work Committee 26 June 2025

26 Jun 2025 · S6 · Economy and Fair Work Committee

Item of business

Alexander Dennis

Smyth, Colin Lab South Scotland Watch on SPTV

I very much thank both our witnesses for taking the time to come to the committee this morning.

That brings us to the end of the evidence session, and we will now move into private session.

11:02 Meeting continued in private until 11:24.

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab

Our next item of business is an evidence-taking session with the management of bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis. On 11 June, Alexander Dennis announced a co...

Paul Davies (Alexander Dennis)

The Scotland site’s capacity is about 300 to 400 buses a year. The Government has asked us what it would take to postpone the consultation and stop the proce...

The Convener Lab

What is the number?

Paul Davies

It is about 70 to 100 buses this year. From our perspective, though, there are wider issues. Obviously, there has been a conversation about a potential furlo...

The Convener Lab

But the 2022 act covers the whole of the UK, including Scarborough. I am trying to specifically understand what you would require in the next few months to e...

Paul Davies

We do not have sufficient volume in our order book to sustain two manufacturing sites in the UK, which is why we are looking at consolidation activity.

The Convener Lab

How many more would you need next year to be able to run both sites?

Paul Davies

In the region of 300 to 400.

The Convener Lab

And roughly how many orders do you have for next year?

Paul Davies

The Convener Lab

Okay. If you were able to secure those orders—between 70 and 100 this year, say, and 300 next year—would you give an absolute guarantee that production would...

Paul Davies

I would then make a further point about how we bridge the gap in our order book that is coming in the summer, and our being able to build bodies in Scotland ...

The Convener Lab

We will come to the very specific issues about the landscape in a second, but the fact is that those conversations will not result in a solution in the next ...

Paul Davies

There are wider implications for us. Over the past few years, we have spent a lot of money on retaining skills and capacity in Scotland—for example, we have ...

The Convener Lab

You seem to be suggesting that, even if you got extra orders, you would consolidate anyway.

Paul Davies

Our message to the Government has been that a furlough scheme has to be considered as part of a bigger picture, given some of the other issues that we have b...

The Convener Lab

A scheme would allow conversations to continue, because, even with the best will in the world, changes to some of those things might take a bit of time—they ...

Paul Davies

It is absolutely not a done deal—it is a consultation process. We are very grateful for the active engagement that we have had from both Governments and othe...

The Convener Lab

I come back to the point that a lot of those changes are not going to happen in 45 days. Might a commitment to having those wider discussions about the longe...

Debbie McCreath (Alexander Dennis)

To add to Paul Davies’s point, I would say that our ask of the Government at this time has been about the short-term solution. We have split the solutions in...

The Convener Lab

Okay. That is a wee bit clearer. However, you still require a minimum number of orders. Are you saying that an extra 70 for the rest of this year and 300 nex...

Debbie McCreath

Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP) SNP

I have a couple of wee questions. First, it seems as if you are saying that, even if you reach the magical number of orders, you still have to get them sold,...

Paul Davies

Michelle Thomson SNP

Given the business’s numbers and the financial flows that it has seen over the past few years—and well before Covid—it appears that there was a trigger for t...

Paul Davies

Historically, UK market registrations were between 2,500 and 3,000 buses per annum. Before the move to low-emission vehicles only, the competitive landscape ...

Michelle Thomson SNP

You have again articulated the position as it has progressed over a number of years. We can see that, but it looks as if the trigger has been the refinancing...

Paul Davies

No. Our proposal has been entirely led by me and the UK executive team, although it will go through the executive of NFI Group, which is our parent company, ...

Michelle Thomson SNP

Okay. Thank you.

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

Good morning. Following on from those questions, am I right in saying that you mostly only produce buses to order?