Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 June 2015
02 Jun 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scotland Can Do
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for allowing me to contribute to the debate.
First, I commend all those who are involved in business across Scotland, and the entrepreneurs, many of whom operate unseen across the landward areas, towns and cities of our country, who are committed to creating the very economy that we are discussing today. Those in the private sector, agencies and the third sector provide a grand service on our behalf, and the Government’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation is welcomed by members on this side of the chamber. The Government will be supported in any real actions that it takes to deliver on the stated aims of Scotland can do. We should nevertheless identify the context within which those aims operate.
Enterprise and entrepreneurial endeavour are not of themselves virtuous outcomes. The pursuit of profit is a necessary part of any business enterprise but, at the same time, employees, customers and the wider community should feel the benefits delivered by business in the round.
The economies of Scotland and the wider UK are beginning to move forward, but the benefits are fragile and tentative at this stage, and they are reliant on a world economy that is still recovering from the global economic crash, as was mentioned earlier.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-13338, in the name of John Swinney, on Scotland can do: a framework for entrepreneurship and innovation. ...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney)
SNP
I welcome the opportunity to open this debate on the steps that we are taking to strengthen support for the development of new enterprises in Scotland. Thi...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Does the cabinet secretary feel that young people in schools are being encouraged to consider entrepreneurship and having their own business? It seems that t...
John Swinney
SNP
I am not sure whether Mr Mason and I were in the school system at the same time, but I suspect we were probably round about the same year—let me put it as ge...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I welcome the debate on Scotland can do. It is clear that there is much to be done to raise the level of entrepreneurship in Scotland. My amendment refers to...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
I remind members that we have time available in the debate. I call Graham Pearson. You have 10 minutes or so. 14:49
Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for allowing me to contribute to the debate. First, I commend all those who are involved in business across Scotland, and the...
John Mason
SNP
The member talks about entrepreneurship and the importance of any benefits being shared around, so that the profits do not just appear in one place. Does he ...
Graeme Pearson
Lab
I am pleased to acknowledge that all approaches to entrepreneurial benefit and business development have a benefit for wider communities if they are properly...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
Does the member acknowledge that university is not the only route to success for entrepreneurs? A lot of young people with many diverse talents may seek a di...
Graeme Pearson
Lab
Of course I acknowledge that, and I hope to come on to that point later. The Scottish Government should encourage universities to work even more closely wit...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We come to the open debate. I can allow speeches of seven minutes or so and still have a bit of time for interventions. 15:02
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride) (SNP)
SNP
John Swinney began by saying that the Government’s Scotland can do framework is ambitious. I am glad, because Scotland should have ambition. We have much to ...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate on Scotland can do. I will focus on the work of Jim Duffy’s Entrepreneurial-Spark, already mentioned by ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
At least one civil servant is due some congratulations from us all. Finding “CAN DO” from the words “capable”, “ambitious”, “networked”, “demand” and “opport...
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP)
SNP
It is always a challenge to follow Stewart Stevenson. I will certainly not talk about investigatory powers or snoopers charters. I was going to start with a ...
Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I express my pleasure at having the opportunity to take part in this important debate this afternoon. The Scotland can do framework was launched to set out ...
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
I speak in the debate from the perspective of someone whose father took the decision—in 1998, along with one of his fellow employees at a company—to start up...
John Mason
SNP
I listened with great interest to what Mr McDonald said about his constituents. He said that they are role models, but does he know whether they have been go...
Mark McDonald
SNP
I could not say offhand whether either of those two individuals has been into local schools, but often when I speak to headteachers in my constituency, it is...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The clock may be ticking, but I can give you the time back for the intervention.
Mark McDonald
SNP
Okay—I can see other members instantly regretting that, but if I may I have one final point about the opportunity that can arise from adversity. In the oil...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Like Mark McDonald, I would say that there are encouraging signs in this area—I noted from one of the briefings that the total early stage entrepreneurial ac...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
Perhaps there is a bit more entrepreneurship around than we recognise because it is not all commercially applied. If a church runs a coffee morning, it is be...
John Mason
SNP
That is fair. I am interested that Mr Stevenson used the word “confident”, which I touched on earlier. That is definitely part of the issue. The UK system s...
Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy and the Government for bringing the debate to the chamber to allow us to discuss Scotland...
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I am delighted to rise in support of the Scotland can do framework, “which makes clear Scotland’s ambitions and sets out the priority areas where the Scotti...
Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I support the motion, of course. I do so because I am passionate about my nation and about its performance. I have been somewhat lucky in my past to have run...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
As the member has, like me, been in technology, he will perhaps remember the autobiography of Andy Grove, the chief executive of Intel, which is called “Only...
Chic Brodie
SNP
That is required. Also required are the involvement and acceptance of all the workforce. We have talked about skills investment. We have to expand our skill...