Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-13510, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on marine tourism. 15:43

The Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism (Fergus Ewing) SNP

I highlight the importance of marine and coastal tourism to Scotland because of the variety of opportunities that it offers across the country. Marine touris...

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism’s opening speech has illustrated the extent to which there is wide agreement on the value of marine tourism a...

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

The Scottish Conservatives recognise the importance of marine tourism to the Scottish economy, and I am particularly aware of its economic significance in my...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

That brings us to the open debate. Members were previously told that there would be speeches of four minutes. However, having recalculated the time available...

Stuart McMillan (West Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the debate and thank the minister and Jamie McGrigor for their kind remarks. This is an important time for our marine tourism offering, and I will...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

This afternoon’s debates seem to indicate that the business managers have something of a sense of humour, in that we have a themed afternoon—first visiting t...

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) SNP

Marine tourism is important to many of my constituents, particularly those who live in the island communities of Arran and Cumbrae and the coastal towns in m...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Thank you, Mr Gibson. I am glad that I was able to give you that extra minute in which to told us about your venture into Hollywood. 16:20

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

We could have been spared the story of Mr Gibson’s ventures down to the nudist beach on Arran. I too welcome this brief debate. As Orkney’s MSP, I certainly...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

I must ask you to close.

Liam McArthur LD

I conclude by saying that I have not touched on many of the issues that I should have. I welcome Lewis Macdonald’s comments on the devolution of the responsi...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Some members who have spoken already have gone slightly over their time, so I must ask the next three members to keep strictly to five minutes. 16:25

Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the opportunity to speak in today’s debate on marine tourism. Although my constituency does not have a large sea coastline, it has a significant sh...

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

This has been an afternoon of consensual debates, and it is certainly right that we have found consensus on the motion lodged by the minister on marine touri...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I am delighted to speak in the debate, but having spoken in the previous debate on the Harbours (Scotland) Bill, I am beginning to feel like Para Handy, so I...

Fergus Ewing SNP

In my defence, I say that the reason why I omitted reference to golf tourism is that it is not normally a marine event.

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

I thought so, too, minister.

Chic Brodie SNP

The minister has obviously not seen me play golf across a pond. Europe has recognised the value of the sector; in the previous debate, I mentioned the trans...

The Presiding Officer NPA

We come to wind-up speeches. I call Jamie McGrigor, who has about four minutes. 16:40

Jamie McGrigor Con

Thank you, Presiding Officer. There have been some good speeches from all across the chamber. In that regard, I commend Stuart McMillan again for the good w...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

We have had a good debate about the wide variety of attractions and activities that come under the marine tourism umbrella and about the strategy that is dev...

Fergus Ewing SNP

I thank all members who have contributed to what has been the most harmonious debate that I can recall for a very long time. Perhaps that is because we are d...

Liam McArthur LD

I certainly agree that the debate has been consensual, but the minister’s memory may be playing tricks on him. He is a veteran of previous debates on Decembe...

Fergus Ewing SNP

I was trying to forget them, but Mr McArthur has just made that slightly more difficult. To be fair, this has been an informative, informed, useful and valu...

The Presiding Officer NPA

You could just shout, Ms Goldie.

Annabel Goldie (West Scotland) (Con) Con

This is such an unexpected pleasure that I do not have my card in my console. I thank Mr Ewing for referencing a splendid cohort in Greenock, some of whom ...

Fergus Ewing SNP

That shows how excellent our education is, which I am sure is what we will hear from the education spokesperson at First Minister’s question time. There is n...

Fergus Ewing SNP

Of course, I wanted to; I was just offering members the opportunity to take a different view. We narrowly avoided seeing Jamie McGrigor immersed in the Corr...