Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 21 January 2016
21 Jan 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Immigration Bill
I appreciate Sandra White’s point about the two girls who were on television last night, and I was also delighted to hear them call Clydebank “paradise”. I agree that, compared with where they have come from, it certainly is paradise. However, Kofi Annan was on the same programme and praised the UK Government for taking refugees straight from the camps surrounding Syria and flying them to this country to try to prevent them from crossing to Europe via the dangerous Mediterranean, where 30,000 refugees have drowned over the past 15 years. Does the minister agree that that is a good thing?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-15116, in the name of Christian Allard, on the impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Merci, Presiding Officer. The motion has received cross-party support because we—in this chamber, in the public gallery and across Scotland—do not agree wi...
Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Christian Allard for securing the debate. I echo many of the sentiments that he expressed. The Conservative Government’s Immigration Bill is both an...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I am pleased to speak in the debate. Members will not be surprised to hear that I simply do not recognise much of the characterisation of the UK Government’...
Christian Allard
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jamie McGrigor
Con
No, I will not. Christian Allard has had his go. I will make some progress. I am confident that all of us agree that migrant workers are particularly vulner...
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Christian Allard on securing this important and timely debate. I reiterate his comment that what is happening in the world is appalling. We ar...
Jean Urquhart (Highlands and Islands) (Ind)
Ind
Will the member take an intervention?
Sandra White
SNP
Have I got time, Presiding Officer?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
As it is you, yes.
Sandra White
SNP
Thank you.
Jean Urquhart
Ind
I agree with all that the member is saying. It is important to recognise that not every case concerns an immigrant. Often, immigrants have married local peop...
Sandra White
SNP
Jean Urquhart is absolutely right. We have had experience of that. In one case that we represented, the person involved discovered that one of their maternal...
Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Christian Allard for bringing the matter to the chamber. The UK Government’s Immigration Bill is problematic on many levels. The right to rent scheme...
The Minister for Europe and International Development (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
I thank Christian Allard for securing this important debate, and I also thank those who have spoken for their thoughtful, forceful and robust speeches. Befor...
Jamie McGrigor
Con
I appreciate Sandra White’s point about the two girls who were on television last night, and I was also delighted to hear them call Clydebank “paradise”. I a...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I have never disagreed with the UK Government taking any number of refugees. It had to be forced—grudgingly—into doing so by pressure from the public and sta...