Meeting of the Parliament 29 March 2017
I am just about to wrap up.
In other parts of the UK, we have seen how successful investment joint ventures between Chinese companies and investors and regional administrations have benefited the economy. The recent redevelopment of Manchester airport is a good example.
We encourage the Scottish Government to enhance its working practices, so that what happened does not happen again.
The SNP often accuses us of talking down Scotland. Let me make it clear that we are not talking down Scotland: rather, we are talking down the SNP, and the SNP is not Scotland. We are talking down the SNP for the damage that it has inflicted on the Scottish economy. The most recent shambles is just one more example of its mismanagement of the Scottish economy over the past 10 years.
I move amendment S5M-04919.1, to leave out from “further notes” to end and insert:
“censures the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work for failing to exercise basic diligence initially and then subsequently criticising opposition MSPs for raising basic questions; calls on the Scottish Government to apologise; further calls for the working practices of the department and the sign-off protocols of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work to be revised to make sure that basic checks on the human rights record and financial underpinning of potential investors are made at an earlier stage; considers that investment by Chinese companies in other parts of the UK has made a significant and positive contribution to the economies and infrastructure of the regions involved, and calls on the Scottish Government to take further action to promote Scotland as a top destination for investment by global investors, including from China, with counter-parties and on terms that are in the best interests of Scotland.”
16:10Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.