Hansard

I, too, welcome the bill. I acknowledge the cabinet secretary’s work on the bill. I particularly thank my fellow South Scotland region colleague and friend Colin Smyth and the other South Scotland MSPs for their input to and scrutiny of the bill, in addition to what was done by the committee.

As Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on land reform, I particularly welcome the amendments that were lodged by Gail Ross and John Finnie and agreed to at stage 2, which will empower communities and give the new enterprise agency a similar social remit and land ownership remit to Highlands and Island Enterprise, which has been so successful in supporting and enabling communities by placing the sustainability of their economic future in their own hands. The amendments are very important in respect of empowering communities to take ownership of local land and building assets. As was discussed at stage 2, that has been a success of HIE, so I am encouraged that the new agency will have a similar social remit.

I strongly support the bill, and I am excited about seeing the positive effects that the agency will bring to communities in South Scotland, especially in relation to retaining young people in the region. However, I have a continuing concern that I feel strongly about: where the bill will deliver for people who live within the agency’s boundaries starkly highlights the lack of support for the communities that it will not reach.

Recent assurances from Scottish Enterprise have not gone far enough. Some of my constituents in Clydesdale and South Ayrshire are concerned and disappointed by what they believe to be a failure of the Government to provide them with a similar opportunity. What reassurance can the cabinet secretary give to my constituents? What specific actions will he take to support Clydesdale? Clydesdale is part of the South Scotland region that I represent, and it looks far more to the south than it does to Glasgow. I worry about the supposed reassurance that was given by Scottish Enterprise in a recent letter to me. It stated:

“a series of regional economic partnerships have been formed across much of Scotland with Clydesdale covered by the Glasgow City region”.

I have seen no evidence of focus on the sustainable development of Clydesdale in the Glasgow city region deal. What can the cabinet secretary do to address those concerns quickly? They are surely well beyond being operational matters.

On a more positive note, Transport Scotland has written to me highlighting that the second strategic transport projects review will

“take account of the priorities emerging from the new National Transport Strategy and support government policies including those on climate change and tackling inequality.”

I hope that it will also include rurality.

I am delighted that the bill was amended at stage 2, following amendments that were lodged by Colin Smyth, to include environmental policies that recognise the need to support the shift to a net zero emissions economy. It is necessary, in the context of the current climate emergency, that the bill reflects that.

However, I am disappointed that the cabinet secretary did not recognise the significance of my amendment 13, which would have included in the bill a provision on support for co-operation for environmental reasons, given that we face an environment and climate emergency. I hope that he will ensure that such issues are dealt with in regulation.

I welcome the South of Scotland Enterprise Bill, and I look forward to its being passed and to working with all those who are involved in sustainable development across the region.