Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-04580, in the name of Tom Arthur, on community wealth building—delivering transformation in Scotland’s lo...

The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth (Tom Arthur) SNP

I am delighted to open the first debate on community wealth building to be held in the Scottish Parliament. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Ted How...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I have sat in this chamber for 10 years now, and I have repeatedly heard speeches such as this one. As a Liberal, I love discussing all this kind of stuff, b...

Tom Arthur SNP

I suggest that Willie Rennie buckles up and listens to the rest of the speech. We need to take a broader view of what a prosperous economy, society and coun...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

I am grateful for the minister’s commitment to the ideas that he is talking about. However, he would have to acknowledge that, despite the seven references i...

Tom Arthur SNP

I will come on to some of those issues as my remarks progress. As the word spreads about community wealth building, some partners have expressed the view th...

Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

Tom Arthur SNP

I am sorry, but I need to make some progress. Community wealth building can combine the resources of all anchor partners, be they project resources or mains...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Will the minister give way?

Tom Arthur SNP

Very briefly.

Liz Smith Con

The minister is quite right about some of the really good things that are happening across the areas that he has mentioned. However, does he accept the very ...

Tom Arthur SNP

I take Liz Smith’s point. With community wealth building, our commitments on developing wellbeing economy metrics will be important. Community wealth buildin...

Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

This is a hugely important debate for communities right across Scotland. Community wealth building provides opportunities for delivering a prosperous society...

Elena Whitham (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP

The member will recognise that my constituency and Ayrshire have definitely not been afforded a just transition over the years. Does the member welcome the f...

Douglas Lumsden Con

I absolutely agree. That is one of the reasons why local government needs to be funded correctly. Without proper funding, it is harder for local government t...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

If we were being frank and honest, and if we went around the chamber and asked every member what they meant by “community wealth building”, we would probably...

Tom Arthur SNP

Will the member give way?

Daniel Johnson Lab

Yes—I would be grateful for more detail.

Tom Arthur SNP

I am very grateful to Mr Johnson for giving way. The key approach is to recognise that this is bottom up. Local communities are the driver and local authorit...

Daniel Johnson Lab

I am grateful for that lengthy intervention. It provides some clarity, but I think that we need to go further. If we look at examples, both here in Scotland ...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I am trying not to be grumpy, but I have to say that SNP ministers love these kinds of debates. They craftily entice us to daydream about the future, to thin...

Tom Arthur SNP

In case Mr Rennie misheard me, I note that I did not give a promise of pilots—the pilots already exist. This is happening and has been happening for years. T...

Willie Rennie LD

Well, that excites me greatly. I am ecstatic that the minister has now got the pilots actually working. What about doing stuff? What about doing stuff up in...

Daniel Johnson Lab

My understanding is that, in relation to value, the leases were sold off for just 5 per cent of the total revenues that will be generated. Does Willie Rennie...

Willie Rennie LD

Absolutely. What is worse is that the Government has lumped together all the contracts in a massive leasing round. What does that mean? It means that the wor...

Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow) (SNP) SNP

Community wealth building is real for many people, and they will be absolutely insulted by what we just heard from Willie Rennie. The idea of community weal...

Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con) Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Fiona Hyslop SNP

I will proceed. Unlike the main spokesperson for the Conservatives, I want to address the motion. We need leadership and partnership. The community wealth b...

Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) Con

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak in the debate. As members are aware, it is my belief and the belief of my party that the development of commu...

Jim Fairlie (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) SNP

Does the member not recognise that that is exactly what the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill is all about? Already, 90 per cent of the red meat that goes int...