Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 25 May 2022
25 May 2022 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Community Wealth Building
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 fact that the Scottish Government has committed £3 million to community wealth building as part of the Ayrshire growth deal? That will build on the work that has already been done. Over the past decade, East Ayrshire Council has put all its money into ensuring that local producers are supported when procuring school meals.
In the same item of business
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...